Spirit Mediumship Research Paper
The practice of spirit mediumship is not new. Historically, the priest-shaman (巫; pinyin: wu), whose social status disclosed a central position among the Chinese, were regularly discovered in the expression of traditional Chinese religion. Often, they used magic in most of the religious occasions and served as a medium, connecting man and the spirits (Yang, 1967). According to Chan (2006), the genealogy of wu as fighter medium could be drawn to the rituals of the pre-Chinese Yao people (瑤族; pinyin: yaozu) who settled in the area of southern China before the third millennium BC. Until the Shang Dynasty, they were of the priestly class, positioned next to the state principal and played a significant role in the entire system of blood offerings,
divination, sacrificial rituals and exorcism (Wright, 2011; Yang, 1967). Even though the wu had lost some of its superiority in the late Zhou period, however, the practice of spirit mediumship did not vanish but continue to remain its popularity. Today, it is still being widely practices in many Southeast Asia countries, including Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.
divination, sacrificial rituals and exorcism (Wright, 2011; Yang, 1967). Even though the wu had lost some of its superiority in the late Zhou period, however, the practice of spirit mediumship did not vanish but continue to remain its popularity. Today, it is still being widely practices in many Southeast Asia countries, including Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.