Guna Concepts Of Consciousness, Soul, and Spirit
Journal of Consciousness Studies June 1, 2023 DOI: 10.53765/20512201.30.5.123 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Ethnography Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Guna people of Gunayala Comarca, Panama |
| Key findings | Argues that Guna notions of burba, niga, and gurgin, grounded in knowledge transmitted across generations and in dreams or visions, offer an understanding of the human being as constituted in relation to non-human beings, and that this standpoint can respond to questions raised in recent philosophy, psychology, and neurology. |
Abstract
Based on ethnographic evidence collected over the last two decades in Gunayala Comarca (autonomous territory), Panama, this article explores understandings of human consciousness from the perspective of the Guna people. After a brief account of the linguistic, historical, and political context, it continues with a presentation of the notions of burba, niga, and gurgin, which are used to refer to notions of soul, spirit, and consciousness. After translating these words and describing their particularities, I show the extent to which these notions, with roots in knowledge passed down from generation to generation, or revealed through dreams or visions, make it possible to understand the conception of the human being in relation with other non-human beings. Finally, the article seeks to open up a discussion with works produced over the last few decades by philosophers, psychologists, and neurologists, and to respond from the Guna standpoint to some of the questions that have recently been raised in these fields.