Wendigo Psychosis: What Is Wendigo Psychosis And What Causes It?

Wendigo psychosis can be seen as a culture-bound syndrome in which individuals may believe they’re possessed by the Wendigo, a cannibalistic creature featured in Algonquian tribal folklore. This creature is sometimes also referred to as the Windigo or Witiko. Prevalence rates of Windigo psychosis aren’t clear, but some sources report there may have been as many as 70 cases in the 1960s. It’s not known for sure whether Wendigo psychosis should be considered a mental illness or the result of certain cultural beliefs and behaviors. Still, if you or a loved one have experienced symptoms of psychosis or other mental health concerns, it can be important to seek professional support.

Cultural origins of the Wendigo myth

According to Algonquian folklore, the Wendigo is considered a malevolent spirit or creature associated with winter, famine, and cannibalism. In the lore, the Wendigo has an insatiable appetite for human flesh and is said to possess individuals who engage in cannibalism or display excessive greed or selfishness. Those who become possessed by the Wendigo are believed to develop insatiable hunger and a desire to consume human flesh. 

The Wendigo: a psychotic creature of winter and insatiable hunger is the namesake of this psychosis

Native storytellers say the Wendigo emerges in the winter, stopping villagers and those wandering in its path to eat their flesh. According to these storytellers, when the Wendigo eats human flesh, it grows proportionally, requiring more. As such, the Wendigo is perpetually starving, and no amount of flesh may satiate its appetite. This insatiable hunger is often likened to the creature's chaotic and psychotic nature, reflecting the dangers of losing one’s humanity in desperate times.

The nature of the Wendigo: Punishment for greed and reward for moderation

The Wendigo is said to personify excess, gluttony, and greed. However, some challenge the notion that the creature is exclusively malevolent, instead asserting that the Wendigo punishes those with the same traits who have lost their humanity in times of famine and disease. Some also believe that the Wendigo rewards those who practice moderation and care for others in their community. 

Environmental factors and Windigo psychosis or Wendigo psychosis

The term “Windigo psychosis” is thought to have been coined in the early 20th century by J.E. Saindon, a missionary working with an Algonquian tribe. While he wasn’t the first Westerner to observe the condition, he was among the first to study and record it as a potential mental health condition. In addition to delusions, Saindon observed symptoms of anxiety and depression in affected people.  

In more current research, a recent study from the University of Miami suggests that the concept of Wendigo psychosis likely arose from a combination of cultural beliefs, narratives, and environmental stressors faced by the Algonquian people. 

The Windigo myth as a warning against greed and the psychology of survival

In ancient Algonquian lore, the Wendigo generally serves as a warning against losing one’s humanity through greed and selfishness in the face of circumstances like starvation and famine. As such, the Wendigo cursed people who had such qualities with insatiable cannibalistic urges. 

However, the researchers noted that cannibalism may have been a necessary last resort for survival in some cases. Over hundreds of years, the myth of the Windigo may have helped individuals in desperate circumstances psychologically distance themselves from the taboo act of human cannibalism. 

Hence, experts hypothesize that Windigo psychosis may have evolved as a type of maladaptive coping strategy, and Wendigo possession may have served as a sort of “psychological defense mechanism” against the cultural taboos of cannibalism. As quoted from the study: “The Wendigo's insatiable appetite mirrors the desperation that emerges amidst extreme scarcity.” 

The historical context of wendigo psychosis and its impact on indigenous communities

Though the concept of Wendigo psychosis may have emerged hundreds of years ago, many ethnohistorians suggest a connection between the spread of Windigo tales and European colonization displacing Indigenous peoples, leaving them vulnerable to scarcity, famine, and disease. 

It may also be prudent to mention that, beyond Windigo psychosis, simply attempting to survive in harsh conditions, as the Algonquians have for centuries, can create severe anxiety and depression. This may further contribute to internal distress and mental illness within the communities. 

The “emic/etic” perspective

Not all experts believe that Windigo psychosis is the result of disordered psychological defense mechanisms used to cope with the taboo of cannibalism within communities. 

For example, a 1982 study published by the University of Chicago titled “Windigo Psychosis: The Anatomy of an Emic-Etic Confusion” points out that the psychopathological hypothesis originates from an outsider (etic) perspective, therefore missing the more comprehensive (emic) perspective presented by anthropologists who have lived and studied within Algonquian communities.

In this publication, anthropologists posit that Windigo psychosis likely didn’t exist as a mental illness. When considered within a sociodynamic context versus an individual psychodynamic context, it’s more likely that people were accused of cannibalism or stealing from the community in times of starvation. The researchers state that, in some cases, individuals may have been executed for such behaviors as a sort of “triage homicide” or as the result of “witch hunts”— a common practice observed in societies under stress. 

Understanding cannibalism and its connection to mental illness

It can be critical to apply context to cannibalistic events, distinguish between types of cannibalism, and consider the underlying conditions. Researchers suggest that throughout history, three primary contexts for cannibalistic behavior emerged.

Nutritional

In extreme situations, such as during times of famine or survival in harsh environments, cannibalism has been practiced as a means of obtaining sustenance. In such cases, human flesh may provide calories and nutrients essential for survival in the absence of other food sources. It may be relevant to note that human flesh isn’t a sustainable or healthy source of nutrition, and consuming human flesh can cause serious health conditions.

Ritual

Cannibalism has also been practiced in certain ritualistic contexts, often as part of cultural traditions within the group (endocannibalism).

Sometimes, in cases of exocannibalism, individuals cannibalize outside enemies through an act of violence to gain power and domination in times of war.

Pathological element of Wendigo psychosis

Cannibalistic homicides driven by mental illness or psychological disorders are somewhat rare, but there are documented cases. 

For example, a 2019 article published in the Journal of Forensic Science profiled five cases of cannibalism committed by patients of a psychiatric facility in France. After a complete psychiatric evaluation, clinicians divided the patients into two subgroups: individuals “suffering either from severe schizophrenia or from a mixed personality disorder with sadistic and psychopathic features associated with paraphilic disorder.” 

The study surmised that the individuals in the schizophrenia group likely engaged in cannibalism as a “self-defense reaction to a perceived threat of destruction: survival depends on the annihilation or assimilation of the other.”  

Meanwhile, individuals in the mixed personality/paraphilia disorder group were hypothesized to be motivated by narcissistic tendencies driven by the ego to subdue deep-rooted psychosis caused, in this case, by traumas experienced in childhood.

Here is a brief list of psychological conditions sometimes associated with cannibalism: 

• Vorarephilia: This can be considered a severe paraphilic disorder in which an individual achieves sexual gratification by fantasizing about consuming human flesh or being cannibalized by another human. In cases such as those noted in the French study, the individuals acted upon their paraphilia. However, it can be important to state that not all individuals with vorarephilia act upon their cannibalistic desires. 

• Clinical vampirism (Renfield’s syndrome): While it isn’t an official disorder listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V), clinical vampirism is sometimes associated with psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia or severe paraphilias. Rather than consuming human flesh, individuals with clinical vampirism are usually obsessed with drinking human blood. 

• Psychotic disorders: Individuals with psychotic disorders often experience delusions and hallucinations, leading to bizarre behaviors. Although the vast majority of people with mental illnesses are not violent, in some cases, they may exhibit behaviors that might be dangerous to others. As referenced in the French study, such behaviors are often committed as acts of perceived self-protection against threatening delusions.

In some popular cultural and media outlets, cannibalism has been associated with substance misuse (sometimes called substance abuse) via a group of synthetic substances referred to colloquially as “cannibal drugs” like bath salts and flakka. However, there is currently no evidence to support the supposition that occurrences of cannibalism are associated with substance use as portrayed by the media.

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