Amafufunyana

People who claim to have amafufunyana state that their symptoms include hearing "voices from their stomachs", speaking in another language or in a disturbing tone, and general agitation and possible violence. There is also the possibility of suicide being attempted. The common cultural treatment for the claimed ailment is for one of the traditional healers, often ukuthwasa themselves, to perform a ritual of exorcism. ==History==

Recorded incidents of amafufunyana appear to have begun in the early 20th century and researchers such as Ngubane et al have suggested that its cultural formation may have had something to do with colonialism and migration of indigenous peoples away from their homes. There have also been widespread outbreaks of the condition, similar to events involving contagious spread of hysteria, recorded in the 1980s at a rural girls' boarding school. The most common types of people that are identified by the cultural group are those of the lowest economic and social level and more often during times of cultural hardship and change, such as during migrations. More women than men are also identified. == See also ==