Possession, Ecstasy and Law in South Asia

Record summary

Comparative South Asian studies of possession and exorcism examine Muslim jinn, Hindu spirits, Buddhist entities, saints, healers, and institutional responses. The lead is useful for intermediary-being research because it allows comparison of vocabulary, bodily signs, ritual specialists, gendered experience, and conflicts between religious and psychiatric interpretations. It should be pursued through a specific named article or monograph and field site, since “South Asian possession” is not one unified tradition. Reports generally document beliefs and practices, not independently confirmed entities.