possession states

POSSESSION STATES ACROSS THE WORLD: AN ANTHROPOLOGICAL APPROACH KEVIN RAFFERTY In western tradition many are reluctant to apply techniques and approaches as if the were embarrassed of passions, something that was in the medieval times. Micheal Harner emphasized on the existence of spirits, and science has not disproven him, says that this finding should not be dismissed. Winick defines possession as “an external force that enters a worshiper of a deity so that he temporally …

…believers by training them in the proper manner of propitiating and controlling the spirit(s), that will occupy their bodies on occasion. Bourguignon attributes such attacks as being partially due to dissociated or split off parts of the personality that the conscious mind represses or disowns. Possession and possession cults also contribute to social solidarity and stability by forcing on areas of stress and attain in societal structure That threatens the status quo. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ **Bibliography**