Evening
Signs of the Spirit May 15, 2020 DOI: 10.5622/illinois/9780252043253.003.0005 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that a zvipunha ceremony at Horus Farm transformed from rote performance into spiritual awakening and joy when musicking produced an immersive experience of presentness without mediation, causing semiotic generality to fade and leaving spirit possession as the only possible interpretant. |
Abstract
The chapter addresses zvipunha spirits and signs of transformative experience, focusing explicitly on the here and now and the efficacy of musicking in reifying the emotional and spiritual possibilities of experience. The chapter is about a specific moment in which the zvipunha ceremony at Horus Farm transformed from one of adequacy and rote performance to one of spiritual awakening and joy. It is about how and when musicking is deemed effective and how semiotic transformations make such evaluations possible. The key was transforming resemblance and possibility into the immersive experience of presentness without mediation. Semiotic generality faded into the background. With skilled playing, enthusiastic participation, and collaborative performing, there was only one possible interpretant: spirit possession.