The jinn: a case study on spirit possession and healing in jordan
The jinn: a case study on spirit possession and healing in jordan
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Issue Date
2005
Authors
Nasser, Lana I.
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Abstract
This case study is about a woman's experience ofj inn possession and exorcism in the country of Jordan. The purpose of this qualitative inquiry is to explore the meaning of the jinn as an element in the consciousness of the individual, and subsequently as a cultural symbol. The jinn are shape-shifting entities that belong in Islamic cosmology. They are believed to be made from fire and are associated with possession, madness and poetic inspiration. The literature draws on material from a variety of disciplines: Islam and the Arabic language, mythology, anthropology, archetypal psychology, symbolism and mysticism. The primary question in the study is concerned with the individual's experience ofj inn possession and exorcism and the societal implications involved. The data collection methods for this single case study include a series of interviews and participant observation collected over a three week period in Amman, Jordan. The findings include the case's experience of possession and healing, and the most prevalent themes. In the analysis, the jinn emerged as serving a variety of roles: As symbols of fiery passion, behavior that is contradictory to social norm, or as archetypes that are closely related to the shadow. The jinn play a major role in healing and resemble the trickster gods. They are closely related to the Daemon: the intermediary between the worlds of spirit and the world of form.
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Consciousness