Erika Bourguignon: A Portrait of the Anthropology of Consciousness
Anthropology of Consciousness June 1, 1999 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1525/ac.1999.10.2-3.50 via OpenAlex
Summary
Erika Bourguignon has significantly contributed to the anthropology of consciousness, focusing on topics like possession, altered states of consciousness, and shamanism. Her fieldwork in Haiti and collaborative work with Lenora Greenbaum have enriched her research. Notably, Melford Spiro recognized her as a leading authority in psychological anthropology, particularly regarding trance and possession, highlighting her resistance to postmodernist trends.
Study at a glance
| Key finding | Bourguignon is recognized as a preeminent psychological anthropologist and authority on trance, possession, and altered states of consciousness. |
|---|
Abstract
This is an interview with Erika Bourguignon, who has been a presence in the anthropology of consciousness for decades. Her work has examined possession, altered states of consciousness, religion, psychological anthropology, and shamanism. Her own fieldwork in Haiti has been augmented by book‐length comparative work with Lenora Greenbaum as well. In a 1996 article in Ethos, Melford Spiro notes that Bourguignon is a scholar who has resisted the trends of "postmodernists and interpretivists" and he describes her as "a preeminent psychological anthropologist as well as the premier anthropological authority on trance, possession, and altered states of consciousness."