WINDIGO PSYCHOSIS AND ITS EFFECTS ON PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE CULTURE

WINDIGO PSYCHOSIS AND ITS EFFECTS ON PEOPLE WHO ARE

NOT INCLUDED IN THE CULTURE

A Research Paper Presented to

The Faculty of the English Resource Center 

School of Multimedia Arts

Asia Pacific College 

Magallanes, Makati

In Partial Fulfillment 

of the Requirements for the Course

ERESWRT - Research Writing

Jaisen Maree G. Morales

March 2014

Chapter 1 

INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Study

Windigo Psychosis is a culture-bound mental disorder. That means the disease is only recognizable within a particular society.  Culture bound disorders or also known as culture specific disorders or folk illnesses are the disorders that only a specific culture can develop or obtain. The Windigo Psychosis was first identified within the tribes that originated from the Algonquian tribes of Chippewa, Ojibwa, Cree and Inuit in North America.

Andrew Coleman wrote a book called, "Dictionary of Psychology". In that book he explained the nature of the culture-bound syndromes and how they manifest a person. In the book he also discussed how some taboo cultural behaviors practiced by some communities don't necessarily fall under any category of mental disorders.

According to Andrew Colman in his book, Dictionary of Psychology: "Culture-bound syndromes are patterns of behavior that do not fit accordingly into normal classifications of mental disorders. They are entirely or mainly restricted to particular cultural groups" (http://www.fcas.nova.edu/faculty/publications/quadrivium/issue1/mental_illness/).

Different cultures have different perspectives in which specific practice or thing is acceptable or not. Maybe that's why culture bound diseases are only limited to the specific culture that believes in them. 

Windigo Psychosis is related to cannibalism. A person diagnosed with this disorder features an intense craving for human flesh even when food sources are present. Cannibalism have been present for a long time now and is still practiced by many today. There are many reasons why people resort to cannibalism. Some reasons are more valid than others. Such as resorting to cannibalism in order to survive, much like how the windigo monster is theorized to emerge. But there are also unusual reasons why people resort to cannibalism.

Armin Miewes is a convicted murderer and a cannibal. He was asked by the judge during one of his trials about why he resorted to cannibalism. According to the article, entitled "Why do people eat other people?" There are many reasons and theories on why people practice cannibalism. It could be ritualistic cannibalism or survival cannibalism. But on Armin Miewes, he resorted to cannibalism because of his fantasy of having a younger brother.

According to Armin Miewes, "I had always dreamt of having a younger brother—someone to be part of me—and I become fascinated with cannibalism as a way to fulfill that obsession" (http://www.businessinsider.com/10-things-you-always-wondered-about-cannibalism-2012-5?op=1).

This is a result of sexual cannibalism where people derive sexual satisfaction from fantasizing about and consuming humans. 

Windigo Psychosis originated from the Windigo. A mythical creature that existed in the Algonquian legends. It is believed that windigos inhabited the northern woodlands of Canada. A windigo was once a man who turns into a cannibal to survive. It is said that if a man consumes human flesh, he would gain supernatural abilities like super strength, super speed, and even immortality. It could also imitate human voices to lure their victims.

Basil Johnston, an Ojibwe teacher, scholar, and writer from Ontario gives a description of how windigos are visualized. Windigos are viewed as monsters because they really are. In his description, a windigo is a monster who is decaying. 

According to Basil Johnston,"The Weendigo was gaunt to the point of emaciation, its desiccated skin pulled tautly over its bones. With its bones pushing out against its skin, its complexion the ash gray of death, and its eyes pushed back deep into their sockets, the Weendigo looked like a gaunt skeleton recently disinterred from the grave. What lips it had were tattered and bloody [....] Unclean and suffering from suppurations of the flesh, the Weendigo gave off a strange and eerie odor of decay and decomposition, of death and corruption" (http://tfwalsh.wordpress.com/2012/01/09/wendigo-cannibalistic-spirit/).

Windigos are a part of the Algonquian culture. They were so inclined that the creature is true that they named windigo psychosis after the monster. It feeds on human flesh and never stops craving for murder because it can never be satisfied with all the lives that it feeds on. Windigos symbolize greed and gluttony that's why it can never be satisfied with all the lives it killed.

Windigos have a lot of variations. It is also called wendigo, witigo, waindigo, wihtikow, and a lot more. Some creatures that are considered to be a windigo's counterpart are the Jokao and the Rugaru. Jakaos are a race of cannibals from the myths of the Iroquos and Seneca Native Americans. They look human but their skin are covered with stone scales. They were once humans but during a harsh Winter their hunger caused them to eat other humans which is just like the how windigos are born. And another counterpart is the Rugaru, another cannibalistic mythical creature.

In an article entitled "What is a Rugaru and where did the concept originated", Peter Matthiessen described the Rugaru and how it is similar to the windigo.

According to Peter Matthiessen ,"The Rugaru is a separate legend from that of the cannibal-likegiant wendigo. While the wendigo is feared, the rugaru is seen as sacred and in tune with Mother Earth, somewhat like bigfoot legends are today" (http://www.legionofpagans.com/hoodoovoodoo/4810/what-is-a-rugaru-and-where-did-the-concept-of-them-originate).

A counterpart is something that is similar to a person or character. Windigos have a lot of counterparts such as Jenu, Atshen, Gici Awas.

Windigo Psychosis still occur nowadays. The murder of Mr. McLean occured on the evening of July 30, 2008. McLean, a 22-year-old Canadian man, was stabbed, beheaded and cannibalized while riding a Greyhound Canada bus traveling the Trans Canada Highway. On March 5, 2009, McLean's killer, 40-year-old Vince Weiguang Li was found to be not criminally responsible for murder and was remanded to a high-security mental health facility where he currently resides.

One of the witnesses of that incident was Garnet Caton. He was asked about what he witnessed and described what happened. In his statement, the attacker which was Vince Li seemed like he was in a trance while he was stabbing his victim. 

According to the witness Garnet Caton, "There was no rage or anything. He was like a robot, stabbing the guy," and "I got sick after I saw the head thing. Some people were puking, some people were crying, some people were shocked. [The attacker] just looked at us and dropped the head on the ground, totally calm" (http://murderpedia.org/male.L/l/li-vince-weiguang.htm).

Occurrences of the people diagnosed with windigo psychosis have been rare. Only a few documented reports are available and some of them are not even complete with the necessary details such as Swift Runner's case.

The researcher observes that the windigo psychosis is said to be a culture bound disorder but it also affect people who do not belong to that certain tribe or culture. What effects are present to the people who are included and what effects are present to those who are not.

This research paper will enlighten the readers about the true definition of the rare culture bound disease known as windigo psychosis. It will also help them understand its true nature. Reading this study will bring them a new knowledge about this topic and fill their interests about the myths and legends the windigo has.

The purpose of this study is to explain why people who do not belong to the culture where windigo psychosis originated become affected by this disease.

B. Statement of the Problem

This study aims to answer this question:

1. Why are people outside the culture can still be affected by windigo psychosis?

C. Significance of the Study

College Students of Folklore and Mythology. This research paper would be able to help college students who are taking up courses which are connected to folklore and mythology. The researcher hopes that it will widen their perspectives on how a certain culture could affect many.

Teachers and Professors of Folklore and Mythology. Teachers and professors would benefit from this study because they would have a background of what they are going to teach when this sort of topic arrives. They could prepare their lesson plans using the information derived from this research paper.

Writers. This research paper will give the writers who have read it valid information about the disorder and they could portray it more vividly in their compositions.

Future Researchers. This research paper could be a guide to many researchers in the future who will have the similar topic as mine.

D. Scope and Delimitation

This study focuses only on why people who are outside the culture of believing in windigos can still be affected by the windigo psychosis.

Due to lack of information, this study will no longer discuss the scientific reason why windigo psychosis occurs. This study limits only two people who are diagnosed with windigo psychosis (Swift Runner and Vince Li) because other people who have been diagnosed with this disorder are either undocumented or irrelevant to the study.

E. Materials and Methods

    This research took its information from different articles, books, and journals from online sources. The researcher took the most vital and necessary information with each media and summarized it to make the study brief yet understandable.

Chapter 2

DISCUSSION

Why are people outside the culture can still be affected by windigo psychosis?

Definition of Windigo Psychosis

Windigo Psychosis when defined as a term, according the Stedman's Medical Dictiorary is "a culture-specific syndrome of some Canadian autochthones, consisting of delusions of being transformed into a cannibalistic monster called a windigo. The sufferer also experiences agitation, depression, and fears about inability to control sadistic impulses"  (http://www.medilexicon.com/medicaldictionary.php?t=73731).

Yet windigo psychosis is not only a term used to people who have delusions of transforming into a windigo. The sufferer, according to the researcher's findings. also resorts to cannibalism. Yes, the person diagnosed with the windigo psychosis will eventually try to eat his fellow human.

A more accurate definition of windigo psychosis is presented in the medical dictionary website wherein windigo psychosis "is a culture-bound disorder formerly of the Algonquian tribes of North America which involves an intense craving for human flesh - even when other food sources are readily available- and the fear that one will turn into a cannibal" 
(http://cogitz.wordpress.com/2009/09/13/wendigo-psychosis-monstrous-men/).

The most common response of someone diagnosed with this unusual disease  is seeking the help of traditional native healers or western doctors. If these attempts fail, the person with this disease might ask for his own execution to prevent harm to others.

To give emphasis to the word, culture-bound. Culture bound disorders or also known as culture specific disorders or folk illnesses are the disorders that only a specific culture can develop or obtain.

In conclusion, windigo psychosis is a strange and rare mental illness in which only people who are included in the culture, specifically the Algonquians, can be affected. But according to the information the researcher has discovered, there was an instance where a person who is not included in the culture, Vince Weiguang Li, was affected by the windigo psychosis which led him to murdering and cannibalizing the person he sat in the bus with, Tim McLean.

The following theories below will give the people who will read this study some ideas on why does the windigo psychosis occur to people who are outside the culture.

Ideas that might explain why people outside the culture can still be affected by windigo psychosis

There was no direct information on why people outside the culture could still be diagnosed with windigo psychosis. But the researcher dug deeper and found out ideas that would correlate on why people develop certain behaviors that are symptoms of windigo psychosis.

A. Moral Rationalization

Moral rationalization is an individual's way or ability to reinterpret his or her immoral actions as moral. A person would save himself from feeling the sensation of guilt and remorse by rationalizing it. The following below are common examples:

1. Belief rationalizes homicide
2. Activating folklore to rationalize murder

In a research paper entitled, "Moral Rationalization and the Integration of Situational Factors and Psychological Processes in Immoral Behavior" by Jo-Ann Tsang. The author stated that, "An explanation of evil that incorporates moral rationalization posits that people can violate their moral standards because they have convinced themselves that their behavior is not immoral at all."
(http://www.academia.edu/171600/Moral_rationalization_and_the_integration_of_situational_factors_and_psychological_processes_in_immoral_behavior).

The researcher could connect windigo psychosis because a person who committed homicide could use windigo psychosis as a rational excuse to put away his feelings of guilt. It could also be an excuse to escape once sentence, much like how Vince Weiguang Li did it. He was absolved of his crime, murdering Tim McLean, and was put to a mental institution instead.

B. Confirmation Bias

We surround ourselves with information that matches our belief. It could be beliefs that other people have influence upon a person or information that a person have agreed upon even before he or she was asked if he or she believes in it or not. One good example of this are conspiracy theories in some Filipino culture wherein a family line considers themselves as zombies because when they die their corpses will awaken and walk among them.

Confirmation bias according the article entitled, "Confirmation Bias" by an anonymous author is a term that is commonly used in psychological literature where it is a type of selective thinking wherein a person seeking or interpreting of evidence in ways that are partial to existing beliefs, expectations, or a hypothesis in hand.

As the author quoted Francis Bacon in his article, “The human understanding when it has once adopted an opinion (either as being the received opinion or as being agreeable to itself) draws all things else to support and agree with it" (http://youarenotsosmart.com/2010/06/23/confirmation-bias/).

The researcher could relate this to people who are affected by windigo psychosis even though they are not included in the culture by their biases. A person could have been influenced by another person about windigo psychosis and has been persuaded that this culture-bound disorder really occurs. And that person's belief triggers something in his mind that makes him feel the symptoms of the disorder.

C. Trauma

There was an article entitled "Experts Debate What Forces Create A Cannibal" by Sally Talwani that states that cannibalism could also occur as a result of trauma, especially when it is experienced in the childhood stage.

According to Dr. Clancy McKenzie, a psychology professor at Capital University in Washington, D.C. "a child, following weaning from the breast, experiences separation anxiety and fantasizes about devouring the mother" (http://www.crimelibrary.com/criminal_mind/psychology/cannibalism/8.html).

If this child grows up and becomes an adult, he or she may regress back to that stage in the past due to stress and seek out the fulfillment he has been denied by resorting to cannibalism.

The researcher could relate this to windigo psychosis because individual, before having the said mental disorder usually encounters traumatic experiences such as being alone in the forest at night, hunting for wild animals, and getting lost in the wilderness for days. 

D. Aggression

Aggression is a behavior or a disposition that is forceful, hostile or attacking. It may occur either in retaliation or without provocation . In the article entitled, "Cannibalism: The Ancient Taboo in Modern Times" by Rachel Bell, it is said that cannibalism can be motivated by a desire to express power or control over the victim. It is the ultimate expression of dominance over another individual. Aggression cannibalism is influenced by feelings of hostility or fear, manifesting a need to show power or dominance for retaliation or control over another individual. In which the conclusion would be murdering and consuming an individual.

According to Eli Sagan, "Cannibalism is a psychological response to anger and frustration expressed through oral aggression and an urge to literally absorb a person through consumption"
(http://www.crimelibrary.com/criminal_mind/psychology/cannibalism/8.html).

It is stated that children who are excessively dependent to their mothers due to over nurturing, are more prone to experience oral aggression and frustration due to separation. Sagan also states that the adult who subconsciously carries this oral aggression is likely to express it by turning to cannibalism.

Windigo psychosis could be related to aggression cannibalism because first of all, one of the symptoms of windigo psychosis is craving for human flesh. Next, people diagnosed with windigo psychosis are said to be violent and may attack at any moment. This shows the characteristic of aggression. And this proves to be a helpful idea in understanding why people outside the culture can still be affected by windigo psychosis. 

E. Stress

Stress is felt by all of us. But to some people, stress can be a way to trigger cannibalism. In an article entitled, "Cannibalism: The Ancient Taboo in the Modern Times" by Rachel Bell. There was a man named Jeffrey Dahmer who was called as the Milwaukee cannibal. He murdered his first victim after the break up of his family.

According to Dr. Peter Dietz, "a person can resort to cannibalism when faced with sudden traumatic stress" (http://www.crimelibrary.com/criminal_mind/psychology/cannibalism/8.html).

Stress could be an important factor that could trigger hunger for the same species. Though this was not further explained in the article, it showed a couple of names of cannibals who turned to cannibalism after being in a stressful situation such as financial problems, family problems, and relationship problems. 

Windigo Psychosis could be connected with cannibalism due to stress because aborigines who suffer from windigo psychosis were in stressful situations such as famine and anxiety of becoming a windigo, also a symptom of windigo psychosis. They are also in a lot of stress because they fear that they might hurt their loved ones and the people around them.

Chapter 3

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION, AND RECOMMENDATIONS

SUMMARY

This paper attempted to discover and explain reasons on why people who are not included in the culture can still be affected by windigo psychosis. 

The research design used in this study is the descriptive method wherein data from documents, articles, books, and other research papers found in the internet were used to answer the research questions posed:

1. Windigo psychosis is a culture bound disease originated in the Algonquian aborigines. It usually occurs in Canada.

2. Windigo psychosis may be rare but there are still people who are diagnosed with it in the modern era such as Vince Weiguang Li who murdered and ate Tim McLean in a bus in Canada. 

3. Cannibalism is a symptom of windigo psychosis. Other symptoms are anxiety, nausea, and vomitting.

4. Windigo Psychosis came from the legend of the windigo. A mythical creature found in the Algonquian legends.

5. Windigos have a few counterparts such as the Rugaru and the stonecoats. Its name has a lot of varieties such as weetigo, windago, wihtikow. 

CONCLUSION

Based on the findings of this study, the following conclusions are drawn:

1. Windigo Psychosis does not have a definite reason on why people who are not included in the Algonquian culture can still be affected by windigo psychosis. But there are ideas and theories that can be closely related to it. 

2. People used moral rationalization in activating folklore to rationalize murder or homicide. 

3. People can be affected by windigo psychosis by being influenced by it in terms of confirmation bias.

4. Cannibalism can be triggered by traumatic experiences during childhood. If the child steps into adulthood, he might regress back to the past and seek out fulfillment by resorting to cannibalism.

5. Stress is an important factor in the craving for human flesh.

6. Aggression can also trigger cannibalism due to the need to control over someone because devouring your enemy is the ultimate expression of dominance over someone.

RECOMMENDATIONS

After drawing the conclusions of the study, the researcher hereby make the following suggestions/recommendations:

1. College students of Folklore and Mythology should use this as a guide to understanding more about windigo psychosis. They could also use this as a basis for research papers.

2.Teachers and Scholars should use this as one of their topics in their lesson plan.

3. Writers should use some of the facts in this research for more detailed compositions.

4. Future researchers should design a research that will develop and discover more about the rare mental disorder which is the windigo psychosis. Use this study as a basis for a more solid study in the future concerning topics related to this.

References:

A. Electronic Materials

"Conceptions of Mental Illness: Cultural Perspectives and Treatment Implications." Retrieved March 16, 2014 from http://www.fcas.nova.edu/faculty/publications/quadrivium/issue1/mental_illness/

"10 Things You Always Wondered About Cannibalism" Retrieved March 16, 2014 from http://www.businessinsider.com/10-things-you-always-wondered-about-cannibalism-2012-5?op=1

"Wendigo- Cannibalistic Spirit" Retrieved March 16, 2014 from http://tfwalsh.wordpress.com/2012/01/09/wendigo-cannibalistic-spirit/

"What is a Rugaru and where did the concept originate" Retrieved March 17, 2014 from http://www.legionofpagans.com/hoodoovoodoo/4810/what-is-a-rugaru-and-where-did-the-concept-of-them-originate

"Vince Weiguang Li" Retrieved March 17, 2014 from http://murderpedia.org/male.L/l/li-vince-weiguang.htm

"Windigo Psychosis" Retrieved March 19, 2014 from http://www.medilexicon.com/medicaldictionary.php?t=73731

"Wendigo Psychosis: Monstrous Men" Retrieved March 25, 2014 from http://cogitz.wordpress.com/2009/09/13/wendigo-psychosis-monstrous-men/

"Moral Rationalization and the Integration of Situational Factors andPsychological Processes in Immoral Behavior" Retrieved April 8, 2014 from http://www.academia.edu/171600/Moral_rationalization_and_the_integration_of_situational_factors_and_psychological_processes_in_immoral_behavior

"Confirmation Bias" Retrieved April 8, 2014 from http://youarenotsosmart.com/2010/06/23/confirmation-bias/

"Cannibalism: The Ancient Taboo in Modern Times" Retrieved April 8, 2014
http://www.crimelibrary.com/criminal_mind/psychology/cannibalism/8.html