Abstract Reflections on mediunship in the social sciences have often been constructed inconsistently. It seems that this inconsistency is linked to an epistemo-methodological conviction, namely, that mediumship is a “phenomenon” of the “other”, of the one who “believes in spirits”. In fieldwork on spiritualists collectivites it is not rare to came across a statement that argues that an...
In dit artikel beschrijf ik de vorm en de praktijk van een bepaald ritueel, alsmede de gevolgen die het ritueel heeft voor de sociale betrekkingen tussen de deelnemers. Het gaat om een groepering in Alkmaar, die de zogenoemde Santo Daime religie aanhangt, een Ayahuasca Religie, afkomstig uit Brazilië. Ayahuasca is een psychoactief preparaat, dat ritueel wordt gebruikt om spirituele en sociale...
This chapter expands the analysis of the social and cosmic dimensions of a process of ‘re-ritualization’ in urbanindustrial societies, inspired by the knowledge of ‘traditional populations. It focuses on primarily on providing a textured ethnography of role of religion and culture in the negotiation of alterity. The chapter epistemological thrust is to deconstruct the need for a circumscribed...
This article presents an analysis of unconventional events experienced during fieldwork among participants in the Centro EspArita e Obras de Caridade PrAncipe Espadarte, or the Barquinha (little boat) of Madrinha (Grandmother) Chica. Barquinha is located in the city of Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil. Barquinha participants use the sacramental psychoactive daime, known generically as ayahuasca. The...