The concept of

"Dungan," Spirit, and

Soul
Reporter; Jeric A. Gementiza
Pre-colonial Philippines
Our ancestors looked up to a "babaylan." Described as a
priestess or shaman, its acted as a healer, spiritual
leader, and medium. That perform rituals through
chants or prayers for spiritual intervention to drive
spirits that causes illness or misfortune.
Pre-colonial Philippines
Babaylan is usually a woman, but there were some
men who were babaylans, too. Male babaylans,
however, were said to have feminine traits.
Babaylan explore the world of animism. Animism is
the attribution of a soul to plants, inanimate
objects, and natural phenomena.
How do "dungan" and "ginhawa" differ?
 Alicia P. Magos is an anthropologist and a
professor emerita of University of the
Philippines Visayas made a pioneering study
on the primeval Visayan concept of
"dungan."
 "dungan" was “a life force, an energy, as
well as an ethereal entity, a spirit with a
will of its own that resides in the human
body and provides the essence of life."
How do "dungan" and "ginhawa" differ?
 The “Dungan" can temporarily leave the body
when the person is asleep
 "Ginhawa" was said to be responsible for the
heart's ability to beat.
 Ginhawa was (translation: breath of life)
 Dungan was the conscious intellectual and
emotional aspects.
What is the difference between the soul and the
spirit of man?
 The soul and the spirit are the two primary
immaterial aspects ascribed to humanity
 The idea of the soul and the idea of the spirit from
culture to culture and religion to religion
Here is a brief and general overview of the difference
between a soul and a spirit:
 Etymology
 Old English for "soul" was "sawol" that meant the "spiritual and emotional part of a
person's, animate existence." Spirit is directly from Latin spiritus "a breathing
(respiration, and of the wind), breath, breath of a god," hence, "inspiration, breath of
life.".

 Biblical beliefs
• Soul refers to the conscious, the moral, and thinking part of a person. The soul is
immortal; it will go to hell, purgatory, or heaven after the person dies.
• Spirit refers to the Holy Spirit, the third part of the Trinity. It is the force of God through
which blessings are bestowed upon His people. As one develops in the faith, he or she is
said to be growing spiritually.
Here is a brief and general overview of the
difference between a soul and a spirit:
 In Western Culture
• Soul can often be taken to mean someone's moral
consciousness. For example, a cruel killer could be said to have
no soul.
• Spirit may also refer to ghosts or any other supernatural beings.
It is believed that the souls of people who died with unfinished
business wander the earth until their task is fulfilled.
Here is a brief and general overview of the
difference between a soul and a spirit:
 In Eastern Culture
• Soul is the part of the person that has dharma. In Hinduism dharma is one's
obligation with respect to caste, social custom, civil law, and sacred law.
Dharma incurs karma. In Hinduism and Buddhism, karma is the sum of a
person's actions in this and previous states of existence. The fate of one's
future existences depends on one's karma.
• Nature and ancestor spirits are common in Taoism. Shinto, an animistic folk
religion from Japan, places an emphasis on shamanism, particularly divination,
spirit possession, and faith healing. Confucianism tolerates the Chinese folk
recognition of the existence of animistic spirits, ghosts, and deities.