Psychological Aspects of Spirit Possession¹

“He Who Has the Spirits Must Work a Lot”: A Psycho‐Anthropological Account of Spirit Possession in the Dominican Republic

“…The scholarly perspectives on spirit possession (SP) have been almost as multifaceted as the myriad of spirits who substitute the regular identities of human beings, whether welcome or unbidden. In the West, they go a long way back (Oesterreich 1921(Oesterreich /1974 and include Plato's philosophical discussion of the manias in the Phaedrus dialogue, the centuries-long Christian attempts to discern the nature of possessing entities (Sluhovsky 2011), and more recent discussions within anthropology (Bourguignon 1965;Boddy 1994), psychology (Mischel and Mischel 1947), neurocognition (Peres et al 2012), dramaturgy (Métraux 1955), and parapsychology (Gauld 1984). However, most empirical studies have been cross-sectional, evaluating one point of time, and have rarely adopted an interdisciplinary approach.…”

Ma'i Aitu: Culture‐Bound Illnesses in a Samoan Migrant Community1

“…Others see culture-bound syndromes as therapeutic. Anxiety, guilt reducing, and role reversal aspects during dissociational states are emphasized by Mischel and Mischel (1958), Kiev (1966), Pressel (1974, and Henney (1974). Prince sees 'suggestion' as the most important element in healing (1964: 110).…”

Psychotherapy as the Manipulation of Endogenous Healing Mechanisms: A Transcultural Survey

“…There may be cathartic effects from the acting out of otherwise prohibited roles, and being the mount or mouthpiece of a god can result in accrued social status (Mischel and Mischel 1958). However, since the dissociation usually occurs in company, the support provided by group membership also be important.…”