Women in the Gnawa community in Morocco: Psychotherapy, spirits possession and healing

Descendants of slaves from the Sub-Saharan countries brought to Morocco, characterized by their special music with unique rhythms accompanied with spiritual traditions and practices for healing purposes. The Gnawa community represents an intangible cultural heritage in Morocco due to its special rituals and traditions in healing the sick from various diseases by practicing syncretic rituals, trance dances and spiritual music that makes the participant left up with ecstasy. These practices are centred in a ceremony called ‘lila’ in which women play a significant role by leading the healing rituals and communicating with the spirits that possess the participant in order to reach God.