Dropping Ecstasy? Minoan Cult and the Tropes of Shamanism
Time and Mind April 3, 2015 DOI: 10.1080/1751696x.2015.1026029 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | MDMA Shamanism |
| Citations | 20 |
| Key points | Argues that existing characterizations of Minoan cult as "shamanic" are based on partial, reductionist, and primitivist assumptions informed by neo-evolutionary comparative ethnologies, yet contends that "universal shamanism" still provides a dynamic framework for expanding understandings of Minoan cult. |
Abstract
Cult scenes illustrated in miniature on administrative stone seals and metal signet rings from Late Bronze Age Minoan Crete are commonly interpreted as “Epiphany Scenes” and have been called “shamanic”. “Universal shamanism” is a catch-all anthropological term coined to describe certain inferred ritual behaviors across widely dispersed cultures and through time. This study re-examines evidence for Minoan cultic practices in light of key tropes of “universal shamanism”, including consumption of psychoactive drugs, adoption of special body postures, trance, spirit possession, communication with supernatural beings, metamorphosis, and the journey to other-worlds. It is argued that while existing characterizations of Minoan cult as “shamanic” are based on partial, reductionist and primitivist assumptions informed by neo-evolutionary comparative ethnologies, shamanism provides a dynamic framework for expanding understandings of Minoan cult. It is of course understood that while this study is a careful, informed analysis of the evidence, it is but one interpretation among others.
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 1
Cites 7
- Shamanism as the Original Neurotheology Zygon: Journal of Religion and Science March 1, 2004
- Shamanism: An Inquiry into the History of the Scholarly Use of the Term in English‐Speaking North America Anthropology of Consciousness September 1, 2006
- Body Posture and the Religious Altered State of Consciousness Journal of Humanistic Psychology July 1, 1986
- The Beauty of the Primitive July 1, 2007
- Shamanic Experiences: A Developmental Analysis Journal of Humanistic Psychology July 1, 2001
and 2 more in the library