Experience narratives of encounters with physically aggressive supernatural beings
Keywords: folkloristics, contemporary narratives, supernatural experiences, supernatural violence
This article looks at contemporary accounts of encounters with physically aggressive supernatural beings, set against the backdrop of traditional personal experience narratives (collected up to the first half of the 20th century) describing similar encounters. Analyzing the impact of trends in modern spiritual teachings and global information dissemination, it becomes clear that the main focus of modern spiritual teachings is on protection and self-development, and communication with friendly protective spirits is rather expected, at least among those engaged in esoteric practices. However, the fear of attacks by supernatural beings persists, and some accounts describe experiences of strong physical sensations during contact with aggressive supernatural beings. Such encounters are typically perceived as unexpected and frightening. Often, the experiencer is not an active bearer of the respective narrative tradition and only after an intense personal experience begins to feel the need to interpret what was experienced or seek help. Thus, attempts at explanation (e.g., arguments about guilt and revenge) and strategies to achieve a sense of personal control are central to these personal experience narratives. The analysis shows that the interpretations combine heterogeneous information from family lore, parapsychological literature, media coverage of the respective beliefs, and internet keyword searches.
Reet Hiiemäe (b. 1974), PhD, Estonian Literary Museum, Department of Folkloristics, Senior Researcher (Vanemuise 42, 51003 Tartu), reet.hiiemae@folklore.ee
Kirjandus
ARHIIVIALLIKAD
Eesti Kirjandusmuuseum (EKM)
EFITA, KP – Koolipärimus 2018 kogumisaktsiooni materjalid EKM-i folkloristika osakonna arhiivis EFITA
EFITA, A–S – tekstid Reet Hiiemäe pärimuskogus EKM-i folkloristika osakonna arhiivis EFITA
Eesti Rahvaluule Arhiiv (ERA)
E – Matthias Johann Eiseni rahvaluulekogu
ERA – Eesti Rahvaluule Arhiivi rahvaluulekogu
RKM – Eesti Riikliku Kirjandusmuuseumi rahvaluulekogu
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