Stepping Onto an Egg: Former Child Soldiers' Posttraumatic Resilience and Spirit Possession in Uganda

Using a biographical-reconstructive approach, we examine the interplay between the symbolic representation of spirit possession and healing forms of ritual purification in the context of the war-related trauma of former Lord's Resistance Army child soldiers in Uganda. We illustrate how these former child soldiers articulate their trauma and resilience and how their communities deal with forms of spirit possession, what the role of religious communities is, and how rituals function as a coping mechanism for war-related trauma. The narrative approach is used to analyze 12 digital reports of different nongovernmental organizations and five digital testimonies of former child soldiers. The results provide relevant knowledge for a successful reintegration of returnees into society.

Automated summary

Using a biographical-reconstructive approach, this study examines the interplay between the symbolic representation of spirit possession and healing forms of ritual purification in the context of war-related trauma among former Lord's Resistance Army child soldiers in Uganda. The results provide relevant knowledge for successful reintegration of returnees into society.