The Anthropology of Magic, Witchcraft, and Religion

1. The AnthropologyofMagic, Witchcraft,andReligion On Consciousness (“Normal” and “Altered”)

2. Conscious First use in the early 1600s; derived from Latin conscius com- “with” + scire “to know” Thus: “knowing with others, participating in knowledge, aware of” Consciousness: the ability to know about – and consequently to act within –the world.

3. “knowing with others, participating in knowledge, aware of” • This is not as straightforward as it might seem… • How can I be certain that what I know is what you know? • Can I really “participate” in your knowledge? • What does it mean to be “aware”?

4. One Answer -Ban Consciousness as a Topic of Study Burrhus Fredric Skinner1904-1990 John B. Watson1878-1958 The “fathers” of behaviorism

5. The Behaviorist Answer black box Stimulus Response But what is going on inside the cat’s head? that is… Why does it respond the way it does?

6. A range of answers… Panpsychism Solipsism one’s own mind is all that exists all matter has some form of consciousness

7. But things change(as they always do…) Albert Hofmann1906-2008 Holding a model of the LSD molecule Allen Ginsburg1926-1997dancing at the Human Be-In, 1967 and “consciousness” has made a come-back

8. Waking States of Consciousness • Enable an organism to function within the world • Primarily outward directed • Survival-oriented (identifying food, enemies, mates, etc.)

9. For us… • Consciousness involves the ability to know about – and consequently to act within – the world. • Involves “self-awareness” • found in • humans • chimps • gorillas • i.e., of the self as being distinct from the rest of the universe

10. A Measure of Self-Awareness “passed” by: • great apes • Bonobos • Chimpanzees • Orangutans • Gorillas • Bottlenose Dolphins • Orcas • Elephants • European Magpies • Pigs • Humans (after app. 18 months) Don’t worry, they’re just friends…

11. Consciousness Is made possible by biological processes that are • rooted in our individual biology • open to manipulation • culturally expressed As a result, “normal consciousness” differs from • society to society • person to person

12. Mind is a “high level” function of the brain that • Enables self-awareness • Allows the individual to conceptualize her or his place in the world • Makes it possible to learn, generate, and apply “high level” models (interpretations) of the world

13. Learned Models • Hypotheses about the world • verified or falsified via sensory and motor activity • Unique to the individual (non-isomorphic) • Limited in scope and applicability (tenuous)

14. Via Sensory Input • We experience “what is going on” • We learn how to refer to things (language) • We learn what things are (culturally) significant • We learn how to act upon the world

15. Via Motor Output • We verify “what is going on” • We validate our linguistic categories • We communicate what we find significant • We verify the “correctness” of our models of the world

16. Normal “States” of Consciousness • Waking Mode (the “baseline”) • Deep Sleep • REM (Dream) Sleep

17. Altered Statesof Consciousness

18. Altered “States” of Consciousnessaka Mystical Transcendental Transpersonal Integrative

19. ASCs Can be induced at several “levels” • Body/Brain functioning • Mental Activity • External agents

20. How to Induce ASCs Sensory Activity deprivation overload Mental Activity focused relaxed

21. The Continuum of Consciousness States(Roland Fischer)

22. physiological exercises(manipulation of the psychological state) four major methods • drugs • sensory deprivation • mortification of the flesh • pain • sleeplessness • fatigue • deprivation • food • water • air

23. 13 categoriesof religious behavior • prayer • music • physiological exercises • exhortation • reciting the code • simulation • mana • taboo • feasts • sacrifice • congregation • inspiration • symbolism … the “smallest religious things” of a society

24. Cultures and “Drugs” • Prescribed drug use – culturally explained (often ritualized), tend to be integrative • Proscribed drug use – individually shaped, may be dis/integrative (both to the individual and the culture)

25. The Basic Structure of Sacred Space “sacred” “profane”

26. Balche’ Ritual of the Lacandon Maya • Made from a tree (Lonchocarpus violaceus) that is allow to ferment • Active components: alcohol, longistylines • Rite of Intensification (collective use)

27. “rite of passage” sacred world liminality(the threshold) separation reintegration initial social status subsequent social status profane world

28. Peyote Use among the Huichol • Peyote cactus (Lophophora williamsii) contains mescaline and numerous other alkaloids • Used as an all purpose medicine and for ritual purposes

29. Datura Use among the Chumash • Datura wrightiicontains numerous tropane alkaloids (atropine, scopolamine) • Used in initiations, to acquire spirit helpers

30. Hoasca/Ayahuasca Psychotria viridis Banisteriopsis caapi

31. Chacrunacontains Dimethyltryptamines Visionary • Caapi contains • β-carbolines • Sedative • Hypnotic • MAO-inhibiting

32. Ayahuasca • Use for millennia in Amazon Basin and neighboring regions • May be the most commonly used hallucinogenic preparation in the world

33. Ayahuasca Churches Santo Daime • Founded in 1920s by Raimundo Irineu Serra • Combines Christian with indigenous & Mestizo religious elements

34. Ayahuasca Churches União de Vegetal • Founded in 1961 by Jose Gabriel da Costa (Mestre Gabriel) • UDV Church has U.S. presence

35. What can we say about Consciousness? It is dynamic It is different for each of us All cultures control the consciousness of their members Your consciousness is your most personal attribute