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| Musok |
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| Sinbyeong | |
| Hangul | 신병 |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 神病 |
| RR | sinbyeong |
| MR | sinpyŏng |
Sinbyeong orshinbyong, also called "self-loss", is the possession from a god that a chosenmu (shaman) goes through in theKorean shamanic tradition. It is said to be accompanied by physical pain andpsychosis. Believers would assert that the physical and mental symptoms are not subject to medical treatment, but may only be cured through acceptance of and full communion with the spirit.[1]
The illness is characterized by a loss of appetite, insomnia, visual and auditoryhallucinations. A ritual called anaerim-gut cures thisillness, which also serves to induct the new shaman-priest.[2]
The symptoms of ashinbyeong differ, depending on themu cultural background as well as her surrounding environment. For example, in the most basic, frequent type ofshinbyeong, the initiate is afflicted with the characteristic symptoms without apparent cause. Themudang cannot eat and becomes weak physically and psychologically. In another type ofshinbyeong, these basic symptoms are preceded by physical illness. In yet another, theshinbyeong is caused by a psychotic episode. In a type ofshinbyeong that is relatively rare, themu mental state becomes weakened through external shock. Another rarely occurring type ofshinbyeong, called the "dream appearance type", theshinbyeong is triggered by a dream in which themu sees a god, spirit, or unusual occurrence, accompanied by a revelation.[3]
The symptoms of theshinbyeong can last a surprisingly long time: an average of 8 years and as many as 30. Mostmu have little appetite during theirshinbyeong, some suffer from indigestion and partake only on a limited diet. The body of themudang becomes weak and is subject to pain and cramping accompanied by bloody stool in some cases. Physical symptoms progress to include mental illness. The initiate has a generally restless mind and is said to experience dreams in which she communicates with gods or spirits. Eventually dreams and reality become blurred and themudang suffers hallucinations. In some cases, the mental illness becomes so extreme that themu leaves home and wanders through mountains and rice fields. The symptoms are said not to be susceptible to normal medical treatment and such treatment is believed to only exacerbate them. Rather, the symptoms are alleviated through the ritual ofgangshinje, a type ofgut in which themu receives her god or spirit.[4]
In the fourth version of theDiagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), published by theAmerican Psychiatric Association,[5]shinbyeong, orshin-byung, is listed as an example of aculture-bound syndrome. It describes the syndrome as initially characterized by anxiety and somatic complaints (general weakness, dizziness, fear, anorexia, insomnia, gastrointestinal problems), with subsequent dissociation and possession by ancestral spirits.
In the tradition of Muism, theshinbyeong is considered a structured religious experience demonstrating the vertical connection between god and humanity and showing that "god in some form exists in human consciousness." It is a form of revelation that causes the shaman to become one with god and, consequently, change his or her patterns of thought. Theshinbyeong is dissociated from reality and enters a higher form ofconsciousness.[6]