Title : The “loss of the spirit” due to fright (“Susto”) among the mazatecos of Oaxaca, Mexico. A historical and ethnographic review (1900-2021)
Abstract:
In various parts of the world there is the belief -very generalized- of the loss of the soul, spirit or other vital soul entity separable from its corporeal continent. In other words, in the cosmovisions of the original peoples of Asian nations (such as China, Japan, Thailand, and others), in Africa and America (especially Mesoamerica and the Andes), the real possibility of the temporary separation of the soul or spirit and even leading to the death of the affected person is thought to exist. It is an affliction of pre-Hispanic origin that can be found throughout indigenous and mestizo America. In the case of the Mazatec indigenous people, located in the Mexican Southeast, the “susto” or “espanto” (fright) is produced by a surprising, violent and traumatic event, which causes the separation of the soul entity called “spirit”. In this presentation -with historical documentary information and ethnographic fieldwork– we present its frequent causes, the way to reach the diagnosis, the different treatments (including in extreme cases the use of psychoactive mushrooms), prevention and the relevance of the role of traditional Mazatec doctors in the return of the soul entity to the body of the person suffering from the disease.
