A Shaman's Cure: The Relationship Between Altered States of Consciousness and Shamanic Healing1
Anthropology of Consciousness September 1, 2009 H. Sidky 23 citations
A shaman's altered state of consciousness (ASC) during healing rituals in Nepal is not merely an internal psychological event but plays a crucial role in therapeutic changes for the patient through patient-healer interactions. Based on ethnographic data from 1999 to 2008, this analysis explains how the healer's ASC, combined with the cosmology of Nepalese shamans, facilitates desired therapeutic outcomes, contrasting with prior studies that focus solely on the shaman's internal state.