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DENPASAR, BALI, December 12, 2003: Dozens of students of an elementary school on the island of Bali fell into a trance this week, before they were “exorcised” by local Hindu priests. Teachers and priests said on Thursday that the school’s failure to conduct certain rituals, and make offerings to appease troubled spirits, was to blame for the incident, says this article in the Jakarta Post. School principal Made Jara Atmaja said some 20 students had first fallen into a trance on Monday. “Curiously, Monday was a Purnama (full-moon) day, which is considered a sacred day by the Balinese Hindus. They (the teachers and priests) then held communal prayers and presented offerings at various temples,” he said. On Tuesday, only four students were left in a trance. But, on Wednesday 50 other pupils at the same school in Pedungan area, Denpasar, were reportedly in a similar state. Assisted by local community members, the teachers placed offerings at the school’s shrine and prayed before sprinkling holy water on the students. Afterward, most of the students were quick to regain consciousness. Atmaja said he believed the mass trance was related to a series of rituals held at the school in November to mark the completion of the shrine’s renovation. “Unfortunately, we forgot to conduct a purification ritual prior to the main ritual. This negligence may have caused the mass trance,” he said. Trances, known locally as kerauhan (which literally means to “be visited”), are not uncommon among residents of the predominantly Hindu island. Sometimes those in trance will dance in synchronized movement with each other.

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