Kornrawee (Nok) — Culturally Sanctioned Dissociation: Nok’s Trance at the Phuket Vegetarian Festival

The Phuket Vegetarian Festival, or Nine Emperor Gods Festival, is a Taoist ritual held each October in southern Thailand. Though known for its strict vegetarianism and purification practices, it is equally defined by trance and mediumship. Ma Song (“spirit horses”) enter altered states believed to be deity or ancestor possession, performing acts like cheek-piercing or fire-walking without pain—seen as devotion and purification.

Psychologically and spiritually, these trance states function as culturally supported dissociative experiences and communal catharsis. They allow participants to transcend ordinary consciousness, channel symbolic divine power, and release personal and collective suffering. The festival becomes a powerful expression of embodied spirituality, uniting body, mind, and spirit in a shared ritual of protection and renewal.

At just 14 years old, Kornrawee (Nok) entered her first trance during the Phuket Vegetarian Festival—a moment that terrified her, transformed her, and ultimately shaped the trajectory of her life.

In this episode, Nok shares what it felt like when a deity first took over her body, how she learned to communicate with and honor that presence, and the courageous decision she later made to ask it to leave so she could pursue a career in law.

Now an attorney in Bangkok, Nok continues to hold deep reverence for the deities of the festival and the Buddhist traditions that guided her early experiences. Her story is a profound reflection on finding balance between the spiritual and the worldly—and honoring both with integrity.

A rare and intimate glimpse into trance, tradition, and the choices that shape a life.

ฉันเป็นทนายความ ได้รับใบอนุญาตถูกต้องตามกฎหมาย สามารถว่าความได้ทั่ว ประเทศไทย

ฉันเรียนจบปริญญาตรีนิติศาสตร์จากมหาวิทยาลัย ในปี พ.ศ. 2556 และได้รับใบอนุญาต ให้เป็นทนายความเมื่อ พ.ศ. 2562

ตอนนี้ฉันเป็นทนายความได้ 7 ปี แล้วค่ะ

(Kornrawee is a licensed attorney, legally able to practice law throughout Thailand. She graduated with a Bachelor of Law from the University of Bangkok in 2013 and received her legal license in 2019. She been a lawyer for seven years now).

Special Thanks to:

- Konstantin Alexander (KAStudiosHQ.com) - Podcast Production

- Ryan Bell (@IG bellphoto11.com) - Logo Design

- David Starfire (davidstarfire.com) - Music