Trance and possession
States in which a person is believed to be entered, or carried away, by a spirit, found in religions across the world.
Also: spirit possession, altered states, ecstatic religion
Anthropologists estimate that most known societies have some form of trance or possession belief. In Haitian Vodou, a lwa is said to mount a devotee; in Brazilian Candomblé orixás are said to arrive in the body; in Sufi and Zar traditions, music and movement open a path to the spirit. The experience is often learned and expected, shaped by drumming, song and community. Researchers such as I. M. Lewis argued that possession can give voice to those with little power, while psychologists describe dissociation. Participants understand the experience in their own religious terms, and many see it as a gift or duty, not an illness.