Trance and Possession: Are They The Same?

The article argues that trance and possession, often treated as the same phenomenon under the term "trance-possession," are actually distinct concepts. Trance refers to psychophysiologically altered states of consciousness, while possession involves cultural beliefs and practices. Confusing the two reinforces the mistaken assumption that possession necessarily involves a physiological altered state. The author calls for separating these elements and suggests that combining psychophysiological analysis of trance with ethnographic study of possession offers a productive path for future research.

Study at a glance

Abstract

An argument is made for the unthreading of two separate, if commonly intertwined, elements of spirit possession prac tices. The term "trance-possession" is frequently employed to designate either of these concepts, implying that trance and possession are essentially synonymous in nature. Yet the psychophysiologically altered states of consciousness known as trance constitute something fundamentally different from cultural beliefs and practices concerning possession. Although some researchers have noted this distinction, many writers on possession typically, if inadvertently, contribute to clouding the issue. Such confusion reinforces the commonly-held as sumption by lay persons and others that a culturally-defined state of possession must, de facto, indicate the presence of a physiologically altered state. The juxtaposition and integration of psychophysiological analyses of trance phenomena with ethnographic interpretations of spirit possession constitutes a fruitful area for further investigation.