Rebecca Seligman, Possessing Spirits and Healing Selves. Embodiment and Transformation in an Afro-Brazilian Religion

Abstract

"Spirit possession involves the displacement of a human's conscious self by that of a powerful other - a spirit, god, or demon - who temporarily occupies the human's body. To many, spirit possession is quintessentially exotic, a novelty, an example of the ways in which "others" are fundamentally different. In this book, Seligman shows that, far from being exotic and "other," spirit possession mediumship represents a privileged site for understanding a number of fundamental aspects of human experience - especially those involved with interactions among meaning, embodiment, and subjectivity. Using a diverse set of ethnographic, psychological, and biological data gathered during fieldwork among spirit possession mediums of the Candomble; religion in Northeastern Brazil, she explores how everyday and religious practices and meanings shape and interact with the bodily experiences and psychophysiological states of Candomble; mediums, both before and after their initiations, and how such interactions shape their experiences of selfhood"-- 1. Introduction: stepping into "This supernatural world" of Candomble -- 2. Reflections on the challenges and rewards of integrative research -- 3. Sometimes affliction is the door : healing and transformation in narratives of mediumship -- 4. Looking inside : biological mechanisms and embodiment in Candomble trance and possession -- 5. Healing the embodied welf in Candomble -- 6. Conclusion: stepping back.