Glimpses of the Supernatural: Altered States of Consciousness and the Graffiti of Tikal, Guatemala
William A. Haviland, Anita de Laguna Haviland
Latin American Antiquity December 1, 1995 DOI: 10.2307/971833 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Altered states of consciousness |
| Citations | 18 |
| Key points | Argues that the great majority of Tikal's graffiti are products of altered states of consciousness, depicting visions seen by people in trance in relatively private settings, and that a definite neuropsychological order underlies their apparent disorder. The provenances suggest trancing was widespread in Classic times, at least among the elite and upper stratum of commoners. |
Abstract
Application of a neuropsychological model, developed in the laboratory, to the graffiti of Tikal reveals that the great majority of the latter are products of altered states of consciousness, depictions of visions seen by people in states of trance in relatively private settings. Beneath this art's apparent surface disorder and haphazard arrangement lies a definite neuropsychological order. Consideration of the provenances of graffiti suggests that the practice of trancing was widespread in Classic times, at least among the elite class and upper stratum of commoners.