False

Whether during ceremonies or everyday activities, the possession of an individual by a lwa occurs only at specific moments; Vodouists are not in a constant state of possession.

One of the first images that comes to mind when we talk about Vodou is that of people who are possessed by spirits. For a Vodouist, being possessed is like momentarily disappearing in order to become the physical vehicle for a lwa. The words that come out of the person’s mouth, and the gestures he or she makes, are in reality those of the lwa expressing itself, addressing others, advising or consoling, encouraging or scolding, punishing or healing through the Vodouist.

For Vodouists, there is nothing extraordinary about possession. It can occur at any moment, and can last for a few minutes, hours, days or even longer. Sometimes it is impossible to say whether or not individuals are possessed, since they can continue to go about their activities in a normal fashion.