David Lewis-Williams’s Cognitive Archeology: New Approach to Shamanism
A. D. Belova
Study of Religion 2019 DOI: 10.22250/2072-8662.2019.2.92-97 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Shamanism |
| Key points | Argues that David Lewis-Williams's conception of a spectrum of consciousness and universal mental images from altered states explains the genesis of shamanism and the content of rock art, and that his method can be extended to folklore analysis. |
Abstract
The article outlines the main ideas of the archaeologist David Lewis-Williams and his contribution to the study of shamanism and the analysis of rock paintings. Author examines the depicted scenes, the process of the painting, as well as artifacts and ethnographic evidences of the alleged rituals. The reconstruction of rituals is accompanied by the Lewis-Williams’s conception of the spectrum of consciousness and its various states. Universal mental images arising during ASCs played a large role in the genesis of shamanism, and their fixation in rock art allows one to reconstruct the inner state of the creators of images and the role of trance experiences. The author finds confirmation of his concept in the history of religions. The article also contains critical remarks on the Lewis-Williams’ theory, mainly related to the definition of symbolic activity and the insufficient attention of the author to social organization. The author of the article partially agrees with the criticism, and also brings auxiliary theories that remove some of the criticism. The article outlines the prospects for using the Lewis-Williams’ method in analyzing not only rock paintings, but also folklore sources.
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 |