Trauma, Possession, and PTSD: Exploring Nogitsune Arc in MTV’s Teen Wolf
ILN Journal: Indian Literary Narratives. March 30, 2026 Amisha Bharat Jayakar, Dr Ashok Ghuge
Supernatural teen television, such as MTV's Teen Wolf, often explores complex psychological themes. This paper analyzes Season Three, Part Two of Teen Wolf, focusing on the Nogitsune possession arc as a metaphor for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. The character Stiles Stilinski's struggle with the Nogitsune manifests symptoms including night terrors, recurring nightmares, dissociation, memory repression, and depersonalization. Drawing on trauma theorists like Herman, Caruth, and Balaev, the article argues that spiritual possession in the show represents traumatic triggers, and it highlights the role of social support in healing. This analysis offers a nuanced understanding of trauma through mythical elements, contributing to scholarship on supernatural teen television's depiction of trauma and adolescence.