3 papers in the library · 1 citation · publishing 2012-2024
Anthropos January 1, 2012 Bettina E. Schmidt 1 citation
The text is a brief entry from the journal Anthropos, spanning pages 276 to 277, but provides no coherent content, argument, finding, or description of a study or scholarly work. It appears to be a fragment or placeholder, lacking sufficient information to summarize.
Sociedade e Estado November 25, 2024 Bettina E. Schmidt, Kate J. Stockly
During the COVID-19 pandemic, some people reported non-ordinary experiences involving divine bliss, anger, or evil. This article examines four such accounts submitted by email as part of a broader research project on religious, spiritual, and non-ordinary experiences during the pandemic. These experiences sometimes helped people cope with lockdown by providing positive meaning, but other times expressed stress and fear, often worsened by silence about the experience. The article situates these experiences within the academic study of religion and spiritual experiences, noting that anthropologists have long viewed non-ordinary experiences and their interpretations as reflecting cultural meaning-making processes.
Ideas of Possession October 29, 2024 Bettina E. Schmidt
Spirit possession is best understood not as a universal phenomenon but as a culturally specific practice shaped by social context. Based on fieldwork in Brazilian religious communities, particularly candomblé, the chapter presents an interview with a member about his difficult path into the religion and his experience with the divine. Comments from candomblé members reflecting on their personal experiences of possession are used to argue for a deictic approach that emphasizes the importance of local social and cultural contexts over universalist interpretations.