Neuroanthropology of shamanic trance: a case study with a ritual specialist from Mexico.
Hugo Toriz, Antonella Fagetti, Guadalupe Terán-pérez, Roberto E Mercadillo
Frontiers in psychology January 1, 2024 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1325188 via PubMed
Summary
An 81-year-old Mexican shaman demonstrated a unique ability to enter trance states for healing through limpias and divination. Electroencephalographic recordings revealed alpha brain activity during concentration, indicating a hypnagogic-like state, along with beta and gamma oscillations that may reflect cognitive processes involved in action, attention, and memory integration. This case study highlights the interplay between biological brain functions and cultural practices in shaping altered states of consciousness.
Study at a glance
| Design | case study |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | an 81-year-old Mexican shaman |
| Key finding | Alpha activity was observed when the shaman concentrated, suggesting a hypnagogic-like state, while beta and gamma oscillations indicated cognitive processes related to trance. |
Abstract
In Mexico, shamans are recognized for the gift of entering a deep trance that allows them to know the origin of the diseases and conflicts that afflict people. They commonly treat patients through limpias (cleansing) to extract negative elements sent by a witch or that were "collected" in places that harbor "evil winds." We present a case study of an 81-year-old Mexican shaman who noticed her gift in childhood. Electroencephalographic recordings were made while the shaman performed three activities: reading cards to diagnose a patient and answer the questions he posed; limpia with chicken eggs, stones, and bells to absorb adverse "things"; and the incorporation trance through which the deceased is believed to occupy the shaman's body to use it as a communication channel. Alpha activity was observed when concentrated, suggesting a hypnagogic-like state. Predominant beta and gamma oscillations were observed, suggesting a potential plastic phenomenon that modulates the assimilation of external and internal referents guiding temporal schemes for action, attention, and the integration of mnemonic, sensory, and imaginative elements. We used a neuroanthropological approach to understand shamanic trance as a biological potential of the human brain to induce non-ordinary states of consciousness linked to cultural beliefs and practices.