shamanism and schizophrenia: a state‐specific approach to the “schizophrenia metaphor” of shamanic states
Richard Noll
American Ethnologist August 1, 1983 DOI: 10.1525/ae.1983.10.3.02a00030 (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 the "schizophrenia metaphor" of shamanism and its altered states, as found in the anthropological literature, is untenable, because a state-specific phenomenological comparison drawing on a current psychiatric diagnostic manual reveals significant differences between shamanic and schizophrenic states of consciousness. |
Abstract
Shamanism and schizophrenia are examined as altered states of consciousness. A state‐specific approach to the phenomenology of these altered states is employed to demonstrate that the existence in the anthropological literature of the “schizophrenia metaphor” of shamanism and its altered states is untenable. A current psychiatric diagnostic manual is utilized to show that significant phenomenological differences exist between the shamanic and schizophrenic states of consciousness. [shamanism, schizophrenia, altered states of consciousness, spirit possession, ethnopsychiatry, psychological anthropology].
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 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 27
- Brain changes during a shamanic trance: Altered modes of consciousness, hemispheric laterality, and systemic psychobiology Cogent Psychology April 24, 2017
- Shamans, Sacraments, and Psychiatrists Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 1989
- Does the Concept of “Altered States of Consciousness” Rest on a Mistake? International Journal of Transpersonal Studies 2007
- 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
- The nature of the shamanic state of consciousness: a review. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 1989
and 22 more in the library