Thomas Seibel

Thesis Supervisor: Dr. Sowparnika Balaswaminathan

Thesis Title (Tentative): The Unbecoming Ghost: Politics of Haunting in Post-Covid Northern India

Thomas is a dedicated scholar whose current research interests center on the politics and practices of ghosts in the post-Covid context of South Asia. Drawing from medical, political, and sensory anthropologies, this research employs ethnographic methods to explore lived experiences, ritual change, and institutional transformations of knowledge systems. His work also engages with contemporary developments in both ayurveda and mental health discourses and practices.

Thomas holds a BA in Anthropology and Philosophy from the University of Saskatchewan, an MA in Political Studies from the University of Saskatchewan, and an MA in Religious Studies from Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador. His MA research at Memorial University, titled “Coronā Devī has Entered the Chat: South Asian Goddesses Associated with Covid-19, Ritual Practice, and Online Media Discourse”, examined media representations of emergent female deities associated with Covid-19 in India.

Thomas’ doctoral research is supported by a doctoral fellowship from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and Concordia’s Southern Asia Studies Fellowship. He is a student member of the Centre for Sensory Studies (CSS) at Concordia University and is involved in a transdisciplinary and collaborative research-creation project titled, Meteomythosophy, with two other CSS graduate student members. Thomas enjoys spending time outdoors, making music, and cooking.

Publications

Seibel, T. (2023). “The Killing of Śambūka: Critical and Creative Engagements.” Religious Studies and Theology, 41(2), 185–202. https://doi.org/10.1558/rst.23223