The Impact of Culture
It will come as no surprise to learn that culture plays an important role in shaping us as human beings. Language, music, and fashions readily come to mind. To some extent, we are a product of the environment we are raised in.
As CBS reports start to emerge across the globe, the role of culture is becoming evident in the types of phantom images that people experience. A recent case in point comes from Sri Lanka. Earlier this year, a paper was published from that country documenting three cases of CBS where each experienced phantom images of animated devils or devil masks ('Sanni'), which were once commonly used for traditional healing rituals. The following image of a standard Sri Lankan devil mask is noted for its depiction of long, sharp teeth, bulging eyes and protruding tongue.
Above: A traditional Sanni mask of Sri Lanka
In the three cases of CBS reported by the psychiatrist, Dr. Anuradha Ellepola, the emergence of devil-like visions only occurred after the person developed significant vision loss. Their descriptions of the devils 'seen' were consistent with the features of the sanni mask (above). It is also interesting to note that in all three instances, the person had either previously witnessed Thovil or 'devil-dancing' in their childhood village or had some active role in this ritual.
Certainly in western contexts, it is not unusual for reported phantom images to include gargoyles or miniature elf-like beings. In India, CBS cases have included images of Hindu deities. In one report from Japan, the CBS-affected person had visions of daimyo gyoretsu (Japanese feudal lord's procession of the Edo era (ie. 17th to 19th centuries). These examples suggest that some forms of phantom images experienced by those living with CBS may be due to lived experience within a certain social and cultural environment.
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REFERENCE
Ellepola, A. (2019) People who saw dark, fat devils with sharp teeth and bulging eyes- Charles Bonnet syndrome: A case series. Sri Lankan Journal of Psychiatry, 10: 16-18.
