Trance and possession in Bali

Trance in Bali has not been studied extensively since Belo's descriptions of the 'possession state' fifty years ago. In this book, the authors describe the psycho-social experiences of the Balinese in trance-possession states during traditional healing, dance, drama, and gamelan performance, as well as in several mental disorders, and arrive at the conclusion that Balinese trance-possession is the same process as multiple personality disorder (MPD) in the West. The authors then go on to develop criteria for the diagnosis of possession and to present a new theory of possession. They also offer multifold comparisons of normal trance-possession in the Balinese with the condition called MPD in the West . A collaboration between a Western psychiatrist with wide experience of Balinese culture and mental health and a Western-trained Balinese steeped in the local culture, this book will be of interest to anthropologists, sociologists, psychologists, psychiatrists, suicidologists, and allied mental health professionals.