Spirit possession in South Asia, dissociation or hysteria? Part 1: Theoretical background.
Culture, medicine and psychiatry March 1, 1994 DOI: 10.1007/bf01384875 via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractPsychoanalytic theory's concepts of universal oedipal conflict and repression are flawed for studying pathological spirit possession in South Asia. Biological psychiatry is also inadequate because mental illnesses are shaped by culture-bound categories of experience. Dissociation theory provides a more suitable framework for this research. The article reviews the history of paradigm shifts in psychiatric theory relevant to spirit possession.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Citations | 68 |
| Key finding | Dissociation theory is a better theoretical tool than psychoanalytic or biological psychiatry for studying pathological spirit possession in South Asia. |
Abstract
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. The biological theory of contemporary psychiatry is no more effective in this analysis because mental illnesses are constituted within culture-bound categories of experience. Dissociation theory offers a better theoretical tool for this type of research. A summary of the history of paradigm shifts in psychiatric theory relevant to spirit possession is presented.