“Bio-looping” and the Psychophysiological in Religious Belief and Practice: Mechanisms of Embodiment in Candomblé Trance and Possession
Palgrave Macmillan UK eBooks October 27, 2017 DOI: 10.1057/978-1-137-52879-7_18 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Ethnography Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Mediums in Brazilian Candomblé spirit possession |
| Citations | 9 |
| Key findings | Argues that embodied learning in trance and possession is reflected in distinct patterns of autonomic nervous system regulation among mediums, and proposes the concept of "bio-looping" to capture circular, reinforcing processes through which religious meanings and practices shape bodily experience and functioning. |
Abstract
This chapter explores the processes that mediate the relationship between sociocultural experiences and bodily responses, in the context of religious devotion. Using ethnographic and psychophysiological data from a study of spirit possession (Brazilian Candomblé), I offer a close examination of interactions among enactments of roles and meanings, and bodily states of mediums. In doing so, I offer insight into the mechanisms of what anthropologists call “embodiment.” In particular, I provide a novel and accessible account of how psychophysiology is implicated in embodiment, providing evidence that embodied learning involved in trance/possession is reflected in distinct patterns of autonomic nervous system regulation among mediums. The concept of “bio-looping” is introduced to capture circular and reinforcing processes through which religious meanings and practices shape bodily experience and functioning.