Ogun Oru

A Traditional Explanation for Nocturnal Neuropsychiatric Disturbances among the Yoruba of Southwest Nigeria

Bibliographic Data

ID2394619
AuthorsO F Aina (College of Medicine of the University of Lagos, corresponding author), O O Famuyiwa (College of Medicine of the University of Lagos)
Year2007
Volume44
Issue1
Pages44-54
Publication date2007-03-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueTranscultural Psychiatry (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1363-4615 • E-ISSN: 1461-7471
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/1363461507074968
PMID17379609
OpenAlexW2141526182
LanguageEN
Citations received5
References cited7

This article describes three cases of ` ogun oru' (nocturnal warefare), a condition reported in southwest Nigeria involving an acute night-time disturbance that is culturally attributed to demonic infiltration of the body and psyche during dreaming. Ogun oru is characterized by its occurrence, a female preponderance, the perception of an underlying feud between the sufferer's earthly spouse and a `spiritual' spouse, and the event of bewitchment through eating while dreaming. The condition is believed to be treatable through Christian prayers or elaborate traditional rituals designed to exorcise the imbibed demonic elements. Ogun oru may be a label applied to medical problems. The differential diagnosis includes mainly parasomnias, for example, sleep terror, sleepwalking and sleep paralysis and, to a lesser extent, nocturnal or sleep epilepsy

Archaeology · Cataplexy · Feud · Insomnia · Nocturnal · Parasomnia · Psychiatry · Sleep disorder · Sleep paralysis · Sleepwalking · Sociology · Spouse · Anthropology · History · Infant Health and Development · Medicine · Psychology · Sleep and Wakefulness Research

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