Spirit possession in South Asia, dissociation or hysteria? Part 2: Case histories.
Culture, medicine and psychiatry June 1, 1994 DOI: 10.1007/bf01379447 via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractPsychoanalytic theory has been misapplied in anthropological studies of spirit possession in South Asia. Pathological spirit possession in that region may share an etiology with multiple personality disorder in North America, both arising from spontaneous trance reactions to extreme environmental situations, especially child abuse. Reanalyses of previously published case histories of spirit possession illnesses in South Asia, viewed through dissociation theory, reveal possible causes that earlier psychoanalytic frameworks overlooked.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Citations | 55 |
| Key finding | Pathological spirit possession in South Asia may have a similar etiology to multiple personality disorder in North America, caused by spontaneous trance reactions to extreme situations such as child abuse. |
Abstract
Psychoanalytic theory appears flawed in the way it has been traditionally applied in anthropological studies of spirit possession in South Asia. It is suggested that pathological spirit possession in South Asia has a similar etiology to multiple personality disorder in North America, which is caused by spontaneous trance reactions to extreme situations in the environment, particularly child abuse. Reanalyses of previously published case histories of spirit possession illnesses in South Asia are presented from the perspective of dissociation theory, highlighting possible etiology not considered relevant in earlier psychoanalytic theories.