Rhythm and Repercussions of Difference: On Bodies at Rituals of Spirit Possession in Morocco

Spirit possession challenges the modern view of a person as a unified mind and body. Anthropologists and other researchers have proposed various theories, such as possession being a cultural expression of mental illness, a form of resistance by marginalized groups, or a performance of social drama. Examining a spirit possession ritual in Morocco, this paper avoids a reductive approach that assigns a single social function or psychological effect. Instead, it focuses on the bodily reactions of attendees, arguing that the variety in their responses, including trance, reflects a shift in how the ritual and its music are appreciated in society. In Morocco, possession is caused by jinn, invisible beings.

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Abstract

Sprit possession is a mysterious phenomenon that confronts the modern perception of human as a set of one mind and one body.Anthropologists, along with researchers from other disciplines, have long argued its nature and proposed various theories relegating it to, for example, a cultural expression of mental afflictions, a form of resistance by marginalized groups within the society, or performance acts of social drama.Taking a case of the spirit possession ritual in Morocco, this paper does not take a reductive approach that only assigns a single social function or psychological effect to the ritual and trance that occurs in it.Instead, the paper focuses on the corporeal aspect on the part of attendees at the ritual and argues that their variety in bodily reactions including trance reflects a shift in the appreciation of the ritual and its music in the society at large.In Morocco, as in other Islamic regions, possession is caused by the invisible being called jinn.The mischievous character of this creature makes it hard for people to fully prevent their attacks against humans.For the possessed, there are two options to get rid of difficulties brought by the possessing jinn; total eviction by the help of knowledgeable religious figures, or attending a ritual conducted by musicians of specific Sufi orders or a group of Sub-Saharan descendants called Gnawa.Their music in the ritual can prompt