Book
The self possessed: Deity and spirit possession in South Asian literature and civilization
Columbia University Press
2006
DOI: 10.7312/smit13748
Abstract
The Self Possessed is a multifaceted, diachronic study reconsidering the very nature of religion in South Asia, the culmination of years of intensive research. Frederick M. Smith proposes that positive oracular or ecstatic possession is the most common form of spiritual expression in India, and that it has been linguistically distinguished from negative, disease-producing possession for thousands of years. In South Asia possession has always been broader and more diverse than in the West, where it has been almost entirely characterized as ""demonic."" At best, spirit poss...
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- The self possessed: Deity and spirit possession in South Asian literature and civilization
- Creators
- Frederick M Smith - University of Iowa, Religious Studies
- Resource Type
- Book
- Table of contents
- Possession as Ontological RealityŚakti, the Localization of Divinity, and the Possessed; Performative and Biographical Context; Conclusions; Chapter 3. Possession, Trance Channeling, and Modernity; Chapter 4. Notes on Regional Languages and Models of Possession; Lexicography, Languages, and Themes; Exorcists, Oracles, and Healers; Reflections on "Folk" and "Classical" in South Asia; Part III. Classical Literature; Chapter 5. The Vedas and Upaniùads; Embodiment and Disembodiment Among the ñùis; Possession in the Early Vedic Literature; Shape-Shifting and Possession.; Chapter 8. Vampires, Prostitutes, and Poets: Narrativity and the Aesthetics of PossessionCulture, Fiction, and Possession; Possession in Sanskrit Fiction; Can There Be an Aesthetic of Possession?; Chapter 9. Devotion as Possession; Devotional Possession in the Gītā and Ānandavardhana; Vallabhācārya's Concept of Āveśa; Śrī Caitanya and the Gaubīya Concepts of Āveśa, Avatāra, and Multiple Bodies; Āveśa and Bhāva; Āveśa, Bhāva, and Alternative Vedāntas; Part IV. Worldly and Otherworldly Ruptures: Possession as a Healing Modality.; In the Beginning, God Possessed Heaven and EarthTransfer of Essence; The Gandharva, the Apsaras, and the Vedic Body; Chapter 6. Friendly Acquisitions, Hostile Takeovers: The Panorama of Possession in the Sanskrit Epics; The Mahābhārata, Where Everything Can Be Found; Notes on Possession in the Rāmāyana; Chapter 7. Enlightenment and the Classical Culture of Possession; Possession as Yoga Practice; Possession and the Subtle Body in the Yogavāsiùha; Śaãkara's Possession of a Dead King; Possession and the Body in the Brahmasūtras; Possession in Indian and Tibetan Buddhism; Conclusions.; List of illustrations; preface; acknowledgments; introduction; Part I. Orthodoxies, Madness, and Method; Chapter 1. Academic and Brahmanical Orthodoxies; Sanskritic Culture and the Culture of Possession; The Sanskritic Vocabulary of Possession; Problematics of Interpretation; Part II. Ethnography, Modernity, and the Languages of Possession; Chapter 2. New and Inherited Paradigms: Methodologies for the Study of Possession; Classical Study and Ethnography; Definitions and Typologies; The Devil's Work; Possession as a Form of Social Control; Possession and Shamanism.; Chapter 10. Possession in Tantra: Constructed Bodies and EmpowermentSamāveśa as Tantric Realization; Discipline and Enlightenment; Divinizing the Body; Possession in Buddhist Tantras; Tantric Possession and Images of a Multiple Self; Chapter 11. Tantra and the Diaspora of Childhood Possession; The Śaiva and Buddhist Tantras and the South Indian Texts; Svasthāveśa and the Prasenā; Epigraphical Evidence for the Practice of Svasthāveśa; The Ritual of Svasthāveśa; Possession Across the Himalayas; Aweishe: The Indic Character of Chinese Possession; Svasthāveśa in South India; The Mantramahodadhi.; Possession and Exorcism in Contemporary Āyurveda; Possession and the Body in the Brahmasūtras; Aweishe: The Indic Character of Chinese Possession; Chapter 2. New and Inherited Paradigms: Methodologies for the Study of Possession; Possession as a Form of Social Control; Chapter 8. Vampires, Prostitutes, and Poets: Narrativity and the Aesthetics of Possession; Chapter 1. Academic and Brahmanical Orthodoxies; Possession in Buddhist Tantras; Index; List of illustrations; Part II. Ethnography, Modernity,and the Languages of Possession; Chapter 6. Friendly Acquisitions, Hostile Takeovers: The Panorama of Possession in the Sanskrit Epics; Acknowledgments; Questions and (a Few) Answers; Healing and the Circulation of Knowledge; Chapter 3. Possession, Trance Channeling, and Modernity; Chapter 10. Possession in Tantra: Constructed Bodies and Empowerment; Śakti, the Localization of Divinity, and the Possessed; Part IV. Worldly and Otherworldly Ruptures: Possession as a Healing Modality; Notes on Possession in the Rāmāyana; Performative and Biographical Context; Discipline and Enlightenment; Possession and Shamanism; The Gandharva, the Apsaras, and the Vedic Body; Epigraphical Evidence for the Practice of Svasthāveśa; The Tantrarāja; Bringing It All Back Home: The Mahābhārataand Traditions of Possession; Indian Āveśa and Chinese Aweishe: A Comparison; Possession and Embodiment; Definitions and Typologies; Culture, Fiction, and Possession; Variation and Vocabulary; Chapter 9. Devotion as Possession; Tantric Possession and Images of a Multiple Self; Childsnatchers and Therapy to Counter Demonic Possession (Piśacagóhītabhaiùajyam)191; Contents; Āveśa and Bhāva; The Mantramahodadhi; Introduction; Svasthāveśa and the Prasenā; Sanskritic Culture and the Culture of Possession; Possession as Ontological Reality; Chapter 5. The Vedas and Upaniṣads; Disease-Producing Spirit Possession; Chapter 13. Conclusions: Identity Among the Possessed and the Dispossessed; Chapter 12. The Medicalization of Possessionin Āyurveda and Tantra; The Sanskritic Vocabulary of Possession; Possession in Indian and Tibetan Buddhism; Chapter 4. Notes on Regional Languages and Models of Possession; Exorcists, Oracles, and Healers; Transfer of Essence; Chapter 11. Tantra and the Diaspora of Childhood Possession; Other Indic Demonologies; Possession in Sanskrit Fiction; Sudden and Gradual; Problematics of Interpretation; The Śaiva and Buddhist Tantras and the South Indian Texts; Lexicography, Languages, and Themes; Samāveśa as Tantric Realization; The Mahābhārata, Where Everything Can Be Found; Preface; Part I. Orthodoxies, Madness, and Method; Embodiment and Disembodiment Among the Ṛṣis; The Ritual of Svasthāveśa; Possession Across the Himalayas; Reflections on “Folk” and “Classical” in South Asia; In the Beginning, God Possessed Heaven and Earth; Vallabhācārya’s Concept of Āveśa; Possession as Yoga Practice; Āveśa, Bhāva, and Alternative Vedāntas; Śrī Caitanya and the Gaubīya Concepts of Āveśa, Avatāra,and Multiple Bodies; Svasthāveśa in South India; Śaṅkara’s Possession of a Dead King; Divinizing the Body; Conclusions; Bhūtavidyā: Vedic and Āyurvedic Demonologies; The Devil’s Work; Classical Study and Ethnography; Chapter 7. Enlightenment and the Classical Culture of Possession; Part III. Classical Literature; Devotional Possession in the Gītā and Ānandavardhana; Conclusions: Notes on the Textuality of Āyurveda; Possession in the Early Vedic Literature; Can There Be an Aesthetic of Possession?; Diagnosing Possession; Possession and the Subtle Body in the Yogavāsiṣṭha; Piśācas and the Piśācmocan Temple; Bibliography; Shape-Shifting and Possession; The Self Possessed: Deity and Spirit Possession in South Asian Literature and Civilization -- Contents -- List of Illustrations -- Preface -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- Part I. Orthodoxies, Madness, and Method -- Chapter 1. Academic and Brahmanical Orthodoxies -- Part II. Ethnography, Modernity, and the Languages of Possession -- Chapter 2. New and Inherited Paradigms Methodologies for the Study of Possession -- Chapter 3. Possession, Trance Channeling, and Modernity -- Chapter 4. Notes on Regional Languages and Models of Possession -- Part III. Classical Literature -- Chapter 5. The Vedas and Upanisads -- Chapter 6. Friendly Acquisitions, Hostile Takeovers the Panorama of Possession in the Sanskrit Epics -- Chapter 7. Enlightenment and the Classical Culture of Possession -- Chapter 8. Vampires, Prostitutes, and Poets Narrativity and the Aesthetics of Possession -- Chapter 9. Devotion as Possession -- Part IV. Worldly and Otherworldly Ruptures: Possession as a Healing Modality -- Chapter 10. Possession in Tantra Constructed Bodies and Empowerment -- Chapter 11. Tantra and the Diaspora of Childhood Possession -- Chapter 12. The Medicalization of Possession in Ayurveda and Tantra -- Chapter 13. Conclusions Identity Among the Possessed and the Dispossessed -- Bibliography -- Index.; Front Matter Table of Contents LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PREFACE ACKNOWLEDGMENTS INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 1: Academic and Brahmanical Orthodoxies CHAPTER 2: New and Inherited Paradigms: CHAPTER 3: Possession, Trance Channeling, and Modernity CHAPTER 4: Notes on Regional Languages and Models of Possession [III Introduction] CHAPTER 5: The Vedas and Upaniṣads CHAPTER 6: Friendly Acquisitions, Hostile Takeovers: CHAPTER 7: Enlightenment and the Classical Culture of Possession CHAPTER 8: Vampires, Prostitutes, and Poets: CHAPTER 9: Devotion as Possession [IV Introduction] CHAPTER 10: Possession in Tantra: Chapter 11: Tantra and the Diaspora of Childhood Possession CHAPTER 12: The Medicalization of Possession in Āyurveda and Tantra CHAPTER 13: Conclusions: BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX; Chapter 8. Vampires, Prostitutes, and Poets: Narrativity and the Aesthetics of Possession -- Culture, Fiction, and Possession -- Possession in Sanskrit Fiction -- Can There Be an Aesthetic of Possession? -- Chapter 9. Devotion as Possession -- Devotional Possession in the Gītā and Ānandavardhana -- Vallabhācārya's Concept of Āveśa -- Śrī Caitanya and the Gaubīya Concepts of Āveśa, Avatāra,and Multiple Bodies -- Āveśa and Bhāva -- Āveśa, Bhāva, and Alternative Vedāntas -- Part IV. Worldly and Otherworldly Ruptures: Possession as a Healing Modality -- Chapter 10. Possession in Tantra: Constructed Bodies and Empowerment -- Samāveśa as Tantric Realization -- Discipline and Enlightenment -- Divinizing the Body -- Possession in Buddhist Tantras -- Tantric Possession and Images of a Multiple Self -- Chapter 11. Tantra and the Diaspora of Childhood Possession -- The Śaiva and Buddhist Tantras and the South Indian Texts -- Svasthāveśa and the Prasenā -- Epigraphical Evidence for the Practice of Svasthāveśa -- The Ritual of Svasthāveśa -- Possession Across the Himalayas -- Aweishe: The Indic Character of Chinese Possession -- Svasthāveśa in South India -- The Mantramahodadhi -- The Tantrarāja -- Indian Āveśa and Chinese Aweishe: A Comparison -- Conclusions -- Chapter 12. The Medicalization of Possessionin Āyurveda and Tantra -- Disease-Producing Spirit Possession -- Bhūtavidyā: Vedic and Āyurvedic Demonologies -- Other Indic Demonologies -- Piśācas and the Piśācmocan Temple -- Childsnatchers and Therapy to Counter Demonic Possession (Piśacagóhītabhaiùajyam)191 -- Healing and the Circulation of Knowledge -- Possession and Exorcism in Contemporary Āyurveda -- Diagnosing Possession -- Conclusions: Notes on the Textuality of Āyurveda -- Chapter 13. Conclusions: Identity Among the Possessed and the Dispossessed -- Variation and Vocabulary; Intro -- Contents -- list of illustrations -- preface -- acknowledgments -- introduction -- Part I. Orthodoxies, Madness, and Method -- Chapter 1. Academic and Brahmanical Orthodoxies -- Sanskritic Culture and the Culture of Possession -- The Sanskritic Vocabulary of Possession -- Problematics of Interpretation -- Part II. Ethnography, Modernity,and the Languages of Possession -- Chapter 2. New and Inherited Paradigms: Methodologies for the Study of Possession -- Classical Study and Ethnography -- Definitions and Typologies -- The Devil's Work -- Possession as a Form of Social Control -- Possession and Shamanism -- Possession as Ontological Reality -- Śakti, the Localization of Divinity, and the Possessed -- Performative and Biographical Context -- Conclusions -- Chapter 3. Possession, Trance Channeling, and Modernity -- Chapter 4. Notes on Regional Languages and Models of Possession -- Lexicography, Languages, and Themes -- Exorcists, Oracles, and Healers -- Reflections on "Folk" and "Classical" in South Asia -- Part III. Classical Literature -- Chapter 5. The Vedas and Upaniùads -- Embodiment and Disembodiment Among the ñùis -- Possession in the Early Vedic Literature -- Shape-Shifting and Possession -- In the Beginning, God Possessed Heaven and Earth -- Transfer of Essence -- The Gandharva, the Apsaras, and the Vedic Body -- Chapter 6. Friendly Acquisitions, Hostile Takeovers: The Panorama of Possession in the Sanskrit Epics -- The Mahābhārata, Where Everything Can Be Found -- Notes on Possession in the Rāmāyana -- Chapter 7. Enlightenment and the Classical Culture of Possession -- Possession as Yoga Practice -- Possession and the Subtle Body in the Yogavāsiùha -- Śaãkara's Possession of a Dead King -- Possession and the Body in the Brahmasūtras -- Possession in Indian and Tibetan Buddhism -- Conclusions; Possession and Embodiment -- Sudden and Gradual -- Questions and (a Few) Answers -- Bringing It All Back Home: The Mahābhārataand Traditions of Possession -- Bibliography -- Index
- DOI
- 10.7312/smit13748
- ISBN
- 0231510659; 9780231510653; 9780231137485; 0231137486
- eISBN
- 0231510659; 9780231510653
- Publisher
- Columbia University Press; New York
- Number of pages
- xxvii, 701 pages
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 2006
- Academic Unit
- Asian and Slavic Languages and Literatures; International Programs; Religious Studies
- Record Identifier
- 9983816892302771
Metrics
34 Record Views