The Zar: An ancient dance of healing

Guindy, Howaida El; Schmais, Claire

doi:10.1007/bf02358570

Cited by 17 publications

(7 citation statements)

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“…(El Guindy & Schmais, 1994, p. 108) The diversity that dance offers can be viewed through a historical, multicultural, and multidisciplinary lens. This lens is ever present in the dance of the Zar, which is one of Egypt's oldest dances of healing (El Guindy & Schmais, 1994). El Guindy and Schmais explain that "the Zar is empowering not only through the ritual, rhythm and movement, but also through the symbolism it holds for women" (p.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Creative Use of Dance/Movement Therapy Processes to Transform Intrapersonal Conflicts Associated with Sexual Trauma in Women

Dayton

2000

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This qualitative research explores creative movement processes such as dance/movement therapy (DMT), authentic movement (AM), and creative dance (CD) as possible tools for transforming sexual trauma for women. Eleven movement professionals were interviewed in a semi-structured research format. My direct experience and knowledge of sexual abuse, sexual trauma, and creative movement processes are interwoven with the research question: do creative dance/movement therapy processes contribute to the dynamic of healing for women transforming sexual trauma? These findings are inconclusive for the greater population of survivors of sexual abuse and sexual trauma. However, there are indications that DMT, AM, and CD may be potential tools for recovery. This research contributes to a dialogue about sexual abuse and recovery from sexual trauma.ii Acknowledgements There are so many people that helped make this project possible. First, Iwould like to thank my partner, Michael for always being there and supporting me throughout the process. I would also like to thank my thesis support group which consisted of Meredith, Mindy, and Sara, who gave me continual encouragement throughout the project. I want to thank my thesis advisor Rachel for providing expertise editing and academic support during my research process. I am extremely grateful to all of my friends that helped with the intense editing process. I would like to send special gratitude to my creative dance community, and friends Andrea and Joanie for pulling me through the last portion of my thesis process. Thank you, thank you, words cannot express the gratitude I feel for all of you! iii Dedication This thesis is presented as a gift to all women and children who have experienced sexual abuse and managed, through the tears, anger, and frustration, to transform themselves body, soul, and spirit. Though the grieving process is long and painful, I hope your process of healing brings gifts of light and love. May your trauma become your gift of transformation, and may your body become your healer and caregiver. Introduction and Statement of IntentIn order to transform your trauma you must travel through your own inner world. Once you've moved your trauma, you are never the same.When your torch has touched the source of pain, it'll never be the same (B. Bernstein, personal communication, October 9, 2009). This paper describes a study of the problem of sexual abuse and sexual assault/attacks inflicted upon women, and the consequential development of sexual trauma and post-abuse effects. Creative movement modalities are presented as possible tools for helping women to transform sexual trauma. This interdisciplinary, organic, and heuristic research creates new knowledge from a synthesis of the fields: trauma healing, trauma psychology, neuroscience, conflict transformation, and creative movement processes. A wide range of disciplines were explored in order to fully analyze the research question: do creative dance/movement therapy processes contribute to the dynamic o...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Creative Use of Dance/Movement Therapy Processes to Transform Intrapersonal Conflicts Associated with Sexual Trauma in Women

Dayton

2000

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“…In Amharic, it means the possessing spirit. In the Farsi of Iran, the term means weeping from severe depression (El Guindy & Schmais, 1994). In Arabic, the term comes from the word 'zahir' meaning becoming visible or perceptible (Nelson, 1971).…”

Section: The Mythology and Cosmology Of Zarmentioning

confidence: 99%

Zar: group distress and healing

Al-Adawi

Martin

Al-Salmi

et al. 2001

Ment. Health Religion Culture

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This paper describes Zar, a spiritual cosmology and ritual performance whose meaning is associated with the experience of spirit possession. Commentators on spirit possession such as Zar have provided evidence that it may serve three interrelated functions. It is compatible with religious mythology and cosmology; it may represent a mechanism of psychological manipulation of oppressed individuals and it can be a form of culturally de ned group therapy. In this paper, we report the phenomenon of Zar possession in Oman and attempt to relate it to these three interrelated functions.

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“…Illustrations of these mechanisms can be found in many cultures. For instance, one of North and East Africa's oldest ASC rituals, the zar, was described by El-Guindy and Schmais [54] as mostly used by unhappily married housebound Egyptian women. A similar ritual was described by El-Islam [55] who studied 60 women participants in Qatar.…”

Section: Other Forms Of Nonpossession Trancementioning

confidence: 99%

Culture-Bound Dissociation: A Comparative Analysis

Somer

2006

Psychiatric Clinics of North America

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The Zar: An ancient dance of healing

Cited by 17 publications

References 0 publications

The Creative Use of Dance/Movement Therapy Processes to Transform Intrapersonal Conflicts Associated with Sexual Trauma in Women

The Creative Use of Dance/Movement Therapy Processes to Transform Intrapersonal Conflicts Associated with Sexual Trauma in Women

Zar: group distress and healing

Culture-Bound Dissociation: A Comparative Analysis

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