The invisible other: Rituals and Egyptian perception of the unknowable

In Egyptian Muslim communities around Tanta, rituals of zikr (remembrance of God) and zār (spirit exorcism) transform participants' consciousness through embodied encounters with an invisible Other, whether benevolent or malevolent. The paper compares how the majzūb (those mystically attracted to God) and the malbūs (those possessed by spirits) experience altered states of mind during these rituals. Each ritual shapes participants' perception of reality, blending psychic and emotional experiences with divine or non-divine encounters. The study argues that the image of the invisible Other, made visible through ritual performance, directly impacts the state of consciousness in both urban and rural communities.

Study at a glance

Abstract

This paper is positioned within broader scholarly debates about ritual‐religious and psychological elements underlying the phenomenon of altered states of mind in Egyptian Muslim contexts. This research examines the intricate relationships between ritual, consciousness, and the unseen/unknowable world reflected in the imagination and practices of urban and rural communities belonging administratively to the city of Tanta in Egypt. This comparative study proposes that the image of the embodied invisible Other, in both benevolent and malevolent forms, impacts the state of consciousness of persons participating in two different rituals, the zikr (remembrance of God) and the zār (the exorcism of spirits). This inquiry concentrates on the transformation of the states of people's consciousness, namely the majzūb (those mystically attracted to God) and the malbūs (those possessed by spirits), through embodied engagement with the invisible Other that is made visible through participation in the ritual performances of the zikr and/or the zār. Rituals performed by Egyptians, particularly those who experience altered states of consciousness, display both a psychic (emotional) experience and an encounter with the invisible Other that may be depicted as divine or otherwise non‐divine. Each case of the zikr ritual and zār cult relates to its participants' perception of reality.