Mediumship as Glocalized Phenomena: Reflections on a Journey into the Study of Mediumship in Brazil

Mediumship and other non-ordinary experiences must be understood through a "glocal" framework that builds universal concepts from local contexts. Based on anthropological research in religious and Spiritist communities in São Paulo, the paper argues that while mediumship is regarded as a set of global skills, local communities have diverse scales that make local contexts equally important. The author reflects on methodological difficulties for an anthropologist, illustrates local scales of mediumship influenced by cultural contexts, traditions, and gender, and discusses the tension between local scales and global skill, highlighting the importance of both factors for understanding mediumship in Brazil.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Abstract The paper sets out the study of mediumship and other forms of non-ordinary experiences within a “glocal” conceptual frame that highlights the need to build universalising concepts from local contexts. Based on anthropological research about mediumship in religious and Spiritist communities in São Paulo, the paper argues that while mediumship is regarded as a set of global skills, local communities have a diverse set of scales that makes the local contexts of mediumship equally important. The chapter is divided into three parts. First, I reflect on my previous position within mediumship studies and the methodological difficulties for an anthropologist. Second, I illustrate the local scales of mediumship in light of cultural contexts, traditions, the gender of the experiencers, and other factors. The third part discusses these findings within the conceptualised framework of mediumship as glocalised experience. It reflects on the tension between local scales and global skill and highlights the importance of both factors for our understanding of mediumship in Brazil.