Loose Spirits

"Loose Spirits" is a collection of ethnographic video recordings and photographs documenting the phenomena of trance and spirit possession in folk religion and traditional healing worldwide. This project represents a form of what I call "Gonzo Anthropology" – an approach inspired by Hunter S. Thompson's immersive, subjective journalism, applied to the documentation of magical and spiritual practices.

These recordings began in 2002 and 2003 while traveling in South East Asia. My interest in the related phenomena of trance, spirit possession, altered states of consciousness, shamanism and folk religion went back to my teenage years when I began reading books about magic, witchcraft and voodoo.

I began traveling intrepidly in 1999 when I started in Jakarta and made my way alone across the Indonesian Archipelago and all the way to the Upper Sepik River Region of Papua New Guinea. I wanted to experience life and culture as radically different from my native San Francisco as I could find in the world. I was always keen to witness and photograph any kind of ceremony or ritual I happened upon.

My travels in SE Asia extended to several years duration. It was just about dusk one evening in late February of 2002, I was in Singapore and there were elaborate tents lining the streets full of Chinese Taoist idols (Shen), incense, paper lanterns and candles. There were Chinese sitting at tables, and other gathered in small groups standing chatting within the tents. Suddenly a man, bare chested and cracking a whip while moving with stylized kung fu-like steps, entered the tent followed by an enthusiastic entourage. He approached the tables one after another as he spoke volubly in a strange voice to which everyone paid rapt attention. There were papers and chops on the tables, ceremonially he stamped the papers and made magical gestures as cymbals crashed. All the while his eyes seemed to be closed - clearly he was in a mediumistic trance state of spirit possession. I had been having tea and Malaysian Roti (flat bread) at the cafe across the street, but I was so intrigued that I immediately left my table and went following the spirit medium along with the crowd of Singapore Chinese locals. The medium led us all to a back alley that descended into a dark court yard of tenements where an impressive golden altar glowed in the twilight. There the medium continued to make his prophetic utterances, crack his whip, and bless and heal many who were vying for his benediction as firecrackers exploded in bunches all around him as the drums and cymbals of the band that followed him clattered rhythmically. I was mesmerized - but also frustrated because I didn’t have my camera with me (oops!). However, witnessing this spectacle of spirit possession and healing in the Taoist folk tradition of the Singapore Chinese was a pivotal galvanizing moment in which I resolved to seize the opportunity of my travels in SE Asia to focus on the rich traditions of trance, magic, religion and healing that flourish there and document them firsthand: Loose Spirits was born!

After returning to the USA in 2005, I focused exclusively on my career as a painter and installation artist, and put aside the documentary adventures. In recent years, Loose Spirits explorations have been revived with new trips to Indonesia, Thailand, and also adventures in Mexico and Peru. The scope of Loose Spirits has broadened to include traditional festival culture worldwide, and traditional magical ceremonies of all kinds - not solely trance possession.

The initial Loose Spirits footage was shot in Myanmar, Thailand and Bali, capturing ceremonies from three different religions within different cultures that all shared the commonality of trance and spirit possession. In Myanmar, I documented the ceremonies known as "Nat Pwe" that are devoted to worship of the animistic "Nat" spirits of Burmese folklore. In Thailand, the subject was the infamous "Vegetarian Festival," a Taoist folk ceremony practiced in Phuket,Thailand and elsewhere by the Chinese diaspora. In Bali, I shot some of the classic trance dances of Bali Hinduism during a period of enormous societal distress following the "Bali Bombings" of 2002. All told, there is approximately 70-80 hours of footage from these initial expeditions.

Loose Spirits aspires to be an archive of video, photography, and writings pertaining to the related subjects of magic, shamanism, folk religion, traditional culture, traditional festivals, masked dances, trance, and - last but not least - spirit possession.

The cultural explorations of Loose Spirits are informed by a theory I call the "Living Symbol" . The idea is that at the heart of ritual, especially trance ritual, there is mythic symbolism and narrative that literally comes to life. It is this Living Symbol that inspires the trance and possession states. Supporting this core essence is an entire array of arts – architecture, sculpture, music, dance, costumes, masks – all contributing to and empowering the ceremonies through symbolism that becomes animated and alive during ritual performance and induces the states of hypnotic trance and spirit possession.. The Living Symbol is the monad of mythological narratives. Through ceremony, people reenact the myths and the myths become realities as the gods and spirits possess the bodies of men and miraculous things take place.

"Loose Spirits" is presented as a project of the Institute of Crazyology, a non-profit arts organization dedicated to the advancement and understanding of the irrational and the intuitive in art and technology. Where traditional anthropology might focus on detached observation and analysis, the “Gonzo Anthropology” of Loose Spirits embraces the subjective experience and informal documentation. Loose Spirits celebrates the contemporary experience and recognizes that these rituals are performed by modern peoples who, while practicing ancient rituals, are not isolated from the rest of the world, but are a relevant part of it. Loose Spirits recognizes the syncretism as well as the newly invented ceremonies and customs that show the continuing evolution of magical traditions and the cross-pollination of religious beliefs. The standard here is intentionally different – the video editing is relaxed, and the accompanying text combines personal impressions with insights gained through direct immersion in these practices. It’s documentary filmmaking made in the Underground Film spirit.

This website serves as a repository for this footage as it's edited into coherent clips, each accompanied by my impressions, memories, and insights into what was captured. While not claiming scholarly authority, these observations offer a unique perspective gained through firsthand documentation driven by genuine passion. I approach my subjects as quietly, humbly, and unobtrusively as possible, as though I am just an oddball tourist with a nice camera (accurate!).

In addition to the video footage, I'm including still photographs of similar subject matter taken in Papua New Guinea, Java, and elsewhere.

Loose Spirits also welcomes collaborators and contributors working on similar subjects. As the Institute of Crazyology continues its work, I hope to make new expeditions and record more ceremonies in other parts of the world. When completed, these will also be added to this archive of global magical practices.

Through Loose Spirits, the Institute of Crazyology invites you to explore these powerful manifestations of the Irrational and Intuitive across cultures – not as exotic curiosities, but as profound expressions of the human spirit, and a shared heritage of consciousness and imagination.