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Department: search.filters.department.Department of PsychologySubject: search.filters.subject.Anthropology

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    PublicationOpen Access
    Beliefs about sleep paralysis in Turkey: Karabasan attack
    (Sage, 2021) Jalal, Baland; Eskici, H. Sevde; Hinton, Devon E.; Department of Psychology; Acartürk, Ceren; Faculty Member; Department of Psychology; College of Social Sciences and Humanities; 39271
    The present study examined explanations of sleep paralysis (SP) in Turkey. The participants were 59 college students recruited in Istanbul, Turkey, who had experienced SP at least once in their lifetime. Participants were administered the Sleep Paralysis Experiences and Phenomenology Questionnaire (SP-EPQ) in an interview. When asked whether they had heard of a name for SP, the vast majority (88%) mentioned the ""Karabasan""-a spirit-like creature rooted in Turkish folk tradition. Seventeen percent of the participants believed that their SP might have been caused by this supernatural creature. Thirty-seven percent of participants applied various supernatural and religious methods to prevent future SP attacks such as dua (supplicating to God), reciting the Quran, and wearing a musqa (a type of talisman inscribed with Quranic verses). Case studies are presented to illustrate these findings. The Karabasan constitutes a culturally specific, supernatural interpretation of the phenomenology of SP in Turkey.
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    PublicationOpen Access
    The role of religion in suicidal behavior, attitudes and psychological distress among university students: a multinational study
    (Sage, 2019) Poyrazlı, Şenel; Janghorbani, Mohsen; Bakhshi, Seifollah; Carta, Mauro Giovanni; Moro, Maria Francesca; Tran, Ulrich S.; Voracek, Martin; Mechri, Anwar; Aidoudi, Khouala; Hamdan, Motasem; Nawafleh, Hani; Sun, Jian-Min; Flood, Chris; Phillips, Louise; Yoshimasu, Kouichi; Tsuno, Kanami; Kujan, Omar; Harlak, Hacer; Khader, Yousef; Shaheen, Amira; Taifour, Shahama; Department of Psychology; Eskin, Mehmet; Faculty Member; Department of Psychology; College of Social Sciences and Humanities; 2210
    The purpose of this study was to determine the associations between religion, suicidal behavior, attitudes and psychological distress in 5572 students from 12 countries by means of a self-report questionnaire. Our results showed that an affiliation with Islam was associated with reduced risk for suicide ideation, however affiliating with Orthodox Christianity and no religion was related to increased risk for suicide ideation. While affiliating with Buddhism, Catholic religion and no religion was associated with lowered risk for attempting suicide, affiliation with Islam was related to heightened risk for attempting suicide. Affiliation with Hinduism, Orthodox Christianity, Catholicism, other religions and with no religion was associated with decreased risk for psychological distress but those reported affiliating with Islam evinced greater risk for psychological distress. The associations of the strength of religious belief to suicidal ideation and attempts were in the expected direction for most but had a positive relation in respondents affiliating with Catholicism and other religions. Students reporting affiliation with Islam, the Christian Orthodox religion and Buddhism were the least accepting of suicide but they displayed a more confronting interpersonal style to an imagined peer with a suicidal decision. It was concluded that the protective function of religion in educated segments of populations (university students) and in university students residing in Muslim countries where freedom from religion is restricted or religion is normative and/or compulsory is likely to be limited. Our findings suggest that public policies supporting religious freedom may augment the protective function of religion against suicide and psychological distress.