Ghost Sickness

By Crusader1307

A common Native American Belief among some Tribes – ''Ghost Sickness'' was the ability of a Ghost or Spirit being able to cause sickness to a Living Person – for a variety of reasons. Symptoms determined as ''Ghost Sickness' by Shaman was – loss of appetite, the feeling of loss of breath (suffocation), bad dreams and a myriad of other ''maladies''. In Western Beliefs of a similar ideology – this would be seen as a form of ''Spiritual Possession''. However, Native American attributed ''Ghost Sickness'' as being a Curse or Spell – placed upon another by some other malevolent person (also attributed to a form of Spell Casting or Witchcraft). Depending on The Tribe, self-purification rituals (such as ''The Sweat Lodge''), reinforced by the intake of specially prepared potions – and under the watchful ''eye'' of a Shaman, was the ''cure'' for ''Ghost Sickness''.