FMP – THEMATIC RESEARCH

INSTRUCTIONS: Add your research to the below boxes. You may cut and paste information and images/links. Please identify any cut and paste OR copied
information (that is, anything that you have not written yourself) with quotation marks; please identify EACH and EVERY piece of research you record here with a
citation to the website/source from which you have taken it (we MUST be able to click back to the place that you originally found ANY and ALL research.

RESEARCH TOPIC Possession

DEFINITIONS 1. Possession – The state of having, owning or controlling something. (Source: Oxford Languages)

2. Embodiment – A tangible/visible adaptation of an idea, quality or feeling – To make an abstract concept comprehendible
through relating it to physical sensations. (Source: Oxford Languages, elaborated on by me)

3. Spirit – the non-physical part of a person, attributed with emotion and character – Known as the soul. (Source – Oxford
Languages, paraphrased.)

4. Host – An animal/Plant on, or in which, a parasite/ commensal organism lives (Source: Oxford Languages)

5. Medium – A person, through whom, the spirits are alleged to be able to contact the living. (Source: Oxford Languages)

6. Divination: The practice of seeking knowledge of the future or unknown through supernatural means. (Source: Oxford
Languages)

7. Trance – A half conscious state characterised by absence of response to external stimuli, typically entered by mediums
(Source: Oxford Languages)

8. Supernatural: A manifestation/ event attributed to forces outside of scientific comprehension and the laws of nature (Source:
Oxford Languages)

9. Liminal – Occupying a position at/ on both sides of a threshold (Source: Oxford Languages)

*Liminality occurs during Rites of Passage/Rituals in which a person transitions from one state to another.* (Source: www.dictionary
.com)
11. Voodoo – An African diasporic Religion, developed in Haiti between the 16 th and 19th century. Syncretising the traditional
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religions of West Africa with the Roman Catholic form of Christianity. (Source: Wikipedia)

12. Diasporic – The movement, migration, or scattering of a people away from an established or ancesteral homeland and the black
Diaspora to northern cities ( Source: www.merriam-webster.com)

SECONDARY RESEARCH 1. Giving some background on cultures and geography, outline where possession can largely be noted in human society:
INFORMATION Often, we initially think of voodoo – a cultural form of African religion developed in the Caribbean before being further developed
in Western Louisiana. In this religion, the main ideology is that people host spirits in their bodies, allowing those spirits control the
body – the spirit is a separate entity from the person, and humans should welcome these spirits into them as it may allow them to
speak to the gods, or the dead - as well as offering magic and healing abilities. As this was carried over to America (Louisiana) the
religion was demonised, quite literally, and labelled as an evil/satanic practice, which is why the term of possession holds such
negative, Christian connotations today.
However, in other parts of the world such as Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries, possession is often an act of
benevolence. In Thai Culture, most of the population believe in ghosts – spirits of the dead – certain ghosts have their own shrines
that are important, or at least small dwellings called Phra Phum, in which they are payed respects and small offerings are made
(offering object possessions in return for spiritual possession.) Witch doctors, or Mo Phi as they are known in Thailand use the
spirits of the dead to help them heal others’ ailments. It is believed that spirits only become malevolent once they have been
disrespected.
Similarly in Mongolia, East Asia, the shamanic religion is one that endorses spiritual possession, believing that spiritual guides will
possess certain people who will then become Shaman and heal others or offers counsel to those struggling to navigate spirituality
or life.
(Source: Wikipedia *PARAPHRASED*)

1. How does possession work?

The way in which possession occurs depends mainly on the religion, for example: in Christianity, possession is the result of Satan
taking advantage of a person whose own sins had opened up their body, exposing them as prime candidates for possession as
they no longer have the protection of God or the Holy Spirit.
(Source: www.mytholyoke.edu *PARAPHRASED*)

On the Contrary, In Vodou, spirit possession is extremely important, as they attempt to make specific Iwa possess them through
playing specific drums and songs – they call the process of possession ‘mounting a horse’ as the Iwa acts as a reliable guide for the
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body. As the Iwa Possessed the chwal (horse) It is believed they control their mind, causing a trance (crise de Iwa.) Subsequently
the person, or chwal, begins to convulse. Their consciousness is said to leave their bodies as it is taken over by the Iwa and so
many of them have no recollection of the possession that may last anywhere from minutes to days.
(Source: Wikipedia)

‘In Thailand, spiritual possession in quite dangerous for those who are not liminal. When they evoke possession, it can only be
carried out by the Mo Phi (Witch Doctor.) Four sticks are planted equidistant from each other on the cremation or burial site
where the ritual will take place, a thread is ties around the sticks creating a protective square barrier that the spirits of the site
cannot escape. The Mo Phi sits in the middle of this square, trying to become possessed by a particular spirit as their ashes or
bones lay before the Mo Phi, beside this is a plate of rice as an offering as well as a stick or switch to keep other spirits at bay’
(Source: Wikipedia)
.
However, this all refers to spiritual possession. Possession comes in various different forms and intensities and can be either a
good or bad thing. Humans may possess other human beings as we have seen throughout history, as both women and slaves were
considered the property of their owners – other human beings who disregarded their emotions, rights and wills. Recently, we have
come to condemn the possession of other human beings. Although, this is still a common occurrence in romantic and familial
relationships, identifying it as the result of rampant abuse over time.

2. What does it mean to be possessed? What kinds of behaviour might be described as possession?
‘Spiritual possession is a worldwide phenomenon containing both psychoform (mental) and somatoform (bodily) Dissociation.’
(Source: US Library of Health)

‘During a study done in Uganda, researchers found that fairly common psychological illnesses were seen as symptoms of evil
spiritual possession, Including:
- Talking with an altered voice
- Being in trance-like states, or, ignoring external stimuli
- Being unable to control one’s own body – spasms, tics etc.
- Frequent fluctuations in mood
- Inexplicable knowledge and memories.
- Insomnia
- Weight loss ‘ (Source: US Library of Health)
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VISUAL and AUDITORY 1. ‘Saint Francis Borgia at the Deathbed of an Impenitent’ By Francisco Goya in 1788, Spain - This painting shows the exorcism of
RESEARCH (images, a man on his deathbed, performed by Saint Francis Borgia – the dark humanoid figures within the painting, are an
videos, sound etc…) embodiment of evil, sin and desire, looming over the ‘impenitent’ (someone with no remorse, shame or regrets.) They smile in
contrast to the man, whose face shows nothing but anguish. There is also a juxtaposition between the glowing aura of the
saint and the dark, hellish red hue surrounding the man, insinuating that possession is an evil thing derived form Satan, rather
than a healing or Guiding ritual. In addition to this, the content of the painting indicates that within Christian belief, Possession
is something that can be overcome through faith. ‘Saint Francis at the Deathbed of an Impenitent’ shows a very Christian
interpretation of possession, in which an evil person has primed themselves for demonic possession through sin and a lack of
repentance. Personally, the art evokes feelings of dread and insignificance in me, as it communicates to viewers that there are
higher beings who monitor your behaviours and will make sure you a held responsible for them.

2. ‘Possession’ by Batz – This is a surrealist painting that depicts possession in terms of intrusive thoughts, shown through the
holes in the wall, as well as the multiple individuals that have overtaken the body. They are overwhelming yet, cannot be seen
in the mirror, indicating that this is purely happening within the man’s mind – less demonic possession, than a man possessed
by his own intrusive thoughts. It creates feelings of isolation and futility as the man experiences this

3. Los Muertos by Steve Pyke – These photographs of mummified bodies form Guanajuato Mexico, depict the ways in which
both illness and attitudes can possess people.

4. Survivors, Ghana by Lisa Kristine – shows two boys rescued from slavery, one of which is left physically scarred as his master
used to strike his face with a paddle Shows how humans can possess each other simply due to man-made hierarchies

5. ‘Stay’ by Tricky – Trance-like verse structure, two opposing voices that are extremely volatile towards each other.

6. ‘Possession’ by Sarah McLachlan – The vocals are very echoey and ethereal – reminiscent of trance-like messages. Lyrically,
the song focuses a lot on telling the other person how to function with lyrics such as ‘Close your eyes’ and ‘Wipe away your
tears’. Although this is presented in a way indicative of love, the controlling nature of the lyrics cause me to believe that the
song presents an extremely co-dependant relationship in which Sarah expressed how she feels lost in the world without this
person, but also feels she has the power over them to ‘fix’ them. This creates a disturbing atmosphere for me, as it eels as
though love has become obsessive and possibly dangerous.
EXAMPLES