Possession trance is characterized by a transient alteration in identity whereby one's normal
identity is temporarily replaced (possessed) by a spirit, ghost, deity, or other person. The
experience of being "possessed" by another entity, such as a person, god, demon, animal, or
inanimate object, holds different meanings in different cultures and therefore the diagnosis
for this disorder may be culturally bound. While possession is a common experience in many
cultures, in Western industrialized cultures, such experiences are not the norm.