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Women's Preponderance in Possession Cults: The Calcium‐Deficiency Hypothesis Extended
Author(s) -
KEHOE ALICE B.,
GILETTI DODY H.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
american anthropologist
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.51
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1548-1433
pISSN - 0002-7294
DOI - 10.1525/aa.1981.83.3.02a00030
Subject(s) - possession (linguistics) , niacin , poverty , psychology , medicine , endocrinology , political science , law , philosophy , linguistics
The preponderance of women in spirit possession cults is linked with the likelihood of deficiencies in thiamine, tryptophan‐niacin, calcium, and vitamin D in women in Old World traditional societies in which poverty and/or sumptuary rules restrict women's nutrient intakes more than those of men. The higher nutrient needs of pregnant and lactating women may exacerbate the inadequacy of their diets. It is postulated that involuntary symptoms of deficiencies affecting the central nervous system and muscles have been recognized in these societies as manifestations of spirit possession and institutionalized as a means of reducing victims' anxieties and restoring their ability to function normally