Healing Through States of Consciousness: Animal Sacrifice and Christian Prayer Among the Kachin in Southwest China.
Wenyi Zhang
Medical Anthropology 2016 DOI: 10.1080/01459740.2015.1089240 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Ethnic Kachin communities in Southwest China (as discussed conceptually) |
| Keywords | Animal sacrifice China Christian prayer Healing rituals States of consciousness |
| Key points | Argues that healing rituals can be analyzed as different configurations of two culturally elaborated states of consciousness, ordinary waking consciousness and an enhanced ritual state. In Kachin animal sacrifice, participants' ordinary consciousness is engaged through the officiant's enhanced state; in Christian prayer, the congregation's enhanced consciousness is used to achieve psychic transformation. |
Abstract
Healing rituals can be understood in terms of configurations of two states of consciousness-a culturally elaborated everyday waking consciousness, and an enhanced and culturally elaborated state of consciousness. Two healing rituals performed by the ethnic Kachin in Southwest China differentiate these two states of consciousness in their theories of life and death. The first ritual, animal sacrifice, employs the ordinary consciousness, including will and expectation, of participants through the enhanced state of consciousness of the ritual officiant. The second, Christian prayer, utilizes the enhanced consciousness of Christian Congregation to achieve psychic transformation. These two rituals maneuver different configurations of the two states of consciousness in achieving healing efficacy.
Citations in the library
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