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BRIDGING TO ANOTHER DIMENSION: THE RELATIONAL SYSTEM OF SHAMANISM AND RELIGIOUS ENCOUNTER AMONGST THE TEMIAR SENOI OF MALAYA

Riza Saputra, Husnul Khotimah

Jurnal Ilmiah Ilmu Ushuluddin June 30, 2021 DOI: 10.18592/jiiu.v20i1.5051 (opens in new tab)

Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Qualitative study Peer reviewed
Population Temiar community in Malaysia
Topics Shamanism
Citations 1
Key findings The paper argues that the shaman creates cultural experience in the inter-subjective space of ritual as a spirit medium who receives songs from spirit guides during dreams; that singing and dancing bridge the physical and metaphysical worlds; and that the Temiar have begun incorporating spirit entities associated with religious conversion and modernization into their cosmology.

Abstract

This paper aims at finding the relational system, religious encounter, and modernity of the Temiar community in Malaysia. The form of this research has focused on literature research (library research) by using literature as a source of research. The method used is an analysis of documents by conducting content analysis. This within-case analysis is followed by a thematic analysis across the case. The data patterns emerging from the within-case and cross-case analysis of theme, the information of Temiar’s world view is compared from several documents. Having discussed the relational systems in shamanic society and religious encounters and modernity amongst Temiar, this paper concludes that: Firstly. Shaman creates the cultural experience in the inter-subjective space of the ritual as the flow of the spirit guide through the healing ritual. The shaman is the spirit medium, a person who can receive songs from the spirit guide during dreams. Secondly, singing and dancing is an activity that in itself bridges the gulf between the physical world and the metaphysical. Thirdly, Temiars have begun to incorporate representations of varying spirit entities associated with religious conversion and modernization into their cosmology.