Metaphors of being “ridden” by anxiety, “overwhelmed” by sorrow or “carried away” by “enthusiasm” indicate a curious resemblance between metaphors for emotions, and expressions for spirit or deity possession.
In religious traditions as far apart as Himalayan Hinduism and Haitian Voudoun, the beings that “come over” or “enter” the human body are referred to as riders of their human vehicle, or as “Divine Horsemen” (Maya Deren). In ancient Sanskrit texts, the “entering” (āveśa) of a human person can as much refer to an emotion as to a deity or demon (see Frederick Smith 2006, The Self Possessed). Arguably, both emotions and spirits/deities are hard to “grasp” by words and concepts, and even harder to control. To talk and think about such forces and entities which are “beyond our reach”, we need metaphors which construct similarities – for instance, by implying that emotions and deities alike “enter”, “ride” or otherwise “drive” the human body.
This workshop examines phenomena such as possession and enthusiasm not only through bodily symptoms or sociopolitical agency, but also through their conceptual implications: They define the body and the immaterial aspects of the self by defining, shifting, or opening the boundaries that make up the “inner” and “outer” worlds.
This gives rise to questions such as the following:
Is the self “entered” or “seized” by emotions coming from “within”, by spirits or other beings coming from “outside” the limits of control or rule by the self, or by some divinity which is already “within” the individual’s body, heart or soul?
What do the seemingly contradictory images of a Self being “ridden” and being “entered” by these forces tell us about the conceptualization of the Self itself?
Do these metaphors have implications about the integrity, (in-)dividuality or isolatedness of the Self?
Are emotions or spirits conceived of as “immaterial” forces? Is the “immaterial” located “inside” the body? If so, why?
How “embodied” are these forces when they are not yet / not anymore “within” (or around) the possessed body?
