Thaipusam in Malaysia: A Psycho-Anthropological Analysis of Ritual Trance, Ceremonial Possession and Self-Mortification Practices
COLLEEN WARD,
COLLEEN WARD
COLLEEN WARD is Lecturer in Psychology, Department of Social Work, National University of Singapore, Kent Ridge, Singapore.
Search for more papers by this authorCOLLEEN WARD,
COLLEEN WARD
COLLEEN WARD is Lecturer in Psychology, Department of Social Work, National University of Singapore, Kent Ridge, Singapore.
Search for more papers by this authorREFERENCES
- Arasaratnam, S. 1979. Indians in Malaysia and Singapore. Kuala Lumpur: Oxford University Press.
- Arnhoff, F., and H. Leon. 1964. Psychological Aspects of Sensory Deprivation and Isolation. Merrill-Palmer (Quarterly 10: 179–194.
- Ashby, P. 1974. Modern Trends in Hinduism. New York: Columbia University Press.
- Bhattacharyya, S. 1953. Religious Practice of Hindus. The Religion of Hindus, ( K. Morgan, ed.), pp. 154–205. New York: Ronald Press.
- Bogen, J. 1973. The Other Side of the Brain. The Nature of Human Consciousness, ( R. Ornstein, ed.), pp. 101–125. San Franscisco: Freeman.
- Bourguignon, E. 1979. Trance Dance. The Highest State of Consciousness, ( J. White, ed.), pp. 331–343. Garden City: Doubleday.
- Bowers, M. D. 1968. Pathogenesis of Acute Schizophrenic Psychosis. Archives of General Psychiatry 19: 348–355.
- Burke, O. M. 1966. Travels and Residence with Dervishes. Documents on Contemporary Dervish Communities, ( R. Davidson, ed.), pp. 9–14. London: Hoopoe.
- Cohn, N. 1966. Personal Communication. Cited by R. Prince, Can EEG Be Used in the Studies of Possession States? Trance and Possession States, ( R. Prince, ed.). Montreal: R. M. Bucke Memorial Society.
- Das, N. N., and N. Gaustaut. 1955. Variations de l'Activité Electrique du Cerveau, du Coeur, et les Muscles Squelletizers au Cours de la Meditation et l'Extase Yogique. Electroencephalography and Clinical Neuro physiology 6: 211–219.
- Deikman, A. J. 1966. Deautomatization and the Mystical Experience. Psychiatry 29: 324–338.
- Deikman, A. J. 1971. Biomodal Consciousness. Archives of General Psychiatry 25: 481–489.
- Devereaux, G. 1966. Cultural Factors in Hypnosis and Suggestion: An Examination of Some Primitive Data. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis 14: 273–291.
- Douyon, E. 1966. l'Examen au Rorschach des Voudoustants Haitiens. Trance and Possession States, ( R. Prince, ed.), pp. 97–119. Montreal: R. M. Bucke Society.
- Elliot, A. J. 1955. Chinese Spirit-Medium Cults in Singapore. London: London School of Economics.
- Fadiman, J., and R. Frager. 1976. Personality and Personal Growth. New York: Harper & Row.
- Fields, M. J. 1969. Spirit Possession in Ghana. Spirit Mediumship and Society in Africa, ( G. Beattle and G. Middleton, eds.), pp. 3–13. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.
- Gaitonae, M. R. 1961. Hindu Philosophy and Analytic Psychotherapy. Comprehensive Psychiatry 2: 299–303.
- Gazzaniga, M. 1973. The Split Brain in Man. The Nature of Human Consciousness, ( R. Ornstein, ed.), pp. 87–100. San Francisco: Freeman.
- Gellhorn, E. 1968. Central Nervous System Tuning and its Implications for Neuro-psychiatry. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 147: 148–162.
- Gellhorn, E., and W. F. Kiely. 1972. Mystical States of Consciousness: Neurophysiological and Clinical Aspects. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 154: 399–405.
- Goldman, D. 1952. The Effect of Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation on the Human Electroencephalogram. EEG and Clinical N euro physiology, 4: 370.
- Hardy, J. D., H. G. Wolff, and H. Goddell. 1952. Pain, Sensations and Reactions. Baltimore: Williams & Watkins.
- Henney, J. H. 1974. Spirit Possession Belief and Trance in Two Fundamental Groups in St. Vincent. Trance, Healing and Hallucination, ( F. Goodman, J. H. Henney and E. Pressel, eds.), pp. 1–111. London: Wiley.
- Jilek, W. G. 1982. Altered States of Consciousness in North American Indian Ceremonials. Ethos 10: 326–343.
- Karthigesu, R. 1976. Thaipusam in Malaysia. Penang.
- Kiev, A. 1961. Spirit Possession in Haiti. American Journal of Psychiatry 118: 133–138.
- Kiev, A. 1972. Transcultural Psychiatry. New York: Free Press.
- Kosambi, D. 1967. Living Prehistory in India. Scientific American 216: 105.
- Krippner, S. 1969. Altered States of Consciousness. The Highest State of Consciousness, ( J. White, ed.), pp. 1–5. Garden City: Doubleday.
- Lewis, I. M. 1971. Ecstatic Religion. Middlesex: Penguin.10.4324/9780203241080Google Scholar
- Lex, B. 1975. Physiological Aspects of Ritual Trance. Journal of Altered States of Consciousness 2: 109–122.
- Ludwig, A. M. 1965. Witchcraft today. Diseases of the Nervous System 26: 288–291.
- Ludwig, A. M. 1966. Altered States of Consciousness. Archives of General Psychiatry 15: 225–234.
- Malhotra, K. C. and S. B. Khomne. 1980. Fire Walk Ceremony at the Village Hanuman Takli, Maharashtra. The Eastern Anthropologist 33: 83–88.
- Melzack, R. 1973. The Puzzle of Pain. Middlesex: Penguin.
- Mialaret, J. P. 1969. Hinduism in Singapore. Singapore: Asia Pacific Press.
- Mischel, W., and F. Mischel. 1958. Psychological Aspects of Spirit Possession. American Anthropologist 60: 249–260.
- Modarressi, T. 1966. The Zar Cult in South Iran. Trance and Possession States, ( R. Prince, ed.), pp. 149–155. Montreal: R. M. Bucke Society.
- Moray, N. 1972. Listening and Attending. Middlesex: Penguin.
- Morris, B. 1981. Hill Gods and Ecstatic Cults: Notes on the Religion of a Hunting and Gathering People. Man in India 61: 203–235.
- Murugasan, G., and O. H. Yeoh. 1978. Demographical and Psychiatric Aspects of Attempted Suicides. Medical Journal of Malaysia 33: 102–112.
- Naranjo, C., and R. Ornstein. 1976. On the Psychology of Meditation. Middlesex: Penguin.
- Neher, A. 1961. Auditory Driving Observed with Scalp Electrodes in Normal Subjects. Electroencephalography and Clinical N euro physiology 13: 449–451.
- NEW STRAITS TIMES. 1980. Are We Boozing Too Much.
- R. Ornstein, ed. 1972. The Psychology of Consciousness. San Francisco: Freeman.
- Pelletier, K. 1978. Toward a Science of Consciousness. New York: Delta.
- Pelletier, K., and E. Peper. 1977. Developing a Biofeedback Model: Alpha EEG as a Means for Pain Control. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis 25: 361–371.
- Pressel, E. 1974. Umbanda Trance and Possession in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Trance, Healing and Hallucination, ( F. Goodman, H. H. Henney and E. Pressel, ed.), pp. 113–225. London: Wiley.
- Prince, R. 1966. Possession Cults and Social Cybernetics. Trance and Possession States, ( R. Prince, ed.), pp. 157–165. Montreal: R. M. Bucke Society.
- Prince, R. 1982. The Endorphins: A Review for Psychological Anthropologists. Ethos 10: 303–316.
- Sargant, W. 1974. The Mind Possessed. New York: Penguin.
- Schultz, J., and W. Luthe. 1959. Autogenic Training: A Physiological Approach in Psychotherapy. New York: Grune Stratton.
- Schwartz, J. 1977. The Path of Action. New York: Dutton.
- Shor, R. E. 1959. Hypnosis and the Concept of the Generalized Reality Orientation. Journal of Psychotherapy 13: 582–602.
- Simons, R. 1973. Floating on Air Followed by the Wind: Thaipusam, A Hindu Festival. Ann Arbor: Michigan State University.
- Simpson, G. E. 1962. The Shango Cult in Nigeria and in Trinidad. American Anthropologist 5: 1204–1219.
- Simpson, G. E. 1964. The Acculturative Process in Trinidadian Shango. Anthropological Quarterly 37: 16–27.
- Simpson, G. E. 1970. Religious Cults of the Caribbean. Puerto Rico: Institute of Caribbean Studies.
- Spanos, N., H. Stam, J. D'Eon, A. Pawlak, and H. L. Radtke-Bodorik. 1980. Effects of Social-Psychological Variables on Hypnotic Amnesia. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 39: 737–750.
- Sperry, R. W. 1964. The Great Cerebral Commissure. Scientific American Offprint 714: 42–52.10.1038/scientificamerican0164-42Google Scholar
- C. Tart, ed. 1969. Altered States of Consciousness. New York: Wiley.
- Tart, C. 1975. States of Consciousness. New York: Dutton.
- Verger, P. 1969. Trance and Convention in Nago-Yoruba Spirit Medium-ship. Spirit Mediumship and Society in Africa, ( J. Beattie and J. Middleton, eds.), pp. 50–66. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.
- Walker, S. 1972. Ceremonial Spirit Possession in Africa and Afro-America. Leiden: Brill.
- Wallace, A. F. 1959. Cultural Determinants of Response to Hallucinatory Experience. Archives of General Psychiatry 1: 58–69.
- Ward, C. 1979. Therapeutic Aspects of Ritual Trance: The Shango Cult in Trinidad. Journal of Altered States of Consciousness 5: 19–29.
- Ward, C. 1980. Spirit Possession and Mental Health: A Psycho-Anthropological Perspective. Human Relations 33: 149–163.
- Ward, C. 1981. Magical Medicine — Therapeutic Aspects of Exorcism in the Treatment of Possession Neurosis. Paper presented at the World Congress of Mental Health. Manila, Philippines.
- Ward, C. 1982a. The Psychological Study of Consciousness: Pitfalls and Limitations. Hong Kong Psychological Society Bulletin 8: 37–45.
- Ward, C. 1982b. Altered States of Consciousness in a Cross-Cultural Perspective: An Examination of Ritual Spirit Possession. Paper presented at VI International Congress of Cross-Cultural Psychology. Aberdeen, Scotland.
- Ward, C., and M. Beaubrun. 1979. Trance Induction and Hallucination in Spiritual Baptist Mourning Practices. Journal of Psychological Anthropology 2: 479–488.
- Ward, C., and M. Beaubrun 1980. The Psycho-dynamics of Demon Possession. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 19: 201–207.
- Ward, C., and M. Beaubrun 1981. Spirit Possession and Neuroticism in a West Indian Pentecostal Community. British Journal of Clinical Psychology 20: 295–296.
- Warner, R. 1977. Witchcraft and Soul Loss: Implications for Community Psychiatry. Hospital and Community Psychiatry 28: 686–690.
- Wiebe, P. W., and S. Mariappen. 1978. Indian Malaysians: The View From the Plantation. New Delhi: Manohar.
- Wirz, P. 1954. The Art of Healing. Leiden: Brill.
- Wissler, C. 1921. The Sun Dance of the Blackfoot Indians. American Museum of Natural History: Anthropology Papers 16: 223–270.
- Yap, P. M. 1960. Possession Syndrome. Journal of Mental Science 106: 114–137.
- Zborowski, M. 1952. Cultural Components in Responses to Pain. Journal of Social Issues 8: 16.
Citing Literature
Recommended
Metrics
Details
1984 American Anthropological Association
Publication History
- 28 October 2009
- 28 October 2009