Spirit possession

thumb|262px|Men reacting enthusiastically

a belief that animas, demons, extraterrestrials, gods, or spirits can take control of a human body

dialog by Plato

thumb|300px|, by Ephraim Moses Lilien|Ephraim Moshe Lilien (1874–1925). In Jewish mythology, a '''''' (; , from the Hebrew verb , meaning 'adhere' or 'cling') is a malicious possessing spirit believed to be the dislocated soul of a dead person. It supposedly leaves the host body once it has accomplished its goal, sometimes after being exorcised.

thumb|Zār ceremony on Hormuz Island

religion of Hausa people in West Africa

'''' () is a traditional sacred Balinese dance originated from the Indonesian island of Bali. It is based on the premise that an unseen force enters the body of an entranced performer. The force, identified as hyang'', is an important type of spiritual entity in ancient Indonesian mythology.

In Akkadian and Sumerian mythology, Alû is a vengeful spirit of the Utukku that goes down to the underworld Kur. The demon has no mouth, lips or ears. It would roam at night and terrifies people while they sleep and the Alû may also torment their victims for fun. It was also said that possession by the Alû would result in unconsciousness or a coma; in this manner it resembles creatures such as the mara, and incubus, which are invoked to explain sleep paralysis. In Akkadian and Sumerian mythology, it is associated with other demons such as the Gallu and the Lilu.

right|thumb|240px|"Kudagitsune" from the Shōzan chomon kishū by Miyoshi Shōzan right|thumb|240px|"Kudagitsune" from the .From the caption, its length without the tail is calculable to "1 shaku (unit)|shaku and 2 or 3 sun (approx. 1.2–1.3 feet). The , also pronounced kanko, is a type of spirit possession in legends around various parts of Japan. It may be known otherwise as osaki especially in the Kantō region, and also considered equivalent to the izuna.

Wiccan ritual

right|thumb|A depiction of a kitsunetsuki in the '''' by , also written , literally means "the state of being possessed by a fox". The victim is usually said to be a young woman, whom the fox enters beneath her fingernails or through her breasts. In some cases, the victims' facial expressions are said to change in such a way that they resemble those of a fox.