User:Tlamb123/test

Definition
" A Korean folk label for a syndrome in which initial phases are characterized by anxiety and somatic complaints (general weakness, dizziness, fear, anorexia, insomnia, gastrointestinal problems), with subsequent dissociation and possession by ancestral spirits."

General Information and Symptoms
Shin-byung is a culture-bound syndrome that affects mainly Korean women. It translates into English as spirit possession and is known as the "divine illness". The first signs of the illness include somatic symptoms such as: When the syndrome is fully onset, the individual experiences unreal episodes where they believe to be possessed by spirits of their ancestors.
 * anxiety
 * fear
 * weakness
 * dizziness
 * insomnia
 * loss of appetite
 * gastrointestinal problems

Stages of Syndrome
The Shin-byung syndrome usually has three stages. The onset consists of somatic symptoms that can last anywhere from a few weeks to years. The trance stage is where the individual experiences dissociative symptoms that can include hallucinations/dreams where a spirit (usually an ancestor) tries to enter the body. In this stage patients usually seek help. The final stage is possession of the body where the individual can display multiple personalities until the shin takes over the individual's mind and body.

Shinbyeong
Shinbeyong, also known as spirit sickness or self loss, is an illness that affects Korean women shamans. The naerim-gut ritual is used to cure the illness. Symptoms with shinbyeong can differ depending on the culture of the mudang (shaman) and range from loss of appetite to psychotic episodes. Other types of Shinbyeong may stem from physical illness or some type of external shock. One of the more rare types of shinbyeong triggers is the "dream appearance type," in which the mudang dreams of a god or spirit that give the individual a revelation of some type. The mudang is said to experience communications with spirits or gods, and the symptoms in more extreme cases can last several years to decades. After time, the mudang becomes mentally ill and may wonder around aimlessly. By this point, they usually resist medical or psychiatric treatments.

Cultural Information
Shin-byung is often characterized as a culture-bound syndrome and a mental illness but from a cultural viewpoint, it is viewed as a spiritual emergency of a shaman in Korean culture. This view is central and relative to the Korean shamanic way of life. The disorders that are associated with shin-byung are seen as calls by spirtits (ancestors or not) for the individual to become a shaman. This means that shin-byung is not a mental illness, but it is a spiritual crisis that transforms the individual. When the individual is rid of this crisis, they take on the new social role of shaman and have skills in applying trans-personal states of consciousness.