2025.04.03

Spiritual Phenomena Linked by Fox Possession, Japan Culture, and Faith

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Kitsunetsuki is a unique folk belief rooted in Japan and refers to the phenomenon of fox spirits possessing humans. This phenomenon has deep cultural, historical, and social implications that cannot be dismissed as mere superstition, and has been deeply involved in traditional beliefs, psychiatry, and even community relationships. Since ancient times, fox possession has influenced people's lives and culture as a form of expressing interaction with "invisible things", and has been passed down to this day.

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

For example, the Japan Reiki, a collection of Buddhist narratives, and the Tales of the Past and Present, a representative of Heian literature, already depict spiritual interference by foxes. At this time, foxes were feared as vicious yokai, but they were also revered as messengers of the gods and were regarded as ambivalent.

It can be said that this duality is indicative of the complexity of the later cult of fox possession. The fox was an object of awe and worship as a being with power beyond human knowledge.

Especially in the Edo period, the belief in fox possession spread widely throughout society. This is thought to have been deeply related to the various difficulties faced by Japan society at the time, such as famine, epidemics, and unstable economic conditions.

In the village society at that time, people were close-knit and the sense of community was very strong. However, when faced with inexplicable events such as natural disasters or plagues, they did not have a rational way to explain them, so they probably tried to gain some kind of convincing by explaining them in the form of fox possession.

Article Contents

Fox Possession in History: From Ancient Times to the Early Modern Era
- Cultural Background: The Duality of Inari Beliefs and the Existence of Foxes

Fox Possession in History: From Ancient Times to the Early Modern Era

It became customary for people who were allegedly possessed by foxes to visit the priests and priestesses with their families and villages to receive exorcisms. It can be said that these spiritual rituals were not only a wish for the cure of illness, but also had the aspect of reaffirming social solidarity and strengthening the unity of the community. It is also pointed out that there is an aspect of social sanctions for those who disrupt the order of the village.

Cultural Background: The Duality of Inari Beliefs and the Existence of Foxes

As more than just animals, foxes occupy a very important position through Japan's religious views, especially the Inari faith.

In Shinto shrines, the fox is regarded as the messenger of the god Inari and has been revered as a symbol of fertility of five grains, prosperous business, and family safety. The cult of Inari played a very important role in an agrarian society, and the fox was positioned as a sacred being in the belief system.

However, at the same time, foxes were also feared as "deceiving" and "cunning". It is this duality that reflects the complex emotions that underlie the belief in fox possession.

Therefore, when the problem of fox possession arose, rituals based on the Inari cult were often performed in an attempt to appease the fox and save the possessed.

In rural society, it was not uncommon to believe that all failures in farming, livestock diseases, and other events whose causes could not be clearly clarified were the work of foxes.

In particular, women were more likely to be considered susceptible to fox possession, and their abnormal behavior and emotional problems were often interpreted as the influence of fox spirits. This

It is closely related to the fact that women were in a socially vulnerable position at the time, and it has been pointed out that social dissatisfaction and oppression may have been expressed in the form of fox possession.

It is thought that there was a social structure in which women were seen as "weak" and it was easy to associate mental disorders with spiritual causes.

Symptoms, characteristics, and specific descriptions related to fox possession

People who are allegedly possessed by foxes are reported to have a variety of symptoms. One of the most distinctive features of this is the drastic change in food preferences.

For example, in addition to abnormally liking foods related to foxes, such as red rice and fried oil, animalistic behavior such as emitting a "fox-like sound" and starting to walk on four legs may be confirmed.

They also often complained of physical ailments such as headaches, convulsions, and insomnia. It is likely that these symptoms were accompanied by physical distress, not just mental changes.

From the perspective of modern medicine, these characteristic behaviors are often consistent with the symptoms of mental illnesses such as dissociative disorders and schizophrenia.

In particular, it can be said that the phenomenon of personality switching, such as multiple personalities, and cases of sudden occurrence of abnormal behavior, have much in common with what is said in fox possession lore.

It is thought that these mental illnesses were difficult to elucidate with the medical knowledge of the time, and people tried to understand them in the form of fox possession. Symptoms caused by excessive stress or trauma may also have been mistaken for fox possession.

Exorcism ritual "fox dropping" and its method

As a cure for fox possession, a ritual called "fox dropping" has been performed in various regions since ancient times. Although the method differs from region to region, it is common to have a symbolic action of "hating" foxes.

For example, they burned pine needles to make smoke, shouted to intimidate foxes, and kept dogs nearby. It is assumed that these actions were carried out with the aim of scaring the fox and driving it out of its body.

In addition, it was often said that visiting the Inari Shrine or a local shrine and bringing home a special bill was effective. This was a religious act of trying to appease the fox with the help of the gods and Buddhas.

In addition, there is a peculiar belief that foxes "dwell in the family lineage", and the family of the "fox bearer" was required to perform special rituals and spells on a daily basis.

Marriages with these "fox-bearing" families were often shunned, and these families tended to be isolated from the community.

This indicates that the cult of fox possession was also deeply involved in the formation and elimination of social relations. Such discrimination highlights the exclusionary aspect of the community.

Modern Understanding: The Intersection of Science and Faith

Advances in modern medicine have made it possible for the phenomenon of fox possession to be explained as a result of mental illness or a high-stress environment.

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

In addition, there were many cases where symptoms such as hysteria and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were thought to be due to fox possession. These symptoms have a strong psychological factor and can look like fox possession.

In modern medicine, these symptoms are analyzed based on neurotransmission abnormalities in the brain and psychological factors, and drug therapy and psychotherapy are the main countermeasures.

However, even as scientific understanding advances, it is also true that the superstitions and rituals of fox possession are still alive and well in certain regions, and people continue to accept the mystical worldview as part of their lives.

This may indicate that human emotions such as anxiety and fear cannot be completely eliminated by scientific explanations alone. In addition, traditional culture and beliefs are considered to play an important role in modern times as a source of inspiration for people.

Summary

The phenomenon of fox possession was an important element of Japan's culture, beliefs, and history, reflecting the social instability and the desire of people to make sense of events of unknown origin. Advances in modern medicine have revealed that fox possession was once seen as an expression of mental illness and stress response, but the mystical image and cultural significance of fox possession will continue to be talked about in the future.

It can be said that this phenomenon, in which science and faith intersect, is an expression of the human effort to know the "unknown" and is also a mirror that reflects the depth of the human heart. Fox possession is not just a superstition, it is a very important part of understanding human culture, history, and psychology.

And it can be said that it is a subject that makes us think deeply about how we relate to the invisible world.

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