Introduc)on to Spirit Possession and Communica)on Part 2
Unpacking cultural assump)ons: insights from The Exorcist and Leap of Faith 1. Not all people who are, or who claim to be, possessed or in communica)on with spirits, are physically or mentally sick. They are not suffering from physical or mental illness. They are simply manifes)ng a state of consciousness, and interpre)ng that state of consciousness, in religiously meaningful contexts. The experience of altered states of consciousness is a normal expression of human nature, and the religious interpreta)on of these experiences if widespread and common. 2. Not all people who are, or who claim to be, possessed or in communica)on with spirits, are possessed by the Chris)an concept of demons or the devil. Just as we generally find it difficult to believe in possession at all, we equally find it difficult to believe that if possession exists, it can be a helpful, benign force. Neither secular rejec)on nor religious condemna)on of possession experiences will do jus)ce to the religious beliefs and experiences of the people we will be studying.
Unpacking cultural assump)ons: insights from The Exorcist and Leap of Faith 3. Not all people who are or who claim to be possessed or speaking for spirits are frauds. Speaking in tongues, religious healing, and prophesy are all manifesta)ons of altered states of consciousness, and like possession, are found cross- culturally and commonly throughout the world. 4. To sa)sfy our skep)cal natures, there is in fact some scien)fic basis for believing in the legi)macy of possession experiences. Blood chemistry, brain maps, physiological changes, glossolalia pauerning, all point to the reality of the experience. If the explana)on of the experience does not sa)sfy our skep)cal natures, the experiences are nonetheless genuine, and their explana)ons at least have the virtue of coming from those who have the experiences.
Precondi)ons for Spirit Possession and/or communica)on 1. A belief that spirits exist, and that they (can) have the desire to communicate with humans. 2. A belief that spirits can cross the barrier between their level of existence, however conceived, and ours, in order to take possession of or influence the human body in terms of speech, hearing, other senses, and/or the ac)ons of individuals. 3. A belief that a person possessed by or in communica)on with a spirit would behave as people who claim to be possessed do behave.
What kinds of spirits might exist? a) gods & goddesses b) devils/demons c) angels d) ancestors e) other human spirits (dead) f) human spirits (living) g) animal spirits h) elementals i) nature spirits i) aliens What else?
What mo)va)ons might they have? a) to command behaviour b) to give moral guidance c) to teach/reveal knowledge d) to heal e) to affirm faith/prove their presence/existencef) to punish g) to cause sickness h) to kill i) to communicate/nego)ate j) to experience human senses j) to breed? What else?
Spirits and mo)va)ons Spirit possession and communica)on prac)ces, as found in various religious tradi)ons throughout the world, rarely include all of these types of spirits, and all of these mo)va)ons, within any one religious system. Religious tradi)ons generally incorporate several elements in "clusters," and exclude others, according to broader understandings about the nature of the world, humans, animals, nature, supernatural forces, etc. also accepted as true within the society.
The Spirit s fingerprints For those who believe in spirit possession and/or communica)on, the human body is like a car, and the person s soul/personality is like the driver of the car. It is possible to lend your car to another either voluntarily, or involuntarily. But not just any spirit can borrow your car it has to be a spirit recognized within your cultural framework. The cultural constructedness of spirit possession
The cultural constructedness of spirit possession/communica)on Spirit possession and/or communica)on is like a language some languages have certain sounds in them, others have other sounds - the kind of spirits, and the kinds of mo)va)ons those spirits are understood to possess, are like vowels or consonants, like nouns and verbs, like specific vocabulary, within a given language. Like vowel sounds, or vocabulary, spirit possession belief elements are taken for granted they just ARE, they are not subject to conscious choice.
Bridging the gap Three main "types" or "ways" that spirits are understood to "bridge" the gap between their level of existence, and ours: Full possession the possessing spirit takes control of the body, the person may or may not be aware. Bodily posture, intona)on, behaviour, etc. change. Variously interpreted as an honour, an auack, a marriage, an imposi)on, etc good or bad is not inherent in the experience. it is an unequal power rela)onship the possessing spirit is understood to have more power than the human host
Bridging the gap Mediumship the possessing spirit influences the human host (makes them hear things, feel things, etc. but the host remains in control of their own body and remains aware of their surroundings. Bodily posture, intona)on, behaviour, etc. may or may not change. S)gmata may occur. Usually interpreted posi)vely resistance of the host makes communica)on difficult. Somewhat more equal a power rela)onship the spirit requests, the host complies.
Bridging the gap Shamanic Possession The shaman exerts an element of control over the spirit through invoca)on, coercion, etc. Bodily posture, intona)on, behaviour, etc. may or may not change. S)gmata may occur. Shaman frequently sends own soul to the spirit world, rather than opening self to the spirit in this world. oeen an unequal power rela)onship the shaman compels, bribes, blackmails, pays, etc. the spirits.
Things to note: These three types of spirit possession/communica)on are not mutually exclusive, either within a given religious tradi)on or within an individual person's life)me. Frequently within religious contexts, full possession, mediumship and shamanism coexist, in various combina)ons. Frequently, within the life of an individual, possession experiences might begin with involuntary experiences, either full possession or mediumship, then move into voluntary possession or mediumship or shamanism through training. The issue of control - who controls who - may be less significant in terms of the experience of those possessed than it is to those who study and categorize the whole phenomenon.
The third precondi)on the belief that people who are possessed by a spirit would behave as the people who claim to be possessed actually do behave. What does that mean? Possession/communica)on is in the eyes of societal beholders some socie)es only recognize spirit possession in illness, others only if accompanied by trance, etc. Failure to meet cultural expecta)ons in terms of possession- behaviour means, for all intents and purposes, that the person is not possessed, even if they claim to be so.
The Spirit s Key According to Goodman, a spirit cannot be said to possess a person, unless the spirit has a par)cular key to get in the doorway. That key is the trigger for the possession experience. Although wild ini)al possessions do take place, part of the emphasis of religions which prac)ce spirit possession is to train the spirit possessed to go into possession trance only when culturally mandated to do so. Such keys, or triggers, can be any culturally validated cue: a ritual dance, a ritual phrase, ritual clothing, etc. Without the key, the spirit cannot get in the car, unless they break and enter, so to speak. All spirit possession/communica)on religions require some kind of induc)on technique that involves 3 things ritual ac)on, expecta)on, and concentra)on. If an individual cannot be trained to allow entry of spirits only in response to the use of a key as based in these three things, and instead persists in exhibi)ng possession- like syptoms in random violent fashion, they are likely to be labeled crazy, or sick, rather than spirit inspired.
The Spirit s Door According to Goodman, trance is the door through which spirit possession and communica)on take place. In order to be spirit possessed, the individual human host must undergo specific altera)ons of consciousness. Such altera)ons of consciousness are associated with specific physical changes - change of heartbeat, brainwave pauern, behaviour. Without this door, no individual can be considered spirit possessed.
The Spirit s Door Trance, or the door, is an altered non- pathological state of consciousness. It has the following indicators: 1. Cross cultural prac)ce and ins)tu)onaliza)on (Given that 90% of 488 socie)es have ins)tu)onalized the prac)ce, it is unlikely that all would have right pathology at right )me to prac)ce it) 2. Glossolalia pauerning - transcends cultural language differences - rhythmic, consonant to vowel syllables, emphasis/peak on third syllable of four, etc. - accent, rhythm, and intona)on. 3. Observable physiological symptoms - transcending cultural pauerning - muscle tension, swea)ng, excess tears or saliva. 4. Medically- iden)fied physiological symptoms - blood pressure drop, heart rate increase, beta- endorphin increase, theta waves.
Ini)atory illness The key, and the door, to possession are usually the result of religious training, but frequently in the world s religions, such training follows a natural outbreak of altered states of consciousness that can be violent and unpleasant. People who are prone to possession experiences, or who might become good candidates given sufficient training, frequently experience a period of what is called ini)atory illness. Oeen, such illness if very physical - trembling fits, epilep)c seizures, dizzy spells, migraines, etc. Some)mes, such illness is psychological - phobias, obsessions, compulsions.
Cultural Valida)on In socie)es and religions which recognize such symptoms as indicators of possession, the afflicted will be diagnosed as spirit possessed. In socie)es and religions which do not acknowledge the possibility of spirit possession, the afflicted will be diagnosed as physically or mentally ill. Where the idiom of spirit possession does not exist, the symptoms of it do no exist either - similar physiological responses are seen as indicators of something else. The paranoid vs the possessed the difference lies in cultural valida)on for his or her experiences.