Thaipusam in Malaysia:A Psycho‐Anthropological Analysis of Ritual Trance, Ceremonial Possession and Self‐Mortification Practices

Abstract

Of all the Malaysian religious festivals, the Indian celebration of Thaipusam is perhaps the most fascinating and dramatic. On this occasion Hindu devotees to Lord Murugan publicly offer prayers, sacrifice, and thanksgiving in fulfillment of vows for favors granted. Offerings may be simple, as in the instances of breaking coconuts or bearing pots of blessed milk. Most often, however, offerings are focused on kavadi bearing and are accompanied by ecstatic trance where devotees allow their bodies to be pierced and decorated with needles, hooks and skewers in an expression of faith and loyalty.' Despite extensive piercing, most devotees rely on ritual trance for control of pain and bleeding and are able to complete the pilgrimage to Murugan's temple, carrying kavadis weighing up to 40 lbs. to fulfill vows and offer thanksgiving. Ritual trance as found in Thaipusam practices offers suitable data for the psychological study of altered states of consciousness (ASC) which has previously been criticized as unidimensional, superficial, and ethnocentric (Tart 1969; Ward 1982a). To con-