RELIGION

OVERVIEW

estimates place the number around 4200. Of this numbera dozen have been classified as “major world

religions.”

•Baha’I (7 million adherents)•Buddhism (360 million)•Christianity (2 billion)•Confucianism (6 million)•Hinduism (900 million)•Islam (1.3 billion)•Jainism (4 million)•Judaism (14 million)•Shinto (4 million)•Sikhism (23 million)•Daoism (2.7 million)•Zoroastrianism (150,000)

a system of beliefs usually involving the worship of supernatural forces or beings

provide a sense of order what might otherwise be seen as a useless or chaotic existencerelieve our fears and anxieties about the

unknown provide understanding and meaning for

inexplicable or tragic events help us confront and explain deathtimes of crisis

play an important role in social control by defining what is right and wrong behaviortherefore, lifts some of the burden of decision

making from our shoulders

RITUALS stylized and usually

repetitive acts that take place at a set time and location

almost always involve the use of symbolic objects, words, and actions

IRAQ: Sufi rituals in Kurdistan

FIVE BELIEFS OF SUPERNATURAL BEINGS AND FORCES Animatism

belief in a supernatural power NOT part of supernatural beings

usually impersonal, unseen, and potentially everywheresomething like electricity or "the force" in the Star Wars movies

Polynesian cultures- known as "mana"   a force that is inherent in all objects, plants, and animals

(including people) to different degrees some things or people have more of it than others and are,

therefore, potentially dangerous for instance, a chief may have so much of it that he must be

carried around all of the time for if he were to walk on the ground, sufficient residual amounts of his mana might remain in his footprints to harm ordinary people if they later stepped on them

volcanoes and some other places were thought to have concentrated mana and were, therefore, very dangerous

Animismbelief that natural objects are animated

by spiritseach rock, tree, and cloud may have its own unique spirit

or, all things in nature may be thought of as having the same spirit (many Native American cultures)

must be concerned about them and will try to avoid displeasing them

Ancestral Spiritssouls or ghosts of ancestorshumans have at least two parts--a physical

body and some kind of non-physical spirit or soulspirit portion is generally believed to be freed from

the body by death and continues to exist in some form

examples…Chinese- set a place at feast tables for their ancestors

as if they were still livingEuropeans- spirits have been seen historically as

dangerous and therefore buried their in cemeteries?- bury or store the remains of dead family members

in or around the home to keep them close Yanomamö- mortuary cannibalism is intended to allow

the dead to remain part of their living family

Gods and Goddesses (deities)powerful supernatural beings with

individual identitiesmonotheism - belief that there is only

one god (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam)polytheism - belief in more than one god

(Hinduism)gods are typically ranked relative to each other in terms of their powers and their interests

the supreme god is often an otiose deitydoes NOT take an interest in the everyday affairs of humans now (lesser gods do this)

Minor Supernatural Beingsbeings that have some supernatural

capabilitiesdo not pray to them for helpoften have a "trickster" role

Ireland - in the past believed that elves steal boy children

Indians of Western North America- coyote would disarm powerful people with his words and then magically steal what they valued most when their guard was down

India- a mouseAfrica- a spider

RELIGIOUS LEADERS

Priest (rabbis, ministers, mullahs, Imams)leader who is part of an

organized religionauthorized to perform

religious rituals designed to influence the supernatural world and to guide the believers in their religious practices

Catholic monks on a pilgrimage  

(members of a "priesthood") 

Hindu priest leading a ritual at a shrine

Shamannormally not in an “organized” religion in direct contact with the spirit world,

usually through a trancingaltered state of consciousness take a journey to pass through difficult situations in order to reach spirit helpers

methods to achieve a trance state fasting self-torture (flagellation) sensory deprivation (prolonged isolation from normal human

contact) breathing exercises and meditation prolonged, repetitive, ritual dancing and/or drumming hallucinogenic drugs

considered to be the easiest and the fastest method of contacting the supernatural

Early 20th century Crow Indianon the Great Plains of NorthAmerica using self-torture inorder to receive a vision from

the supernatural world.  Skewersof bone are inserted through the chest skin and tied with leather

thongs to a "sun pole."   Hewill dance around it until the

skewers tear free.

Turkish Dervishes usingprolonged, repetitive, ritualdancing to enter an altered

state of awareness.Accompanied by music,

they slowly dance aroundin a large circle while

constantly spinning.  TheDervishes are a mystic

Sufi sect of Islam

 Geographic Region Where Used 

Plants UsedHallucinogenicDrugs in Plants

Comment

Siberia  Amanita muscaria("fly-agaric"--eaten raw)

muscarinemuscimol

hallucinations reportedlymake surrounding objectsappear very large or verysmall

Southwestern North America 

Datura metaloides (made into a tea)

atropinehyoscyaminescopolamine

causes nausea anddream-like mental state

Peyote(cactus bud is eaten raw)

mescalineused as a sacrament inthe Native American Church

Central Americamushrooms(eaten raw)

some containpsilocybin

causes dream-like mentalstate

South America (Amazon Basin)

Banisteriopsis sp.(common names: yagé,yajé, caapi, ayahuasca,"vine of death") combinedwith other plants in a teaor blown into the nostrilswith a tube

harmineharmalined-tetrahydroharmine

powerful hallucinogen--similarin effects to L.S.D., mescaline,and psilocybin

Western Europe

Mandrake, Henbane,and Belladonna(combined into a salvethat was rubbed onto theforehead, armpits, andgenital area)

atropinehyoscyaminescopolamine 

reportedly caused sleep andvisions of "flying"; it wascommon until the late MiddleAges when the Catholic Churchlabeled it witchcraft and put astop to its use

COMMON HALLUCINOGENS USED BY SHAMANS AROUND THE WORLD

Caution:  these substances should be avoided due to their dangerously toxic nature.(Primary source: Harner, Michael J. 1973. Hallucinogens and Shamanism.)

tells the supernatural beings what to do

American Philippine communitiesperform "spirit surgery" 

Evangelical Christian "faith healers“ have power to compel their god to cure people

Prophetreceives divine revelation concerning

a restructuring of religion or even society

call for dramatic changea new religion is usually established

Mohamed and the beginning of IslamJoseph Smith's divine revelation led to the creation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormons).