Presentation on Spirit Possession for University of Missouri class Indigenous Religions Honors with Elijah Obina (information taken from Indigenous Religions: A Companion by Graham Harvey)

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Spirit Possession
Presentation by: Bekah Rigby

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Introduction
 How can Spirit Possession be studied?
 Those who study religions are limited to studying only what science
will allow, meaning they cannot prove or disprove Spirit Possession.
 They can study:
 The behaviors of the possessed
 The behaviors of the audience
 The ritual being performed

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What is Spirit Possession?
 Spirit Possession is a religious ritual in which one to several
participants in a public forum behave in ways that signify, to the
audience, that spirits have taken possession of them.
 Those possessed, in turn, become mediums for invisible forces
or beings.
 The manifestation of spirits and ability to communicate with
them.

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Discussion
 Are there behaviors and rituals similar to these in Christian
religions or other major religious traditions?
 Consider:
 Grace
 Saints
 Sacraments
 Meditation

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What is Spirit Possession
 Rituals
 Always performed in public
 During these public rituals, beliefs regarding Spirit Possession are
acted out for an audience.
 During the public rituals, the medium addresses the audience.

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What is Spirit Possession
 The medium enters into a trance, marked by 4 distinct features
 Dissociation, out of touch with normal environment
 Loss of muscle and motor control
 Behavior out of character from normal self
 Post-experience amnesia
 While in the trance, the medium displays behaviors distinct to a
particular entity or spirit and the audience is able to determine,
based upon those behaviors, which spirit it is.
 Can be marked by changes in face, voice, body language, attire,
and actions while in the trance

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Spirit Possession: History
 Where has Spirit Possession been practiced?
 Almost all cultures/religions have some sort of spirit possession.
 Varieties of spirit possession indicated by special labels
 Shamanism (Arctic, Siberian, etc.)
 Prophetic (Ancient Israel, for example)
 Mantic oracles and dansomaniac cults in Mediterranean religions
(ancient, medieval, and modern)
 Zarand bori cults in Africa
 Exorcist rituals (Buddhist, Christian, and Muslim)

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Spirit Possession: Purpose
 In small scale societies with indigenous religions:
 Practiced frequently
 Regarded as normal and approved method of communication with
spirits and deities.
 Provides mediums with:
 Income, career, and influence in community

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An Example of Spirit Possession
 Possession of Korean Shaman by Changun
 Click!

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Discussion
 Why, do you think, Spirit Possession’s role in modern
Christianity, Buddhism, and Islam is no longer common,
popular, or an approved means of communication with deities
or spirits?

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Spirit Possession: Western Views
 In Western modern society, the idea of Spirit Possession is
often viewed as:
 Weird, occult, strange, “primitive” or repulsive.
 In recent years, the concept has been seen as a symptom of
insanity, hysteria, or mental disability by psychologists