The Shamanistic Theory of Schizophrenia: The Evidence for Schizophrenia as a Vestigial Phenotypic Behavior Originating in Paleolithic Shamanism
Joseph Polimeni
Journal of Anthropological and Archaeological Sciences January 26, 2022 DOI: 10.32474/jaas.2022.06.000238 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Shamanism |
| Keywords | Insanity Schizophrenia object-oriented programming Prehistory Archaeology |
| Citations | 5 |
| Key points | Proposes that core features of schizophrenia are akin to primary qualities of shamanism and that psychosis provided certain evolutionary advantages to prehistoric hominid tribes. |
Abstract
In its simplest form, the shamanistic theory of schizophrenia proposes that the core features of schizophrenia are akin to the primary qualities of shamanism; and that psychosis provided certain evolutionary advantages to prehistoric hominid tribes. The idea that shamanism could be comparable to medical forms of insanity can be traced back to early academic expeditions assigned to explore the Siberian wilderness during the late 18th century [1].
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on shamanism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ayahuasca Shamanism in the Amazon and Beyond | 2014 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Shamanism as the Original Neurotheology | 2004 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Cognitive Neuroscience, Shamanism and the Rock Art of Native California | 1998 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| From Culture to Experience: Shamanism in the Pages of the Soviet Anti-Religious Press | 2020 | Historical analysis | |
| Anthropology, Shamanism, and Alternate Ways of Knowing–Being in the World: One Anthropologist's Journey of Discovery and Transformation | 2010 | Reflective essay or personal narrative |
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
Cites 9
- HAUNTINGS AND POLTERGEISTS: MULTIDISCIPLINARY PERSPECTIVES. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease September 1, 2002
- Shamanism and psychosis: Shared mechanisms? Behavioral and Brain Sciences January 2018
- Genetic predilections and predispositions for the development of shamanism. Behavioral and Brain Sciences January 2018
- Psychosis is episodically required for the enduring integrity of shamanism. Behavioral and Brain Sciences January 2018
- Shamanism and the psychosis continuum. Behavioral and Brain Sciences January 2018
and 4 more in the library