An Exploratory Case Study on Patient Transference and Cultural Sensitivity in the Context of Jinn Perception

This case study explores the psychoanalytic treatment of a 32-year-old Iranian woman who reported persistent experiences of jinn beginning in adolescence. The study draws on 2.5 years of psychoanalytic, using therapist process notes and reflective supervision to explore transference, countertransference, and culturally mediated belief systems. The case is analyzed through a self-psychological lens with attention to cultural humility. Over the course of treatment, the patient gradually shifted from experiencing the jinn as protective external forces to engaging more directly with her emotional vulnerabilities in the therapeutic relationship, particularly through moments of rupture and repair. This case highlights how psychoanalytic clinicians can work with culturally embedded supernatural beliefs as symbolic expressions rather than pathologies—fostering both psychological insight and culturally sensitive therapeutic practice.