Anthropological Research of the Phenomenon of Spirit Possession: Social Aspects and Implications
Etnoantropološki Problemi February 18, 2022 Danijel Sinani 1 citation
Spirit possession is a significant factor in many religions and cults worldwide, yet it has been under-researched in national anthropological circles. British social anthropologist A.M. Lewis is the most influential researcher, introducing concepts like peripheral and central possession and classifying types of possession. Lewis demonstrated that possession offers marginalized or disempowered individuals a rare opportunity to draw attention to their problems and a channel for vertical social mobility. While his work gained wide recognition, it also attracted poorly argued criticisms. Subsequent authors such as Gellner, Gomm, Giles, and Lambeck have contributed new ethnographic examples and functions, but many who claimed to surpass Lewis merely applied his premises to new material.