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Religious beliefs, possession States, and spirits: three case studies from sri lanka
Raveen Hanwella1, Varuni de Silva, Alam Yoosuf
1Department of Psychological Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, 08 Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Abstract:
We describe three patients from different religious backgrounds in Sri Lanka whose possession states were strongly influenced by their religious beliefs. Patient A was a Buddhist who claimed to have special powers given by a local deity named Paththini. Patient B was a Catholic who experienced spirits around her whom she believed were sent by Satan. Patient C was a Muslim and believed she was possessed by spirits. The religious beliefs also influenced the help-seeking behaviour and the rituals or treatments to which they responded.
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