A Shaman's Cure: The Relationship Between Altered States of Consciousness and Shamanic Healing1
Anthropology of Consciousness September 1, 2009 DOI: 10.1111/j.1556-3537.2009.01016.x (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Ethnography Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Nepalese shamans and their patients |
| Topics | Altered states of consciousness Shamanism |
| Citations | 23 |
| Key findings | The shaman's altered state of consciousness contributes to therapeutic changes in the patient through patient-healer interactions, not just through the shaman's internal psychological state. |
Abstract
ABSTRACTThis study, which is based upon ethnographic data collected between 1999 and 2008 in Nepal, examines the connection between the shaman's altered states of consciousness (ASC; i.e., what goes on inside the healer's mind/brain) and therapeutic changes that take place in the patient's mind/body. Unlike other studies that primarily emphasize the shaman's internal psychological state, this article attempts to explain the role of the healer's ASC and elucidate how desired therapeutic changes depend upon patient–healer interactions. This question is explored in the context of a healing ritual highlighting various aspects of the cosmology of Nepalese shamans.