The other in the self: Possession, trance, and related phenomena

Etzel Cardeña, Yvonne Schaffler, Marjolein van Duijl

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingBook chapterResearchpeer-review

Abstract

The experience of one’s identity being substituted by that of some entity from within or without challenges basic Western premises about the self. One of them is that we have a single, discrete identity or self that cannot be replaced by external influences, spiritual or otherwise. A related premise is that our conscious self owns and controls our body and mental life. A myriad of perspectives can be brought to bear on this issue – from philosophical analyses of selfhood and identity to neurocognitive explanations of agency. Here, we limit our analysis to the domain of possession/trance phenomena (PTP) and to whether they can be characterized as dissociative. In doing so, we will describe features that distinguish pathological from non-pathological PTP and will review the various explanations for it.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationDissociation and the dissociative disorders: Past, present, future.
PublisherRoutledge
Pages421-432
Edition2nd
ISBN (Electronic)9781003057314
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2023

Subject classification (UKÄ)

  • Psychology (excluding Applied Psychology)

Free keywords

  • dissociation
  • trance
  • spirit possession

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