Abstract
This article describes constructions of dybbuk, the Jewish variant of spirit possession, and its roots in sixteenth-century Kabbalist thought. Based on the analysis of documented early cases, this paper examines the possession idioms from psychological and socio-cultural perspectives by describing two case reports herein conceptualized as trance possesison disorders. A comparison with the phenomenology of Dissociative Identity Disorder shows a striking resemblance between the syndromes. This culture-bound condition is discussed both in terms of its intra-psychic dynamics and its societal functions.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 131-146 |
Number of pages | 16 |
Journal | Journal of Trauma and Dissociation |
Volume | 5 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2004 |
Keywords
- Dissociative trance
- Dybbuk
- Judaism
- Trance possession disorder
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Clinical Psychology
- Psychiatry and Mental health