The Mediumistic Body: Transnational Ways of Knowing the Spirits in the Vale Do Amanhecer
Beiträge zur Praxeologie / Contributions to Praxeology January 1, 2026 Emily Pierini
The Vale do Amanhecer (Valley of the Dawn) is a Spiritualist Christian Order whose members practise spirit mediumship for healing by releasing trapped spirits. Mediumship is considered an intrinsic property of human bodies, potentially developed by anyone through a process of bodily enskilment. As the practice spreads transnationally, this chapter compares how new mediums in Brazil and Italy learn to manifest spirit guides in culturally recognizable ways, exploring the cognitive, bodily, and affective aspects entangled in developing a mediumistic body across borders.