What Does the Soul Say?: Metaphysical Uses of Facilitated Communication in the Jewish Ultraorthodox Community
Facilitated communication (FC), a set of techniques designed to improve the communication skills of children with pervasive developmental disorders, was transformed in the Jewish ultraorthodox community into a mystical device through which autistic children disclose otherworldly messages. We use thi...
| Authors: | ; |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
1997
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| In: |
Ethos
Year: 1997, Volume: 25, Issue: 4, Pages: 375-407 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | Facilitated communication (FC), a set of techniques designed to improve the communication skills of children with pervasive developmental disorders, was transformed in the Jewish ultraorthodox community into a mystical device through which autistic children disclose otherworldly messages. We use this case to study the process whereby, in a given historical moment, specific forms of deviance are selected and molded into ritualized moralistic performances through which the values of the community are reasserted. Following a comparison between clinical and metaphysical FC, we explore synchronic and diachronic aspects of the complex relations between the ultraorthodox and the secular society extrapolated from the case. A comparative analysis of FC sessions and exorcistic rituals of dybbuk possession provides a background for proposing a dichotomous model of mystical pathways to the sacred, highlighting the role of deviants in revitalizing religious beliefs. |
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| ISSN: | 1548-1352 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Ethos
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1525/eth.1997.25.4.375 |
