Self, Spirit Possession and World View: an Illustration From Egypt

Nelson, Cynthia

doi:10.1177/002076407101700304

Cited by 37 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 7 publications

(5 reference statements)

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“…Common signs and symptoms included impairment of consciousness, inappropriate laughter or crying, muteness, change in the pace or tone of voice, speaking in other languages, auditory hallucinations, difficulty in controlling impulses, and abnormal physical sensations such as pain, numbness and paralysis of limbs. Similar culture-bound presentations linked to beliefs about jinns have also been reported from Egypt,2 India,3 Singapore4 and Sri Lanka 5…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 67%

Process of determining the value of belief about jinn possession and whether or not they are a result of mental illness

2016

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We present the case of a 28-year-old Afghan woman who presented perinatally with concerns of being possessed by jinns. She was noted to have third person auditory hallucinations, delusions of control and somatic passivity. She was diagnosed with schizophrenia and was treated with antipsychotic medications with a positive outcome. Her husband also believed that his wife was possessed and believed that her jinns talked through his wife on occasions. He did not experience any psychotic symptoms himself. In the Muslim faith, beliefs about jinns are widely held by people with and without any signs of mental illness. We feel that the patient's interpretation of her symptoms was influenced by her and her husband's religious and cultural beliefs, leading to a delay in receiving appropriate treatment. Awareness among mental health professionals about widely held religious and cultural beliefs will enhance the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of similar presentations.

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Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 67%

Process of determining the value of belief about jinn possession and whether or not they are a result of mental illness

2016

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“…We were unable to find any systematic assessments of the results of indigenous modalities of healing, but two patients, described by Nelson (1971), both of whom suffered from hallucinations and various somatic complaints (without any formal psychiatric diagnosis), responded well to a Zar ceremony. Likewise, another patient, described as "psychotic," recovered after a traditional treatment (Wintrob & Wittkower, 1966).…”

Section: Conceptual and Other Descriptive Textsmentioning

confidence: 95%

The attribution of psychotic symptoms to jinn in Islamic patients

Lim

Hoek

Blom

2014

Transcult Psychiatry

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Patients with an Islamic background who suffer from hallucinations or other psychotic symptoms may attribute these experiences to jinn (i.e., invisible spirits). In this paper, we review the medical literature on jinn as an explanatory model in the context of psychotic disorders. We conducted a systematic search for papers on jinn and psychosis in Pubmed, EMBASE, Ovid Medline, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar databases. Our search yielded 105 scientific texts on jinn and their relationship with mental disorders, including 47 case reports. Among the case reports a definite biomedical diagnosis was provided in 66% of the cases, of which 45.2% involved a schizophrenia spectrum disorder. Fully 10 of 16 hallucinating patients experienced multimodal hallucinations. Although infrequently documented in the biomedical literature, the attribution of psychiatric symptoms to jinn appears to be quite common among Islamic patients, and to have significant impact on the diagnosis, treatment, and course of mental disorders, particularly psychotic disorders.

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“…In her study of the Egyptians’ self, spirit possession, and world view, Nelson (1971) points out that evil spirits are referred to as jinn, shaytan, afreet , or asiyad that possess certain people who are ‘vulnerable to the envy and jealousy of others, including the spirits’ (p. 197). In order to pacify and satisfy these evil spirits, people turn to the ‘Zar’ so that the evil spirits do not harm them.…”

Section: Understanding Of Mental Illness In Egyptmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mental illness and Egyptian families

Endrawes

O’Brien

Wilkes

2007

Int J Mental Health Nurs

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People from Egypt have cultural belief systems about mental illness and its causes that are at variance from Anglo-Saxon-derived understandings that predominate in Australian psychiatry. These differences in understanding can affect how mental health services are experienced and accepted by this cultural group. This paper is a review of the literature on Egyptians' beliefs about mental illness and how families in Egypt cope with a relative with mental illness. Because of limited literature on Egyptians' experience with mental illness in Australia, this paper will be used to shed some light on the way in which people experience mental illness and communicate this suffering in the Australian context, based on what has been known to occur in Egypt. The Zar cult and related practices focusing on belief in the evil eye, magic, and evil possession will be explored. Historical and contemporary mental health care systems in Egypt, and the influence of education and religion are discussed. In order to provide culturally sensitive care, nurses need to be aware of possible influences on belief systems about mental illness. This paper has the potential of helping nurses to gain a deeper understanding of cultures that differ from theirs and to provide care to clients and their families based on respect for the others' beliefs, values, and practices.

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Self, Spirit Possession and World View: an Illustration From Egypt

Cited by 37 publications

References 7 publications

Process of determining the value of belief about jinn possession and whether or not they are a result of mental illness

Process of determining the value of belief about jinn possession and whether or not they are a result of mental illness

The attribution of psychotic symptoms to jinn in Islamic patients

Mental illness and Egyptian families

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