Transe e pertencimento: gênero, espiritualidade e a prática de cura dos rituais Zar

Abstract

This paper analyzes the Zar Ritual, a practice of spirit possession originating in Northeast Africa and the Middle East, from the perspective of cultural preservation and female empowerment through bibliographic analysis. The study defines Zar as a complex cosmological system that acts as a space for expression, healing, and resistance for its practitioners, the majority of whom are women in social contexts that limit their agency. The research highlights that possession in Zar functions in certain regions as a “veiled feminist discourse”, allowing women to negotiate gender roles and critique social norms through the voices of the spirits, without being directly held accountable. Furthermore, the ritual is understood as a form of group therapy and a cultural concept of suffering that restores psychological balance and a sense of belonging in marginalized communities. The work also establishes a comparative analysis with Afro-Brazilian cults. Fundamental similarities are identified in their therapeutic function, the central use of music, dance, and trance, and the role of possession as a mechanism for agency and cultural resistance for peripheral groups. It concludes that the Zar Ritual is a potent tool for social transformation and identity affirmation, remaining a living practice that challenges dominant power structures.