Soul wandering

This article is about the culture-bound syndrome. For the out-of-body experience, see Astral projection. For the song, see Soul Wandering.

Ukamairinek (Inuktitut pronunciation: [?] , referred to by patients as soul loss, soul possession, or soul wandering) is a culture-specific disorder occurring among Inuit in the circumpolar regions, characterised by sleep paralysis accompanied by restlessness, anxiety and hallucinations. ^{[1] [2] [3]} Prodromal indicators of the condition are transient hallucinatory odours or sounds. Research has described the syndrome as a dissociation reaction, or a possible narcolepsy-cataplexy syndrome. The syndrome concludes with complete remission, usually within a few minutes. It is coded under ICD-10 as F44.88 and G47.4. ^[4]

References

1. Parker S. Eskimo psychopathology in the context of Eskimo personality and culture. American anthropologist, 1962.
2. Hufford D. The terror that comes in the night. Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania, 1982. 64: 76—96.
3. Simons RC, Hughes CC, eds. The culture-bound syndromes. Dordrecht, Reidel, 1985: 115—148.
4. World Health Organisation. The ICD-10 Classification of Mental and Behavioural Disorders. Diagnostic criteria for research. Geneva. p. 263