Pret

(“departed,” “deceased”) The spirit of a
person who has recently died but is still
inappropriately connected to the world
of the living, often as a troubling or
malevolent presence to the departed’s
family or the general population. Prets
are believed to be the spirits of people
who died in childhood and whose
untimely death left them with certain
unfulfilled desires, particularly longings
relating to marriage and family life. Prets
make themselves known to the living in
two ways, either through dreams or
possession. In some cases they have
specific requests and can be placated
through worship and offerings. In such
instances, dreams offer a method of
communicating with the living, so that
necessary actions can be performed for
the pret. In other cases, the spirit may
resort to bodily possession in an
attempt to realize unfulfilled desires
directly. These spirits are typically
malevolent and require an exorcism to
be removed. For further information on
the care of unquiet family spirits, see
Ann Grodzins Gold, Fruitful Journeys,
1988; for a psychological interpretation
of spirits, possession, and healing, see
Sudhir Kakar, Shamans, Mystics, and
Doctors, 1991.