DATAPLATE #3: Trance Behaviors and Associated Beliefs in Spirit Possession
TRANCE AND SPIRIT POSSESSION IN THE ETHNOGRAPHIC RECORD
Dissociative trance behaviors are observed in the majority of human societies. One of the most robust databases of cross-cultural information available, GP Murdoch’s Ethnographic Atlas (REF. 1-3), reports trance behavior in 495 out of 658 different societies for which data are available. See Figure 1 below.
Trance behaviors are often culturally interpreted as spirit possession. Figure 2 (below) shows over 60% of societies in the Ethnographic Atlas reporting belief in spirit possession (n = 405). Yet, only 7% (n = 45) do this without an associated trance-state. Of societies that do report the presence of trance states, the majority report an associated belief in possession (n = 360). See figure 2 below.
MAPPING TRANCE AND POSSESSION
Cubes on the map above are approximate coordinates of the 658 unique societies for which data trance and possession are available and comparable (REF. 1-3). Use the legend to interpret the color coding for the cubes.
The same data used to create this map can be downloaded via the D-PLACE database3.
DATA SOURCES/REFERENCES*
ORIGINAL DATA SOURCE: Murdock GP. Ethnographic Atlas, Installments I-XXVII. Ethnology. 1–10.
UPDATED/CORRECTED SOURCE: Kirby KR, et al. D-PLACE: A global database of cultural, linguistic and environmental diversity. PLoS One. 2016;11:e0158391.
*Original sources of data in the map above are too numerous to list here. Please see source database.