Shamanism: A Biopsychosocial Paradigm of Consciousness and Healing, Second Edition

Shamanistic practices involve ancient traditions that have been found in similar cultures around the world. The roots of shamanism in practices of healing, prophesy, group leadership, art, and mythology reflect neuropsychological bases that underlie the often surprising effectiveness of its practice. This book examines shamanism from evolutionary and biological perspectives to identify the origins of shamanic healing in rituals that enhance individual and group function. What does the brain do during "soul journeys"? How do shamans alter consciousness and why is this important for healing? Are shamans different from other kinds of healers? Is there a connection between the rituals performed by chimpanzees and traditional shamanistic practices? All of these questions and many more are answered in Shamanism, Second Edition: A Biopsychosocial Paradigm of Consciousness and Healing. This text contains crosscultural examinations of the nature of shamanism, biological perspectives on alterations of consciousness, mechanisms of shamanistic healing, as well as the evolutionary origins of shamanism. It presents the shamanic paradigm within a biopsychosocial framework for explaining successful human evolution through group rituals. In the final chapter, the author compares shamanistic rituals with chimpanzee displays to identify homologies that point to the ritual dynamics of our ancient hominid ancestors. - Publisher. Praeger Contents 8 List of Illustrations 12 Preface 14 Acknowledgments 16 Introduction 18 Chapter 1 Introduction to Shamanism and Consciousness 24 Chapter Overview 24 Introduction: Shamanism and the Alteration of Consciousness 25 Culture and the Alteration of Consciousness 27 Shamanism and the Study of Consciousness 29 Mental Effects on the Organism 31 A Neurophenomenological Approach to Consciousness 32 Operational and Cognized Environments 33 Brain Structures and Consciousness: The Triune Brain 36 Consciousness and Altered States of Consciousness: A Reconceptualization 43 Modes of Consciousness 44 Reconceptualizing States of Consciousness within Modes 46 Biological Bases of the Integrative Mode of Consciousness 48 Drugs and the Integrative Mode of Consciousness 49 Disinhibition and Deregulation 53 Hypnosis as Integration and Dissociation 54 Meditation and Integrative Brain Dynamics 58 Common Denominators in Modifying Consciousness 59 An Evolutionary Biological Approach to Shamanism 61 Religious Thought and Innate Modules 62 Conclusions: Visionary Experience as a Neuroepistemological System 66 Chapter 2 The Nature and Basis of Shamanism: Cross-Cultural, Linguistic, and Prehistorical Perspectives 68 Chapter Overview 68 The Phenomena of Shamanism 68 The Classic Shaman 70 The Shaman as a Cross-Cultural Phenomenon 72 The “Shamanism Controversy” 82 The Sociocultural Evolution of Shamanic Potentials 86 Linguistic Roots and Survivals of Shamanism in Indo-European Languages 88 Indo-European Magico-Religious Linguistic Roots 89 Shamanic Roots in Hinduism and Buddhism 90 Magico-Religious Structures in Indo-European Societies 92 Roots of Indo-European Medicine 93 Shamanic Elements in Origins of Mystical Traditions 94 The Ancient Presence of Shamanism in Pre-Proto Indo-European Societies 97 The Shamanic Paradigm in Cave Art 97 The Origins of Modern Human Cognition 99 Mimesis and the Expansion of the Ritual Capacity 102 Social and Psychodynamic Functions of Shamanic Ritual 106 Conclusions: Shamanism and Neurognostic Potentials 111 Chapter 3 Consciousness in System Perspectives 114 Chapter Overview 114 The Nature of Consciousness 115 Etymological Roots of Consciousness 115 Consciousness as a System 117 Forms of Symbolic Consciousness: Representational and Presentational 120 Presentational Symbolism: Imagery and Action 123 Mimesis: The Body as Metaphor 125 Social Consciousness: Others in Self and Mind 127 Forms of Self-Agents and Consciousness 129 The Guardian Spirit Quest 133 Death and Rebirth as Self-Development 135 Analogical Thought and Metaphor in Shamanism 138 Animism and Analogical Processes 139 Shamanic Flight: The Out-of-Body Experience 140 The Biological Bases of the Out-of-Body-Experience 143 Conclusions: Shamanic Consciousness as Special Knowledge 147 Notes 148 Chapter 4 The Integrative Mode of Consciousness 150 Chapter Overview 150 Introduction: Different States of Consciousness in the Integrative Mode of Consciousness 151 Shamanistic SoC in the IMC 153 Shamanic States of Consciousness 155 Music and Drumming 156 Incorporating “Dreamtime” into Shamanic Consciousness 158 Inhibition of Natural Drives 164 “Sacred Medicines”: The Hallucinogens as Psychointegrators 167 Meditative States of Consciousness 174 Neurophenomenological Perspectives on Meditative Commonalities 175 Contemplative Views of the Postformal Development of Consciousness 181 Possession States of Consciousness 190 A Diversity of Possessions 192 Social and Physiological Correlates of Possession 195 Possession and Dissociative Identity Disorders 198 Brain Conditions of Possession and Dissociation 201 Functional Aspects of Integrative Consciousness 202 Conclusions 204 Notes 205 Chapter 5 Shamanistic Therapies 206 Chapter Overview 206 Introduction: Bases for Shamanistic Therapies 207 Altering Consciousness as a Basis for Shamanistic Therapies 208 The IMC as a Healing Modality 209 Stress and Its Psychophysiological Dynamics 211 Dance and Music as Core Shamanic Therapy 215 Psychointegration: The Therapeutic Effects of Sacred Medicines 218 Meditation as Biopsychosocial Therapy 223 The Spirit World as a Therapeutic Resource: Symbolic Healing 227 Spirits as Representations of Mental and Social Processes 227 Psychoneuroimmunology 232 Symbolic Healing through Metaphor 236 Biosocialization and Symbolic Penetration 238 Shamanistic Healing and the Self 240 Possession Illness and Therapy 244 Community Rituals: Social Relations and Well-Being 246 The Functional Efficacy of Ritual 246 Physiology of Community Bonding: Endogenous Opioid Releasers 248 Neuroanatomical Bases of Ritual Healing 250 Conclusions 251 Notes 252 Chapter 6 Evolutionary Origins of Shamanic Ritual 254 Chapter Overview 254 Ritual and Evolution 255 Play and Ritual 256 Ritual Processes in the Great Apes: Baselines for Hominin Ritual 256 Religion and Ritual Capacities in Chimpanzees 259 Homologies of Chimpanzee Displays and Shamanic Ritual 260 The Coevolution of Healing and Religiosity 262 Hypnosis as a Foundation for Religious Healing 265 Placebo Responses as Endogenous Healing Mechanisms 267 Attachment and Cooperation as Functions of Religious Ideology 269 Human Evolution and the Alteration of Consciousness 273 Human Evolution and Drug Use: Mismatch or Adaptation? 274 Human-Chimpanzee Differences in Drug Metabolism and Neurotransmitter Systems 276 Evolution of Serotonergic Systems 277 Bipedalism and Mystical Experience: The Runner’s High 282 Music and the Origins of Shamanic Ritual 285 Spirit Assumptions as Adaptive Mechanisms 289 The Supernatural and the Symbolic 291 Shamanism and Human Evolution 294 Preadaptations and Evolutionary Developments of Shamanic Healing 295 Conclusions 299 Note 300 Bibliography 302 Index 330 A 330 B 330 C 330 D 330 E 331 F 331 G 331 H 331 I 331 J 331 K 331 L 331 M 331 N 331 O 331 P 331 R 332 S 332 T 332 U 332 V 332 W 332 031338181X,9780313381812,0313381828,9780313381829 From The Publisher. What Does The Brain Do During Soul Journeys? How Do Shamans Alter Consciousness And Why Is This Important For Healing? Are Shamans Different From Other Kinds Of Healers? Is There A Connection Between The Rituals Performed By Chimpanzees And Traditional Shamanistic Practices? All Of These Questions{u2014}and Many More{u2014}are Answered In Shamanism, Second Edition: A Biopsychosocial Paradigm Of Consciousness And Healing. This Text Contains Crosscultural Examinations Of The Nature Of Shamanism, Biological Perspectives On Alterations Of Consciousness, Mechanisms Of Shamanistic Healing, As Well As The Evolutionary Origins Of Shamanism. It Presents The Shamanic Paradigm Within A Biopsychosocial Framework For Explaining Successful Human Evolution Through Group Rituals. In The Final Chapter,the Author Compares Shamanistic Rituals With Chimpanzee Displays To Identify Homologies That Point To The Ritual Dynamics Of Our Ancient Hominid Ancestors. Introduction To Shamanism And Consciousness -- The Nature And Basis Of Shamanism: Cross-cultural, Linguistand Prehistoricalical Perspectives -- Consciousness In System Perspectives -- The Integrative Mode Of Consciousness -- Shamanistic Therapies -- Evolutionary Origins Of Shamanic Ritual. Michael Winkelman. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 279-306) And Index.