Trance and Spirit Possession

Reflections on the Daivārādhane Tradition of Tuḷunādu, India

Bibliographic Data

ID20082398
AuthorsSvetlana Ryzhakova (0000-0002-8707-3231, corresponding author)
Year2024
Pages232-249
Publication date2024-10-29
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeCHAPTER
VenueIdeas of Possession (SOURCE_BOOK)
PublisherOxford University PressNew York, NY (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1093/9780197679951.003.0013
OpenAlexW4402202901
ISBN9780197679951
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited27

Possession in India can be studied at the meeting points of psychology, religious rites, and performing arts. The daivārādhane worship of local deities is the major social and religious institution of Tuḷunādu in South India. Ritual knowledge comes from sacred spirits who can visit humankind in visible forms and through the bodies of mediums. They can possess anyone, address anyone, perform miracles, and influence political and economic affairs. The negotiation and means of communication between local deities and people of various castes and walks of life, including issues of ethnicity and gender, can be analyzed in detail to show that while ancient and even archaic in some respects, the tradition is open to change, incorporating new figures and contemporary issues. At the same time, the performance of possession in daivārādhane worship can be choreographed as to withstand spontaneity and thus restrict any role for unplanned communication with the gods

Aesthetics · Art · Ethnic group · Negotiation · Political science · Politics · Religious life · Social science · Sociology · Trance · Worship · Anthropological Studies and Insights · Anthropology · Chinese history and philosophy · History · Indian and Buddhist Studies · Law · Philosophy · Religious studies

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