Spirit possession in african drama pdf

Spirit possession is a common dissociative phenomenon, manifesting not only in african, asian and caribbean countries but also in europe and north america bourguignon 1973, 1976. An anthropological study of spirit possession and shamanism, authorioan m. These dances must be viewed in close connection with subsaharan african music traditions and bantu cultivation of rhythm. Obeah and etu similarly recall the cosmology of africa, while revival zion has elements of both christian and african religions. Believing in the zar illness and the practice of the zar ritual as a therapy originated in northern and eastern africa and was transported to other countries in the middle east such as kuwait and iran through slavery. Mediumship and spirit possession in a crosscultural.

The shona concept of spirit possession kusvikirwa and the pentecostal phenomenon of getting into the spirit kupinda mumweya francis machingura 267 the concept of the holy spirit and speaking in tongues, although a neglected dimension in written african theology and many western mission churches, permeates the activities. Apr 09, 2016 the five thousandyear chinese culture, over the centuries has produced hundreds of legends about monsters, ghosts, demons and spirits. Spirit possession as a crosscultural experience craig s. Conclusion spirit possession is a viable method for women across africa to gain social power and religious authority yet despite the consensus among the authors of the power of spirit possession, in their own ethnographic writing they objectify and depower these very women. William baldwin the condition of spirit possession, that is, full or partial takeover of a living human by a discarnate being has been recognized or at least theorized in every era and every culture. Regardless of psychological reduction of a spiritual phenomenon, spirit possession is still a popular topic in anthropological studies. Though spirit possession was practiced in many different ways in african cultures, in the americas, africans had a more intense encounter with european notions of the holy spirit, noel said. Spirit possession is a term for the belief that animas, demons, extraterrestrials, gods, or spirits can take control of a human body. Deity and spirit possession in south asia blogging south. May 16, 2012 though spirit possession was practiced in many different ways in african cultures, in the americas, africans had a more intense encounter with european notions of the holy spirit, noel said.

Children play at spiritpossession and are encouraged in doing so by their elders. Standing the test of time, kumina has managed to survive the influences of western culture. African and africana studies bi co 30 haverford college catalog 20172018 courses from a list approved by the concentration coordinator. Jan 28, 20 the religion of the slaves was based on african beliefs and practices, such as ceremonial spirit possession, spiritual healing, sorcery, and drumming and dance as forms of worship. Spirit possession, modernity, and power in africa edited by heike behrend and ute luig a valuable contribution to the literature of african religious experience. This should be clear to all who know the agonies of exile.

There is an immense literature on spirit mediumship, spirit possession. This study of a neglected field in indology raises many questions while providing some clear insight. Zar spirit possession in iran and african countries. Sound as a mechanism for spirit invocation and possession in igbe. In his book he reproduced an important foundation myth, as told to. Invasion of spirits nordic journal of african studies. The first chapter introduces briefly the interrelated human and spirit domains in the context of songhay history and tradition.

In most discussions and essays on contemporary african drama and theatre the. African dance, performing art deeply woven into the social fabric of africa and generally involving aspects of music and theatre as well as rhythmic bodily movement. The prevalence of spirit possession in the caribbean religion is high and found within obeah, voodoo, hinduism, spiritual baptist tradition, islam, buddhism, santeria and most christian faiths. Main article background reading web links articles. The concept of god, divinities and spirits in african traditional religious ontology has been so misunderstood by many scholars to the point of seeing africans as people who did not know the. However, shamanism has also been defined in opposition to spirit possession. The self possessed is a multifaceted, diachronic study reconsidering the very nature of religion in south asia, the culmination of years of intensive research. One major religion whose adherents publicly seek spirit demonic possession although they again view spirits as being capable of both good and evil, neutral in connotation much like the greek gods, is voodoo. African immigrants and musical traditions download a pdf lesson plan for grades 5 and up.

The concept of spirit possession exists in many religions, including christianity, buddhism, haitian vodou, wicca, hinduism, islam and southeast asian and african traditions. Kariamu asante argues that one cannot discuss zimbabwean dance as an. Practitioners are known as mediums or spirit mediums. An overview spirit possession may be broadly defined as any altered or unusual state of consciousness and allied behavior that is indigenously understood in terms of the influence of an alien spirit, demon, or deity. In africa as well as in europe, many spirits and their mediums are part of.

Smith proposes that positive oracular or ecstatic possession is the most common form of spiritual expression in india, and that it has been linguistically distinguished from negative, diseaseproducing possession for. In tar, a demonic possession will be regarded as an evil force that has taken possession of someone by force or without their will. In the fall of 1996, following the june 1996 delivery of playwright august wilsons now famous speech the ground on which i stand at the eleventh biennial theatre communications group tcg national conference at princeton university, the news publication of the black theatre network organization, btnews, began a series of reports and articles designed to investigate and. She ends the family history in luigs spirit possession. The panafrican theatre ensemble presents an echo in the bone. Dissociative episodes, or even dissociative disorder, may explain the symptoms involved with spirit possession. Spirit possession in various cultures neurocluster brain. Demons, monsters and ghosts of the chinese folklore. The book focuses on one possession troupe in the town of tillaberi, situated on the niger river.

It is therefore important to gain an understanding of this practice in its cultural context before. In the ethnographic literature, the term spirit possession is often used to describe what parapsychologists refer to as mediumship. The central feature of the pukumina sect, for example, is spirit possession. The traditions and techniques of spirit possession kenaz filan, raven kaldera on. Spirit possession and mental health psychology today. Zar harmful wind refers to the spirit possession that causes illness. Lewiss classic study of ecstatic religion a study of shamanism and spirit possession, i was also much inspired by a chapter in jan fries book on european trance technique known as seidr which he found analogous to the zar tradition. Ethnographic and experimental evidence emma cohen and justin l. The following evening she becomes the protagonist in a scatological comedy to mark the successful expulsion of the spirit. Pdf god, divinities and spirits in african traditional. Gordon and atoulaye sall 67 chapter 4 weapons of faith in a world of illness. Included are ritual elements from kumina, an african jamaican religion with its distinctive dance, music, trance, and spirit possession practiced by bakongo kongo descendants whose ancestors arrived in jamaica pre. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. At least three african and africana studies courses must be taken in at least two.

The concept of god, divinities and spirits in african traditional religious ontology has been so misunderstood by many scholars to the point of seeing africans as people who did not know the supreme being nor worship him. Psychosis, spirit possession and recovery in the western desert of egypt this article explores an aspect of the cultural modulation of recovery in psychosis. In african societies, dance serves a complex diversity of social purposes. Before nan domi, works about vodou have concentrated on the spectacular outward manifestations of vodou observancehypnotic drumming and chanting, frenetic dancing, fits of spirit possession. May 07, 2016 during worship when the singing and dancing penetrate wholly into every being of the worshipper, spirit possession may follow and the possessed devotee may give message from the divinity as a. The essays and the introduction by behrend and luig consider a range of topical themes. Oct 29, 2014 oni demons and yurei ghosts have played a role in japanese culture for thousands of years, and stories of new spirits continue to be told today. An ancestor cult called kumina and belief in obeah sorcery are living survivals of the african heritage. The evaluation of the evidence for deity and spirit possession in south asia, in both classical texts and modern practice, is framed by prevailing characterizations of such gravity that only with great effort is it possible to escape from beneath their weightand in doing so. Spirit possession note that spirit can mean different things in the african context may also be used to refer to the same thing if the spirit was not invited to take possession of some ones body. However, there are rare instances where real spirits attach themselves to a place and may cause upset and discord. Article about spirit possession by craig hamiltonparker.

Traditional modes of dealing with spirit possession states normally include gently cajoling the spirit or accommodating it, rather than brutally expelling it, but the treatment practised in britain may be less confident and culturally validated. Crew and the ancestors return to speak through the living from a 1792. A person who regularly, and often at will, receives purported communications from the dead mental medium andor causes physical materializations physical medium. The 10 best contemporary african books culture the guardian. Pdf spirit possession, modernity and power in africa michael. Spiritual people tend to believe in spirit possession as an ailment, and different religions deal with it differently. The illuminati formula 10 spiritual control techniques. Possession, in religious and folk traditions, condition characterized by unusual behaviour and a personality change that is interpreted as evidence that the person is under the direct control of an external supernatural power.

Sounds of africa from smithsonian folkways presented in collaboration with the smithsonian national museum of. Mediumship is the practice of purportedly mediating communication between spirits of the dead and living human beings. University school of drama 19861991, and director of the jamaica school of drama in kingston, jamaica 19771983. For many in the contemporary world, the notion of spirit possession would be seen as. Students will conduct independent research about an aspect or kind of folk healing that they are interested in. Spirit possession is a frequent phenomenon in african societies because it is seen as an.

Spirit possession and purity a case study of a brahma kumari ascetic tamasin ramsay phd candidate social sciences and health research unit school of psychology, psychiatry and psychological medicine monash university australia this is a case study from my. Abstract in my own doctoral thesis i argued the case for a revised epistemology for spirit release therapy srp according to the conceptual framework of f. I have explained that many ghosts are psychic imprints that have been left behind, rather like a photograph, and that they can sometimes be created by our own mental energy. As a multicultural country, zimbabwes traditional music genres are just as varied as the ethnic groups inhibiting the country. Spirit possession in south asia, dissociation or hysteria. This chapter proposes that approaching shamans and their activities, ideas and communities via. The theories pertaining to spirit possession are generally centred in cultural belief. View spirit possession anthropology research papers on academia. Article pdf available in culture medicine and psychiatry 181.

In defining the religious worldview of africa, mbiti stresses the fact that the spirit world of the african people is very densely populated with spirit beings, spirits and the livingdead or the spirits of the ancestors mbiti, 1969. Possession by divine beings such as spirits or gods is, however, a key practice in religions worldwide. Smith proposes that positive oracular or ecstatic possession is the most common form of spiritual expression in india, and that it has been linguistically distinguished from negative, diseaseproducing. Aug 25, 2012 african metropolitan architecture david adjaye 2011with a mix of photographs and text about buildings, and the spaces and lives around them, this is an arresting visual introduction to cities. In this lesson we will discuss the instrument and its history. A list of the personae, human and spirit, whom the reader will meet in the course of the work, precedes the first chapter. The mind possessed examines spirit concepts and mediumistic practices from a cognitive scientific perspective. This book tells the story of spirit possession among the tanzanian maasai. The african heritage has been localized, creolized or indigenized in guyana and is therefore a part of the national culture.

Many of these demons and ghosts influenced japan, korea, thailand, malaysia, singapore folklore. The panafrican theatre ensemble presents an echo in the. Spirit of early christian thought yale university press. An anthropology of religious experience is divided into three sections which present the three main areas in the study of spirit possession. Honk horn music of ghana world premiere recording released to celebrate the 50th anniversary of ghanas independence. Deity and spirit possession in south asia by frederick m. Spirit possession is one of the most common forms of energetic illness in existence with more then 75% of the population in the u. Ritual possession generally refers to a voluntary and reversible form of trance done in religious ceremonies and attributed to religious spirits.

African traditional spirituality as an african heritage must be taken seriously for a fuller understanding of african christian spirituality, particularly of the african pentecostal churches. Spirit possession is a topic of supreme interest to anthropologists who study the phenomenology of spirit possession in shamanic practices in traditional religions around the world. A standard parapsychologicical definition of spirit medium might be. At least two, and no more than three, courses must be completed in the departmental major. The authors account, which includes chapters on liturgy, scripture, doctrine, faith, poetry, political theory, icons, and ethics, is broad yet selective, and it. There are different types of mediumship or spirit channelling, including seance tables, trance, and ouija. Although occasional phenomena had occurred even in the 19th century, the epidemiological and intensified spread concentrated in the 1970s and 1980s. Conflicts between african traditional religion and. Smith, motilal banarsidass, delhi, 2009 originally the self possessed, columbia university press, 2006, pp. Instead, the essays included in this collection concern the influences of spirit possession on modernday societies.

The traditional spiritual beliefs of the chewa people of zambia, for example, are humancentered and socially oriented. The culture bound syndrome zar is found within north african and middle eastern. Sam ukala is a professor of drama and theatre arts at edo state university, ekpoma, nigeria. The state of the physical and social sciences there are physical and social science programs at the university of west indies uwi and the institute of jamaica and its ancillary research bodies such as the african caribbean institute of jamaica. An insiders view of the inner workings and prevalence of spirit possession in our modern world provides practical techniques for.

Ibenwa1, and gloria tochukwu okeke1 abstract conflict is a universal phenomenon that is inevitable in human interaction. The science of spirit possession 2nd edition xiii participation with the society for psychical research spr that was founded in london in 1882 by a group of scientists and philosophers who wanted to apply scientific investigation to those areas of human experience that had hitherto been confined to religious beliefs and to those. Since the child is not allowed real friends, they are happy to have demons to play with inside their mind. Drawing primarily, but not exclusively, from ethnographic data collected during eighteen months of fieldwork in belem, northern brazil, this book combines fine. Like all the great religions vodou has an external, public practice of rituals and ceremoniesand also an internal, mystical dimension. Application of an ethnographic methodology for the study of spirit possession by terry palmer.

This paper seeks to examine how africans conceive of the supreme being, divinities and spirits. Psychoanalytic theory appears flawed in its notions of universal oedipal conflict and repression, and unsuitable for the study of pathological spirit possession in south asia. Spirit possession is not something that everyone believes in at all, let alone believes that it is an actual illness. Conflicts between african traditional religion and christianity in eastern nigeria. Exorcism of spirit possession analysis holistic intuition society page 3 the harmful effects of possession what is meant by possession it is the interference by others physical and nonphysical in the mental, emotional, spiritual, or physical wellbeing of a person.

Culture of jamaica history, people, clothing, women. Spirit possession is a phenomenon that often elicits a response of fear, particular in those who are ignorant of its meaning and role within its particular religious and cultural traditions. Topics will include, but not be limited to, mexican american curanderos, spirit possession in the african diaspora, chinese traditional medicine, and twelvestep programs for alcoholism. It is important to know what roles spirit possession plays in those and related societies, how people view them, and how the phenomena are treated by the healers. Pdf spirit possession in south asia, dissociation or. The language and the dances of kumina are so undiluted that they can be traced back to tribes in the congo in africa. The mbira is a traditional african instrument that has been played for over a thousand years. Drama is the least developed performing art, but it has been experiencing a new surge of energy.

Modernity, and power in africa find, read and cite all the research. African traditional spirituality as an african heritage must be taken seriously for a. Encyclopedia of africanamerican culture and history dictionary. Graham harvey the open university, uk what shamans do is sometimes said to involve possession by spirits. The drumming of traditional ashanti healing ceremonies. Spirit possession syndrome piercing the veil of reality. Health and the holy in african and afroamerican spirit. It focuses on spirit possession in afrobrazilian religions and spiritism, as well as discussing the notion of exorcism in charismatic christian communities. African religion, from its earliest existence in this country, started at a disadvantage. Source for information on divination and spirit possession in the americas. It is also played during traditional healing ceremonies in preparation for spirit possession. Bourguignons 22 phenomenologically sensitive account of vodou dwells neither on medical implications nor on manifestations of the sacred, but demonstrates the everyday reality of spirit possession african and afroamerican spirit possession as it is imitated in childrens games and as it is called into play in interpersonal relations between. African dance refers mainly to the dance of subsaharan africa, and more appropriately african dances because of the many cultural differences in musical and movement styles. Intended for the general reader, the spirit of early christian thought provides a wellwritten and sympathetic portrayal of early christian ways of thinking about god and creation.

It begins with the idea that recovery hinges on the ability of subjects to relate to their distressing experiences in ways that expand rather than diminish. Spiritpossession, exorcism and social context housewife, is in trance, her possessing spirit being interrogated by a malay bomoh, or shaman. Pentecostals see a sharp distinction between all forms of traditional spirit possession be it ancestral spirit possession or possession by the local divinities which is normally accompanied by the supernatural ability to speak a language that is not normally spoken by the possessed and holy spirit possession. Comparison of two therapeutic interventions for spirit possession christy schuetze 33 chapter 2 the relevance of worldview interpretation to health care in south africa j. Distinguishing between the western actor and the african roleplayer, and between intense impersonation and possession, he suggests also some generic parallels between western theatre and african performance. A critical and appreciative perspective 3 these questions, we will first seek to develop a better grasp of religion as a major constituent of the worldview of african people. Through a profound reexamination of western concepts of. Exorcism plays a major role in the mission activities of many african. As heike behrend and ute luig make clear in their introduction, this book is not a sequential account of the development of spirit possession cults throughout history, nor is it a desperate attempt to keep them alive. Jan 20, 2015 by innocent tinashe mutero zimbabwe has a rich, diverse cultural heritage and her music and dance are intertwined. Fritz kramer this remarkable and controversial book explores the ways in which colonial europeans have been represented in african ritual art and drama. Kumina in jamaica kumina is described as one of the most african religious expressions in jamaica. Spirit possession leads to the understanding of culture, with its gender and political ideology, because it implies more than what appears as a severe psychosomatic symptom. Implied is that the two are inseparable there is no music without dance.