PSYCHOLOGY OF KESURUPAN :

Understanding and Handling

Trance Possession in Indonesia
Drs. Asep Haerul Gani, Psi
asephaerulgani@yahoo.co.id
www.PortalNLP.com
+62-8151-0770-666
 Rajah Pambuka
• Pun Sapun ka Allah nu Maha Agung
• Ka Gusti Nu Maha Suci
• Muga Malaikat katitah nyaah ka kaula
• Mugi Iblis Nu Nyiliwuri kasinglar ku Salira
• Setan ti Diri Nyingkir,
• Setan ti Sasama ingkah,
• Setan ti Makhluk lian rempan,
• Nya kuring seja Nyoara
• Ngeunaan Kasurupan, Kamanjingan,
Karawuhan
•
Ngarah nu lenggah meunang hikmah
• Sangkan nu datang mibanda tenang
• Diri anteng ayem tengtrem
• Kun fayakun
• Pun Sapun Ampun Paralun
• Allah, the almighty forgive me
• to Thou the Holly
• Please ask the Angel to care of me
• Please ask Iblis to separate of me
• Satan from my self go out
• Satan from another creature afraid of
• Here I am create a sound
• About Trance (Spirit, Demonic)
Possession
• The audience got the wisdom
• The people who comes in wellbeing
• My Self calm, relax, convenience
• “Done and be Done”
• Forgive Me and Be Kind to me.
 Why Am I Interested on KESURUPAN

• PRACTICE :
– To prepare The Psychologist to have the confident
level in same level with Shaman.
– To give understanding about the phenomena to
prepare the people and community
• SCIENCE
– Understanding about the phenomena based on
indigenous point of view
 How I approached the Kesurupan
• Involve with those KESURUPAN phenomena
• Observe and or Interview the people who involve in
KESURUPAN
• Observe and Interview the people who handle KESURUPAN
• Learn from the literature about the KESURUPAN theme
(Novel, Story Book, etc)
• Practice on handling some people who involve in Kesurupan
• Experiment on Kesurupan with The Balinese Balian Shaman
and his student.
 KESURUPAN , what is it ?
• Kesurupan (Sunda/Jawa : Surup, SUNSET)
• Kemasukan (Betawi: COME IN TO)
• Kaasupan (Sunda: Asup, COME IN TO)
• Ngagerebeg (Sunda: Gerebeg, VIBRATION)
• Keranjingan (Jawa: Ranjing, AFFECTED)
• Kemanjingan (Jawa: Manjing, COME IN TO)
• Kelinggihan (Bali: Linggih, SIT IN - APPEAR)
• Kerawuhan (Bali: Rawuh, COME IN TO - PRESENT)
• Kejantur (Jawa: Jantur , PULL )
• Kerasukan (Melayu: Rasuk , ABSORB - COME IN TO)

• Another, please share...........................

 Early speculation
1) SPIRIT POSSESSION
• There is/are another entity in spirit (Good,
Bad, The Ugly) {many names: Genie, Satan,
Iblis, Genderuwo, Makhluk Halus, Yang Linggih,
Ruh leluhur, Ruh gentayangan, Betara, dll}
come into and replace the spirit of the people
in order to communicate to another people,
direct or indirect, for the body owner’s
interest or for the community interest.
 Early Speculation
2. Energy channeling
3. Pathology
4. Dissociation
State of Mind of Kesurupan
Thinking

SPIRIT

Feeling Physiology
 KESURUPAN Phenomena
• Present in SOCIAL CONTEXT (minimum 2
peoples)
• Binding and using the Local Memetic
• Indigenous
• Have the aims and gains
• In most case “Law of effect”
 Phenomenological of Trance
1. Experiential absorption of attention
2. Effortless expression
3. Experiential, non conceptualinvolvement
4. Willingness to experiment
5. Flexibility in time/space relations
6. Alteration of sensory experience
7. Fluctuation in involvement
8. Motoric/verbal inhibition
9. Trance logic
10. Metaphorical processing
11. Time distortion
12. Amnesia
Behavioral Indicator of Trance
 Kesurupan and Trance
1 4
KESURUPAN
KESURUPAN
3
TRANCE
TRANCE 08090

KESURUPAN

2 TRANCE
TRANCE
KESURUPAN KESURUPAN
TRANCE 08090
5
Kesurupan : Concept to Compare
Catharsis
Hysteria Abreaction

KESURUP
AN
KesurupanKESURUPAN

Mass

Art

Ceremony

Problem in the group

Solitary

Voluntary Channeling

Unvoluntary Channeling

Problem

Fake
Mass Kesurupan
 Mass Kesurupan
• Triggered by:
– Problems feel by the group as the community stress
(Eg: Mass Kesurupan at Schools, Boarding, Dormitory,
Clubs, etc)
– Art activities (Music & Dance) . (Eg : Ebeg & Janturan
(Banyumas), Kuda Lumping, Tari Barong (Bali), Tor-tor
(Batak), Lais (Garut), Debus (Banten), Bambu Gila , etc)
– Activity related to the Religious or Community
Ceremony (Eg: Balinese ceremony, Ordo Sufi, Acehnese
people when the HIKAYAT PERANG SABIL read etc)
Solitary
 Kesurupan Solitary Type

Normal Disstress Kesurupan Neurotik Psikotik

 Solitary KESURUPAN
PROBLEM Type
• People already have problem
• People instability in emotion
• A part of defense mechanisme which heritage
in culture
• Act of get attention
 Solitary KESURUPAN
FAKE Type
• People LEARN that Kesurupan have the impact
to manipulate another people to do
something for his/her/their/our interest AND
he/she act in KESURUPAN mode of behavior to
influence another people THEN when he/she
another people give attention to him/her ,
He/She speaks using KESURUPAN way about
his/her interest.
 Handling on Culture
1. Ceremony :
a. Jampi (Chanting) , Mantra (mantram), Du’a (Pray),
Ruqyah
b.Ruwatan (Bath, Mantram)
c. Pengorbanan (Sacrifice)
2. Panggil (Invite) – Bujuk (Persuate) –Ancam
(Punish) - Usir ( )
3. Penyiksaan Fisik (Physically Punishment)
4. Pendiaman / Pengucilan (Time out or Separate)
 General Principle
• Accept – Utilize
– Case #1 : The Wife and The Siliwangi Tiger
– Case #2 : The 15yrs old Lady and Nini (Grandma) Marongge
– Case #3 : The widow and Mbah (Grandpa) Jambrong

• Pattern Interruption
– Case #1 : Drumming and Janturan
– Case #2 : Istigosah (Together prayer) and finger pressure
– Case #3 : Aki (Grandpa) Balangantrang and Clasp on the face
– Case #4 : Ruh Gentayangan (The mobility spirit) and bath
– Case #5 : The NETHDERLAND TOURIST and the LEAK
 SOP for handling Kesurupan

Private (Single) Kesurupan Mass Kesurupan

1. Calm
2. Please ask to the people surrounding the client
and watching go out from there.
3. Relatives only stay in the room
4. Ensure the location is safety
5. Observe and validate the client.
6. Choose approach which appropriate with , safe
and convenience for the client (Physically and
Ego)
a. Accept – Utilize
b. Pattern Interruption
7. Give the suggestion :that he/she will take a rest
or sleep in certain minutes and next inform to the
relatives what did he or she want.
8. When the Client come to the normal conditions,
Give opportunity to him/her to inform exactly
waht he/she want to.
1. Calm
2. Observe the context and act according to the
context
a.Art – Stop the music
b.Ritual – Stop praying/chanting
c.Exercise – Stop
3. Separate the people in normal and the people
involve in kesurupan
4. Give the information and counseling to the normal
5. To the people who involve on kesurupan handle
using:
a.Accept – Utilize, or
b.Pattern Intervention, or a both
6. When the Client come to the normal conditions,
Give opportunity to him/her to inform exactly waht
he/she want to.
 Proposal Approach
1. Defense mechanism expression
2. Cultural memetic expression
 The Challenge for Psychologist
1. Know
2. Appreciate
3. Understand
4. Comprehend
5. Feel able to Cope
6. Apply
7. Master
8. Transfer
 Rajah Pamunah
• Pun Sapun Ka Gusti Nu
Maha Agung
• Pun Sapun, Ampun
paralun