M2L2Shamanism

8/13/2019 M2L2Shamanism

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Copyright 2007 @ Dr. Michael Winkelman


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Shamanism in Cross-Cultural Perspective

Specific universal aspects

Shamanic Universals: Ecstasy, Community and Spirits

Psychobiological PerspectivesHuman Nature

Shamanic ASC as Therapy

Shamanic Sociophysiological and Psychotherapies

Contemporary Applications of the Shamanic Paradigm

NOTE: For references to Lecture 7.2 see the Zygon article


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Devil worshiper? Psychotic?

Witch? Healer?

Priest? Diviner?

Fraud? Psychopomp?

Story-teller? Psychic?

Counselor? Medicine Man?

All of the above? Or None?


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All night ceremony with entire community

Singing, drums, dancing & story-telling

Used for healing & obtaining information

Trance and out-of-body experience

Soul recovery, extraction & spirit removal

Work w/ animal allies to battle evil spirits journey to lower, middle & upper worlds


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Is shamanism real? Is shamanism just a conceptual category? i.e., colorless green ideas

Is shamanism a transcendent phenomenon? e.g., is it real, same thing found in differentcultures

i.e., family, hunter/gatherer, kinship relations

Does shamanism have universal features How to decide?

How to scientifically resolve these question? Cross-cultural research


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Standard Cross-cultural Sample 47 societies

115 practitioner types 236 variables

Determination of Types of Practitioners,Similarities

Cluster analysis --> empirical groupsShamans, Priests and Witches

A Cross-Cultural Study of Magico-religious Practitioners


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Shamanistic Healers

Shaman

Shaman/HealerMedium

Healer

PriestsSorcerer/Witch


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Shamanistic Healers

Trances/ASC and HealingUniversal

Priests

Religion and worship, protection

Inheritance of social leadership

Sorcerer/WitchNegative magic, cause illness

Persecution of the oppressed


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Ecstasy in Ritual and Training

Spirit WorldAnimism

Healing and Divination

Cure Illness from Spirits and Humans

All have adaptive functions and biological bases


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Hunter/Gatherer and Nomadic Societies

Ecstasy*

Visionary Experiences*

Control of Spirits*

Soul Flight/Journeys (not possession)*

Animal Spirit Associations*

Transformation Into/Animal Identity*Death and Rebirth Experience*

Hunting Magic

Malevolent Actssorcery


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Biopsychosocial and Spiritual Ecstasy as physiological effects

Biological medicine

Plants, natural substances, massage, simple surgery,ASC

Ritual with psychological and social effects

Spirit world beliefs- soul loss, spirit attack,

sorcery, imbalance


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Ecstasy = Altered States of Consciousness (ASC)

Psychobiology of Consciousness

CommunitySocial Functions as Natural Healing Processes

Opioids & Social Bonding

Spirit World as Self and OtherPsychological Structures in Spirits


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Brain Wave Synchronization (3-6cps/theta)

Neuro-Pharmacological Transcendence (Mandel)

Slow Wave Brain Synchronization

Psychointegration

Integration by Serotonergic Mechanisms Brain Stem-Limbic-Frontal Entrainment

Interhemispheric Synchronization

Synthesis of Behavior, Emotion & Thought


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Pre-verbal symbolismpresentational

A Picture is worth a thousand words

Used for analysis, analogic synthesis,diagnosis, and planning

Provides mechanisms for control of biological

processes


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Cross-cultural Distribution of Experiences with aCommon Structure Self separates from body, flies, encounters powers

Body as Basis of Knowledge/Soul Flight asBody-Independent Perspectives Remove contextual limits on vision

Taking the Perspective of the Other TowardsOnes Self Seeing self from others perspective as key capability

for social participation

Self and World in Symbolic Space


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The Paleomammalian or Limbic Brain (Maclean)

Emotional Brain

Social Attachment Processes

Maternal Behavior and PlayNon-verbal Communication-> Emotiomentation

Sense of Self and Identity

Biogenetic basis in social integration processes of

mammals


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Opioid mediated attachment processes healing processes derived from the biopsychosocial

dynamics of opioid-attachment mechanisms

Expansion of care provided through altruism,provisioning, protecting

Evolutionary adaptation to integrate unrelatedsocial groups for reproduction and survival community rituals to manage socioemotional

dynamics of paleomammalian brain coordination of social identity formation


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General Manifestations of ASC Therapeutic Effects

The Relaxation Response and Stress

The Unconscious & Autonomic Mechanisms

Theta Wave ProductionVisualization/Mental Imagery

Therapeutic Touch: Relaxation/Opioid Release

Psychosocial Opioid Release

Serotonergic NeuromodulationPsychoneuroimmunology

Placebo Effects


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Shamanistic Social Healing Processes

Psychology of Self

Community Relations

Social Networks and Support

Symbolic-Physiological Interactions

Emotional Dynamics

Managing Sociophysiological Processes


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Neurotheology Approaches to Spirits

Natural structures of psychology & consciousness

Spirits as selves & psychic structures Integration of Psychological Structures

Self and Others

Guardians as Powers

Identification of complexes of the Unconscious

Metarepresentations and multiple representations


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Social Other as Animal Species Organizing societal relations with naturalmetaphors

Soul Journey Out of Body Experience

Sacred others De-centering mind

Models of the ideal Self in the Supernatural

Death and Rebirth

Self-transformation in Autosymbolic Processes Restructuring of Identity, Overcoming fear of

death


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Conceptual Categories of EvolvedPsychology

Spiritual Emergencies or Psychotic

Reactions? Structures of Human Nature: Addiction and

transcendence Universal Shamanistic Healing vs. Culture &

ASC Implications of Institutionalized ASC

Contemporary Healing Animal Powers in Pain and Self Management Soul Loss & Substance Abuse


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Neurognostic Structures = Archetypes

Innate Modules as Symbol Systems of Brain

Spirits as the Fundamental Structures of

Consciousness

DSM-IV Spiritual EmergenciesPsychotic Reactions, Dissociative Disorders

Or positive growth experiences/potentials?


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Addiction and transcendence as chemical states

Evolved capacities for experience/use of ASC

Production of adaptive cognitive states

Insight as information integration

Visions as image symbols

Enhancement of individual-group integration

Implications of loss of communal ritual Drug addiction as shamanic illness


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The Dynamics of Addiction

Lack/Loss of Spirituality

Individual & CollectiveLack of Community Integration

Dissociation of Self/Emotions

Need for Identity TransformationSerotonin Imbalances

Opioid Dependences


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Naturally induced alterations of consciousness Drum, Dance and Chant as adaptations Relaxation and restful healing

Shamanic Journey--Unconscious Symbols Animal Spirits as Brain & Self Processes Power animals/spirits as healing energies

Emotional & Social Healing Processes Collective Ritual Activity-- Community

Connection with others as social integration-healing process

Use ritual to transform and integrate unconsciousself

Death & Rebirth Self-Transformation Spiritual awakening and transcendence Enhance/restore Serotonin and Natural Opioids Develop awareness of unconscious powers through

shamanic journeying


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Michael Winkelman (2000)

Bergin & Garvey Publishers

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