Memory and "Consciousness" in an Evolving Brazilian Possession Religion
Anthropology of Consciousness December 1, 1995 DOI: 10.1525/ac.1995.6.4.1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Ethnography Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Participants in Northern Brazilian Tambor de Mina dance and spirit possession rituals, including dancers, mediums, and religious leaders |
| Key findings | The author reports that Tambor de Mina participants hold three discourses about possession: most "unconscious" mediums remember nothing of trance, many describe "faked" or incomplete possession, and some experienced mediums and leaders secretly view "conscious" possession as a more advanced form of mediumship. The author considers implications of the apparent growth of conscious mediumship, attributed partly to European-origin Kardecist and other spiritist movements. |
Abstract
Participants in Northern Brazilian Tambor de Mina dance and spirit possession rituals demonstrate three principal discourses concerning memory and states of consciousness during possession. Most dancers claim, as "unconscious" mediums, to remember essentially nothing of their trance experiences. Many, however, speak of "faked" or incomplete forms of possession. In fact, my research eventually revealed that some experienced mediums and religious leaders regard, if secretly, "conscious" possession to be a more—not less—advanced form of mediumship. I consider some potential implications of the apparent growth, particularly due to the influence of European origin Kardecist and other spiritist movements, of conscious mediumship in this Afro‐Brazilian tradition.