A spiritual phenomenon that connects fox possession, Japanese culture and faith

Fox possession in history - from ancient times to early modern times

Fox Possession is a unique folk belief that is rooted in Japan, and refers to the phenomenon in which the spirit of a fox possesses humans. This phenomenon has a deep cultural, historical and social meaning that cannot be dismissed as mere superstitions, and has remained deeply involved in traditional beliefs, mental health, and even human relationships in the community. Fox possession has been an ancient form of expression of interaction with the "unseen" and has influenced people's lives and cultures, and has been passed down to this day.

The phenomenon of fox possession began to be recognized by people back to the Nara period and the Heian period.

For example, the collection of Buddhist tales, "Nihon Reiki," and the collection of "Konjaku Monogatari," a representative of Heian literature, already depict the spiritual interference of foxes. At this time, foxes were feared as evil monsters, but also as angels of gods, and were viewed as ambivalent beings.

This duality can be said to suggest the complexity of later fox-possessed faith. Foxes were objects of awe and worship as beings with power beyond human intelligence.

Especially during the Edo period, the belief in possession of foxes became widely spread throughout society. The background to this is thought to have been deeply involved in the various difficulties facing Japanese society at the time, such as famine, epidemics, and the unstable economic situation.

In village society at the time, people were closely connected and had a strong sense of community. However, when faced with mysterious events such as natural disasters and epidemics, they had no means of explaining them rationally, so they probably tried to gain a certain degree of convincing by explaining them in the form of fox possession.

It has become a habit for people who are believed to have been possessed by foxes to visit prayer monks and shrine maidens in their families or villages, and receive purification rituals. Such spiritual rituals not only pray for a cure for illness, but also reaffirmed social solidarity and strengthened community unity. It has also been pointed out that it is a social sanction against those who disrupt village order.

Cultural background: The duality of Inari faith and the existence of fox

As more than just animals, foxes occupy a very important position through the Japanese view of religion, especially the Inari faith.

At Inari Shrines in Shinto, foxes are considered to be the gods of Inari Omikami, and have been worshiped as a symbol of abundance of harvests, prosperity in business, and safety in the family. Inari faith plays a very important role in agricultural society, and foxes were positioned as sacred beings within their belief system.

But at the same time, foxes were feared as "those who mislead people" and "sly." This duality reflects the complex emotions underlying fox-possessed faith.

Therefore, when the problem of fox possession arises, rituals based on Inari faith were often held, attempts were made to calm the fox and to save the possessed person.

In rural communities, it was often believed that all phenomena that failed farming, livestock diseases, and other causes could not be clearly understood were the work of the fox.

In particular, there is a strong tendency for women to be seen as prone to fox possession, and in many cases, their abnormal behavior and emotional problems were interpreted as influences of fox spirits. child

This is deeply related to the social vulnerability of women at the time, and it has also been pointed out that social dissatisfaction and oppression could have been expressed in the form of fox possession.

It is believed that there was a social structure in which women were seen as "weak" beings and that it was easy to link mental discomfort to spiritual causes.

Symptoms and characteristics: Specific descriptions of fox possession

It is said that people who are believed to be possessed by foxes will experience a variety of symptoms. The most distinctive feature is the large changes in food preferences.

For example, they may develop an abnormal preference for foods that are closely related to foxes, such as red rice and deep-fried tofu, and may also cause animal behavior to be confirmed, such as making "fox-like cries" and starting to walk on four legs.

He also often complained of physical discomfort such as headaches, cramps, and insomnia. These symptoms were thought to have been physical distress, not merely mental changes.

From a modern medicine perspective, many of these distinctive behaviors are consistent with symptoms of mental illness such as dissociative disorders and schizophrenia.

In particular, cases of phenomena in which personalities change, such as multiple personalities, or abnormal behavior suddenly occurring, have many similarities with the content told in the legend of fox possession.

These mental illnesses were difficult to understand with medical knowledge at the time, and it is believed that people tried to understand them in the form of fox possession. It is also possible that symptoms caused by excessive stress or trauma have been misunderstood as fox possession.

Exorcism ritual: "Fox Drop" and how to do it

As a cure for fox possession, rituals known as "fox dropping" have been held in various regions since ancient times. Although the method differs from region to region, it is characterized by the fact that it is generally symbolic behavior that "hate" the fox.

For example, methods such as burning pine needles to create smoke, yelling to intimidate foxes, and leaving dogs nearby. These actions are thought to have been carried out with the aim of terrifying the fox and driving it out of its body.

It was also often said that visiting Inari Shrines or local shrines and bringing back special talismans is effective. This was a religious act of trying to calm the foxes with the help of gods and Buddhas.

Furthermore, there is a unique belief that foxes "reside in their families," and families with "fox-bearing" were required to perform special rituals and magical techniques on a daily basis.

Marriage to this "fox-holding" family was often repelled, and these families tended to be isolated from the community.

This shows that fox-possessed faith was also deeply involved in the formation and exclusion of social relations. This discrimination highlights an exclusive aspect of the community.

Intersection of modern understanding, science and faith

With the advances in modern medicine, phenomena that have been considered to be possessed by foxes are often explained as a result of mental illness and high stress environments.

For example, it has been pointed out that conditions such as "anti-NMDA receptor antibody encephalitis" have historically been interpreted as fox possession. This disease is thought to be similar to the symptoms of fox possession as it causes brain inflammation and causes mental and behavioral abnormalities.

In addition, many cases of symptoms such as hysteria and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were thought to be due to fox possession. These symptoms are subject to strong psychological factors and can appear to be fox-possessed.

In modern medicine, these symptoms are analyzed based on brain neurotransmission abnormalities and psychological factors, and treatment using drug therapy and psychotherapy is the main countermeasure.

However, even as scientific understanding progresses, the superstitions and rituals of fox-possessing are present in small quantities in certain regions, and it is also true that people continue to accept mystical worldviews as part of their lives.

This may indicate that the feelings of anxiety and fear that humans face cannot be completely resolved by scientific explanations alone. It is also believed that traditional culture and faith play an important role in modern times as a place of restoration for people's hearts.

summary

The phenomenon of fox possession is an important element that runs through Japanese culture, faith and history, and reflected the instability of society and the feelings of people trying to understand events that have no known cause. With the development of modern medicine, it has become clear that fox possession was once seen as an expression of mental illness and stress responses, but even so, the mystical image and cultural significance of fox possession will continue to be passed down in the future.

This phenomenon, in which science and faith intersect, is an expression of the efforts to learn about the "unknown" of humans, and can also be said to be a mirror that reflects the depth of human hearts. Fox possession is not something that can be dismissed as mere superstitions, but is extremely important in understanding human culture, history, and psychology.

And it can be said that this is a subject that will make us think deeply about how we interact with the invisible world.

Shokey Hayashi

Exorcist/Radionics Technique Researcher

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Born in Aomori Prefecture in 1965, he has been suffering from troubles, illnesses and injuries caused by spiritual phenomena since childhood. However, one day, when he was 20 years old, he attended an event, had a mysterious experience at the venue, and was hit by lightning energy from the heavens, as if piercing the spinal cord from his brain, and his psychic abilities blossomed. He then began studying psychology and psychiatry, and now he has combined psychiatry and consciousness engineering. Established "Radionics exorcism" using our own radionics techniques. "It's possible to treat your fortune" beyond exorcism, memorial service, and healing.