Voodoo Death

Voodoo death refers to a psychosomatic concept, most commonly associated with Haitian society, in which an unexpected, unforeseen, or sudden death occurs, presumably as a result of a magic religious practice known as a voodoo spell. This interpretation may have originated in the Afro-Caribbean or Western communities evolving in contact with ethnic groups practicing this particular religion: Caribbean (voodoo in Haiti, santeria in Cuba, quimbois in the French Antilles), the United States (voodoo in Louisiana), and Brazil (condomble).

The target individual (victim) may be found dead in bed, or the death may be preceded by an agony characterized by sweating, hallucinations (which relatives and community members put forth as evidence of possession by an evil spirit: a loa or orisha), weight loss, and/or vomiting (which relatives ...