Spirit mediumship beliefs and practices have been the subject of many anthropological studies. Some emphasize the therapeutic nature of spirit possession rituals neglecting other aspects. A good number of accounts stress the religious aspect. Many studies are limited to descriptions of elements and paraphernalia of spirit mediumship rituals. This book, by contrast, argues that spirit possession, particularly zar, is so dynamic and multidimensional that it would be flawed to look for only one defining feature or element in it. Zar mediumship is at once so many things. It is religion like any...