nadi - kerauhan in social cultural perspectives

8/10/2019 NADI - Kerauhan In Social Cultural Perspectives

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Source : NADITrance in the Balinese Art

KERAUHAN IN SOCIAL

CULLTURAL PERSPECTIVES


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TRANCE IN GLOBAL CONTEXT

Trance is a phenomenon that can be found

in all non-western societies or in simple

or pre-modern societies. In Asian,African and Oceanean (an archipelago in

the Pacific Ocean) countries, this

phenomenon can still be found even in

modern areas used to technology,

telecommunications, international trade

and tourism. Actually, trance can even be

found in the advanced west, although it

is not as common as it is in simpler

societies. In a cosmopolitan society,

trance can be accepted as a part of

culture and tradition, and it is not seen

as opposing religion. In other social

groups trance is not accepted socially,

nor religiously, because it is in

opposition to the principals outlined byreligion.

As a social, cultural, religious and

psychological phenomenon, trance has been

widely studied. A number of experts from

several fields of study such as

anthropology, sociology, medicine,

psychology, human ecology, and religious

studies, have discussed trance from

various points of view. Richard Lee has

made an anthropological study of the Kung

tribe in Africa. James Fox has described

trance amongst members of Australasian


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communities, and traced its origins to

their ancestors.

TRANCE IN BALI: A STUDY OF KERAUHAN

In the Balinese community, trance is

known as karauhan, kalinggihan,

kalinggaan, kodal or tedun, and is a part

of ritual activity, Because trance is

widespread here, it has become a daily

phenomenon for the Balinese Hindu

community. In a ritualistic folk society,

trance is accepted as a source of truth.

At the sociological level, trance is

accepted as something common, normal and

even as a sign that a ritual activity has

been given a response by God, by lesser

gods, by deified ancestors, spirits, or

to whom the ritual activity is aimed.Most villagers consider trance as a must

in any ritual activity of a certain

level, especially large-scale ceremonies,

meaning that if nobody enters trance, the

ritual activity is considered not to have

been accepted by the supernatural world.

Trance in Bali has been studied widely by

many foreign researchers. The study began

in the 1930s. In 1949 Jane Belo published

Bali: Rangda and Barong, describing

trance in detail from an anthropological

point of view. In 1960 Jane Belo also


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published a book called Trance in Bali

which was published by Columbia

University Press.

Indonesian writer Priyohutomo wrote aboutSanghyang dancing in Sana Buda Magazine,

November 1955 edition, in a piece

entitled Sanghyang Chewan as shamanism

games that detailed the mysticism of

Sanghyang dancing for which -trance is

the main attraction. Trance is considered

integra to the dance and a must in any

performance. Therefore Priyohutomo viewsthis dance as a shamanistic game. In 1955

Balinese writer A.A Gede Raka published

Balian in Tradition and Folk Story No.

4, which also dealt with trance.


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The American Journal of Psychiatry, July

1972, published a piece about shamanism

and its relation to modern mental health.

The article, Shamanism versus Psychiatry

in Bali, Isle of the Gods: Some Modern

Implications, was written by StanleyDean and Denny Tong, who both discussed

trance in Bali from a shamanistic point

of view. In 1975 another article was

published Transcultural Aspects of

Metapsychiatry: Focus on Shamanism in


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Bali, by Roma ONeil of the University

of Melboune, Australia, who wrote about

the institutionalization of trance in

Balinese traditional healing practice,with special reference to balian. In a

thesis entitled Institutionalized Spirit

Possession and Healing Rites in a

Balinese Villages, ONeil described

healing rites through trance and how

well-institualized into the Balinese

community, as well as how accepted socio-

culturally they are. Gregory Bateson,

husband of American Antrophologist

Margaret .Mead, has also written about

trance. Based on a study made in Bali in

the 1930s, he published an article in

Ethos Journal, claiming that trance had

become well socialized in Bali.

Australian researcher Linda Connor wrote

in Mankind Journal in December 1979, that

trance was a form of aggression

channeling for the Balinese (Corpse Abuse

and Trance in Bali; The Cultural

Mediation of Aggression). Trance was also

discussed in detail in her dissertation

entitled In Darkness and Light - A study

of Peasant Intellectuals in Bali. The

dissertation was presented in Sydney

University in 1982.


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Trance is to this day a popular field of

study. In 1987, Annemarie Verkruisen from

Vrije University (Holland) discussed

trance with regard to traditionalhealing. Her dissertation was entitled

Yadnya and Maluasang; een Analyze van

dee Ooorzaken van een Viertal Rituelen en

van Het Raadplegen van een Trance Medium

op Bali.

TRANCE IN THE BALINESE HINDU COMMUNITY:

THE CURRENT CONTEXT

The Balinese community currently torn

between the two conflicting positions. On

one side there is a centripetal group

displaying internationalization

characterized by cultural homogeneity,

globalization, rationalization and

modernization. On the other side, acentrifugal group is characterized more

by strong ties with traditional and

religious practices, and identification

with the past.


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Moves towards traditionalization and

identity funding, saw trance regain its

legitimization in society Any phenomenathat cannot be explained logically will

be explained through the medium of

trance.

A variety of calamities and misfortunes

that come consecutively will be explained

through trance. Unclear origins will be

found via trance. And even in the modern

era in Bali, trance is considered a

medium and not only loved by uneducated

people, villagers and lower class

citizens, but also by the modern


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community who are well-educated and live

in cities.

Trance as a medium is often used in thecontemporary social cultural religious

Balinese community. In religious rites,

trance is common and accepted

sociologically, especially in ritual

ceremonies. It is related to ceremonial

requirements and to the need to satisfy

the supernatural world that a ceremony

has been performed as it ought. Trance as

a ceremonial medium is believed to be the

manifestation of a God (Ida Bhatara

spirit from a mountain or a temple etc.)

who has agreed to come to the ceremony

ground in response to an invitation by

the ceremony holders. In certain temples,

the presence of a trance event is hopedfor because trance adds to the humility

and subservience of a ceremony Some even

consider that when nobody enters trance,

the performing of the ceremony is in

doubt because there is no indication that

the gods have been satisfied. If there is

no trance, there will be nothing special

about the ceremony, and no indication of

whether or not it had been performed as

it should be. Amongst religious figures,

there are people who use the term trance

very carefully and can deliver messages

via a person in trance. Some prominent


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religious figures, however, question the

belief that the thing entering a person

in trance is indeed a holy spirit or god,

because there is a possibility that thespirits are evil spirits or bhuta kala,

which for sure would bring confusion to

human life. Their opinions, it is worthy

of note, have not been accepted by

society.

In ritual ceremonies, trance has become a

must during a pasupati or the

enlivening ceremony for an object that

will later be considered sacred,

especially the Barong and Rangda. Prior

to a Pasupati, which, as we have said, is

always accompanied by trance, a sacred

object is-only a dead thing because it

does not have a spirit.

Trance as a medium is very common in the

arts, especially the sacred Barong or

Rangda along with their varieties such as

Tektekan. Trance, with its variety of

exotic actions, is considered the climax

of any art performance. Audiences wait

for it with baited breath. If there is no

trance until the end of the performance,

the Rangda is not considered nadi, and

onlookers will certainly be disappointed.

On a milder scale, trance can be found in

Sans dance, including Baris Tombak, Baris


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with other methods, trance can answer

somebodys query about his or her kawitan

or point of origin. And by using trance,

many Balinese people find a new kawitan,which means that the kawitan temple

(ancestral temple) that he or she had

always visited was not his or her true

kawitan temple.

As mentioned previously, in a situation

where Balinese people are undergoing

indigenization or traditionalization the

carving of a new identity becomes a

prominent phenomenon. One of the

identities is the maxim clans and another

the kawitan or the temple of origin.

These processes are based on a belief

held by the Balinese community that there

are chimerical relations between themacrocosm and microcosm, which add to the

legitimization of trance within society.

In its relation with the clan, many

people use trance (prasutri, balian)

specifically to ask for guidance from

their ancestors or from the gods. This is

known as nyanjan.


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Tracing the origins of trance is as

difficult as fathoming the origins of

dreams. Many theories are constantly

being derived by the experts, most ofwhich only partially explain trance and

from a limited point of view.

Unfortunately, none of these points of

view support any of the others. The

psychologists tend to explain that trance

happens due to somebody becoming

psychologically depressed, and then,

unable to stand the pressure, they

express the problem through trance. In

trance a person can hide him or herself

from reality and become transformed into

another person. He or she is no longer

him or herself. In this way a range of


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expressions that cannot be delivered

consciously, can be expressed freely in

trance. Anthropologists also describe

trance as concentration towards anobject, so that human consciousness flows

with imagination toward an object. Human

beings live in a certain culture, such as

that enjoyed by Balinese people, full of

magical phenomena built into the souls of

every individual. The human belief system

and their unconsciousness become valid

sociologically if expressed in the form

of trance. At a certain level of

analysis, trance is seen as an expression

of aggression by Balinese people. Because

Balinese people obey norms and

regulations faithfully, the only way to

revise these regulations and norms is via

trance, where freedom or disobediencetowards such norms is not punishable.

Trance is then a form of legitimization

and a medium to express aggressive

emotions. It can also function as a

medium for protest that can be expressed

in daily life. Trance can also become a

medium for war in terms of ideas amongst

the vested interests in society, all of

whom are on stage to gain or maintain

power. For the lower classes on the other

hand trance can be used to protect and

oppose a group that might put pressure on

the silent majority. However, trance can


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also be used as a medium for opposition

groups to legitimate their position or

status and prevent any chauvinism toward

them. Trance in daily Balinese life isnot very different from that used in

ritual activity, which also functions as

a source of legitimations, influence and

validation etc.

Apart from various concepts and

descriptions provided by experts, trance

continues to be a presence in current

Balinese Hindu life. Furthermore it will

remain and be considered important in the

cognitive and affective influences on

Balinese people in social and religious

matters, and in various other aspects of

their lives for decades to come.


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nadi - kerauhan in social cultural perspectives

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