Description: New and invaluable insights into the understanding of possession and trance based on case studies from around the world.
Brief description: Bettina E. Schmidt is Professor in the Study of Religions and Anthropology of Religion in the Centre of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, UK.
Review Quotes: "Spirit Possession and Trance is one of the most captivating contributions to the field published in the last years...The volume succeeds in discussing trance and possession as a living reality, and at the same time it provides fresh methodological reflections for future analyses. Trance and possession are explored as polyphonic texts and debated as a cultural reality that defines and is defined by contextual history and local stories, micro- and macro-geography, classic and vernacular literature, music, media and politics...The many and diverse examples of trance and possession described and discussed in this book also show how individual and collective experiences lead to the affirmation, consolidation and transmission of forms of power...the book proves to be an excellent and much needed resource for any reader interested in trance possession, either a student or a teacher." --Fabrizio M. Ferrari, University of Chester, Religions of South Asia