Denouncing the Lack of Belief. Forms of Meta-Reflexivity about Ritual Failures in Garhwal
Résumé
Based on anthropological fieldwork carried out in a mountain region in the state of Uttarakhand, the article addresses the issues of religious reflexivity, scepticism, and explanations for ritual failure. Religious reflexivity refers to the way in which religious ideas and actions become the object of reflection amongst the people participating in ritual activities. In particular, the article points out the ways in which the failure of healing rituals involving spiritual possession is often attributed to the people’s lack of belief in deities and in the efficacy of ritual. The author proposes an insight into how these forms of “meta-reflexivity” – that is to say, denouncing people’s reflexive attitudes, such as doubt and scepticism – produce multiple effects. These reflexive attitudes allow doubt to exist and make it useful in order to justify ritual failures, while containing it within acceptable limits. The author points out that whereas reflexive attitudes are features common to all religious practices, reflexive behaviors take a different form depending on the local context. In this respect, the paper highlights how the specific form of reflexivity found in Garhwal can only be explained in connection with the strong devotional attitudes which imbue the local practices of spiritual possession.
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