Description
According to Dr. Phil Dennis of Texas Tech University, grisi siknis is typically characterized by longer periods of anxiety, nausea, dizziness, irrational anger and fear, interlaced with short periods of rapid frenzy, in which the victim “lose consciousness, believe that devils beat them and have sexual relations with them” and runs away.
Often the outbreak of the syndrome is violent in nature, with victims grabbing weapons, attacking unseen enemies and/or hurting themselves.
The causes of grisi siknis are indefinite, says the American Psychology Association, but the prevailing Western theory calls this syndrome a “psychological disorder due to stress, upheaval and despair”.
Traditional Miskito belief, says Dennis, holds that grisi siknis is the result of evil spirits or black sorcerers. While Western medicine typically has no effect on those afflicted with the disease, the remedies of Miskito herbalists or witch doctors are often successful in curing grisi siknis.
Read more about this topic: Grisi Siknis
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