Obeysekere - Medusa's Hair (1)

Page 1: Introduction to Medusa's Hair

Sigmund Freud's analysis in Totem and Taboo posits external superego as societal control over drives (sex and aggression).
In The Future of an Illusion (1961 [1927]), he describes religion as a realm of projection and immature wish-fulfillment, acknowledging its creative aspect while suggesting it may fade with increasing rationality.
Freud’s work on dream symbols in The Interpretation of Dreams (Freud 1953 [1900-1930]) contributed to a broader understanding of symbolism.

Obeyesekere, a significant figure in psychoanalytic anthropology, merges Freudian perspective with mainstream anthropology.
- Notable works include studies on land tenure, culture, and Buddhism in Sri Lanka.
- Medusa's Hair: Focuses on ascetics in Sri Lanka, exploring their hair as both personal and public symbols within religious practices.
The book employs psychoanalytic concepts like transference and counter-transference to discuss the anthropologist-subject relationship.

Obeyesekere critiques the dichotomy of public versus private symbols, highlighting that both types can hold significant emotional and psychological meaning.
He aims to explore cultural meanings through case studies, particularly on the symbol of matted hair and its connection to personal crises.

Leach's Stance: Public symbols like hair do not possess deeper, unconscious motivational significance.
Opposing View: Personal symbols are deeply emotional but lack cultural recognition.
Obeyesekere challenges this view, arguing that public symbols can embody complex emotional and psychological layers.

Leach acknowledges public culture lacks psychological significance, which Obeyesekere refutes:
- Public behavior conveys emotional content that challenges the separation of individual psychology from cultural symbols.
Public symbols, including matted hair, communicate feelings and societal roles, contradicting notions of purely rational symbolism.

Obeyesekere posits that private symbols may transition into public consciousness, yet their emotional meanings remain intertwined.
He emphasizes the significance of understanding symbols within their cultural system rather than in isolation.

The debate involves differing interpretations of hair among ascetics:
- Matted hair signifies detachment from sexual passions, contrasting with interpretations of neurotic meanings in Western contexts.
Cultural Significance: Ascetics owe their hair behavior to established religious customs rather than personal psychological issues.

Critiques of Berg's psychoanalytic approach which connects hair behavior to castration anxieties.
Obeyesekere disputes the naive interpretation that public symbols can entirely lack emotional significance, advocating for a nuanced understanding of psychological and cultural intersections.

Background: Karunavati faces early trauma from her father's desertion.
Marital Turmoil: Experiences a tumultuous marriage leading to familial estrangement and personal suffering.
Possession: Post her mother’s death, she undergoes possession indicating an emotional connection with her mother and broader spiritual experiences.

Karunavati's narrative illustrates complex emotional conflicts and cultural expectations governing ascetic behavior.
Her transition into an ascetic reflects a struggle between personal anguish and divine calling.

Three major processes that contribute to the emergence of matted hair as a symbol:
1. Loss of Sexual Love: Rejection of marital relationships highlights the deep emotional layers of ascetic practice.
2. Intensification of Divine Relationships: Emotional ecstasy is found through the connection with deities.
3. God's Gift: The sanctification of matted hair as both an aesthetic and spiritual representation of ascetics' renunciations.

Distinctions between personal experiences and societal interpretations are essential in understanding matted hair.
Obeyesekere maintains that matted hair serves distinct personal meanings while participating in broader cultural narratives, ultimately subverting simplistic classifications of symbols.

Obeyesekere argues against rigid distinctions drawn by Leach between public (shaven heads) and private symbols (matted hair).
Personal Symbols: denote deeply rooted experiences. Shaven heads, while carrying societal and cultural context, lack the personal significance found in matted hair.

Final Argument: The psycho-cultural interplay of symbols like hair showcases the necessary correlation between individual experience, tradition, and societal perception.