Shamanism and Altered States of Consciousness
Douglass Price‐williams, Dureen J. Hughes
Anthropology of Consciousness June 1, 1994 DOI: 10.1525/ac.1994.5.2.1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Altered states of consciousness Shamanism |
| Citations | 27 |
| Key findings | Altered states of consciousness are widespread globally, with shamanism, meditation, trance, possession, and channeling being key expressions, and their adaptive functions and healing aspects are significant. |
Abstract
There has been a renewed interest in psychology and anthropology in the idea of altered states of consciousness. This paper begins by examining the meaning of this term and the extent to which such experiences are reported globally. The topic of shamanism is then discussed, first with respect to its social functions, and then to what is known about its psychological aspects (which is little). Far more is known about altered states of consciousness (ASCs) as they are expressed in meditation, trance and possession, and channeling, and a number of studies are reviewed, both of individuals and of groups, which illustrate the full extent of ASCs. The following section then goes more deeply into the stimulus situations that are associated with ASCs. This brings the discussion into drugs, attempts at altering the sensorium (music and imagery in particular) and recent technological innovations, peculiar to our time, which deliberately alter our usual state of awareness through feedback principles. In the final section, what is known about the physiology of ASCs is reviewed and also the extent to which these phenomena, including shamanism, are regarded as pathological. As a great number of people across the world utilize the healing aspects of trance, possession and shamanic practices, this aspect is discussed, and lastly the adaptive functions of ASCs are considered, with their context in the history of psychology.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on shamanism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hallucinogenic Drugs and Plants in Psychotherapy and Shamanism | 1998 | Review | |
| Hallucinogenic Mushrooms in Mexico: An Overview | 2008 | Review | |
| Healing, spirituality and integrative medicine. | 2017 | Review | |
| Introduction: Evidence for entheogen use in prehistory and world religions | 2019 | Review | |
| The Evolved Psychology of Psychedelic Set and Setting: Inferences Regarding the Roles of Shamanism and Entheogenic Ecopsychology | 2021 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 18
- What we can learn from shamanic healing: brief psychotherapy with Latino immigrant clients. American Journal of Public Health October 1, 2002
- The experience of altered states of consciousness in shamanic ritual: the role of pre-existing beliefs and affective factors. Consciousness and Cognition December 1, 2010
- Anthropology of consciousness Cambridge University Press eBooks May 14, 2007
- Psychedelia: The interplay of music and psychedelics Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences November 20, 2023
- Does the Nervous System Have an Intrinsic Archaic Language? Entoptic Images and Phosphenes NeuroQuantology June 2, 2014
and 13 more in the library
Cites 6
- Altered States of Consciousness Archives of General Psychiatry September 1, 1966
- Yoga: Immortality and Freedom Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 1963
- Thaipusam in Malaysia:A Psycho‐Anthropological Analysis of Ritual Trance, Ceremonial Possession and Self‐Mortification Practices Ethos December 1, 1984
- What has really been learned about shamanism? Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 1989
- Depersonalization and meditation. Psychiatry May 1990
and 1 more in the library