NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL MECHANISMS OF THE INFLUENCE OF SHAMANIC PRACTICES ON CREATIVITY: A MIXEDMETHODS STUDY
Liudmyla Lahuta
December 15, 2024 DOI: 10.69635/978-1-0690482-1-9-ch26 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Mixed-methods study |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 47 |
| Population | 47 participants |
| Interventions | Ayahuasca consumption sound healing guided meditation |
| Topics | Shamanism |
| Keywords | Neuropsychology Creativity Cognitive psychology |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key points | Meditation and sound healing positively influence executive functions, enhancing task initiation, planning skills, and creative self-efficacy. |
Abstract
This study investigates the impact of shamanic practices, specifically Ayahuasca consumption and sound healing combined with guided meditation, on creativity. Using a mixed-methods approach, we examined changes in creativity, openness to new experiences, executive functions, and divergent thinking among 47 participants. Results indicate that meditation and sound healing positively influence executive functions, enhancing task initiation, planning skills, and creative selfefficacy. This research provides insights into the potential of shamanic practices for enhancing creativity and cognitive functions.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on shamanism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Plantas con madre": plants that teach and guide in the shamanic initiation process in the East-Central Peruvian Amazon. Curanderos, apprentices, and herbalists in East-Central Peru, including Mestizo,... | 2011 | Qualitative study | n = 36 |
| Purging and the body in the therapeutic use of ayahuasca Healers and participants in shamanic tourism contexts of the Peruvian Amazon and... | 2019 | Ethnography with literature review | n = 227 |
| The Globalization of Ayahuasca Shamanism and the Erasure of Indigenous Shamanism Western tourists and indigenous peoples in Iquitos, Peru | 2016 | Ethnography | |
| Shamanism and Rock Art in Far Western North America Historic hunter-gatherer cultures of California and the Great Basin | 1992 | Ethnographic review and analysis | |
| Working with “La Medicina”: Elements of Healing in Contemporary Ayahuasca Rituals Ayahuasqueros and Western participants in shamanic tourism in Iquitos, Peru | 2012 | Ethnography |