Bori

/ˈbɔːri/ noun

Definition

In West African (particularly Hausa) spiritual traditions, a type of spirit possession or an illness attributed to spirit disturbance.

Etymology

From Hausa 'bori', possibly related to spirit or possession concepts in Niger-Congo languages, referring to trance states and spiritual practices.

Kelly Says

Bori possession is studied by anthropologists as a genuine psychological and social phenomenon—people in trance states exhibit knowledge they seemingly couldn't possess, and communities use these episodes for conflict resolution and social commentary.

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