Variability in Cultural Understandings of Consciousness: A Call for Dialogue with Native Psychologies

Summary

Indigenous concepts of consciousness offer valuable insights for contemporary science, revealing adaptive solutions in environmental and social contexts. This study explores the variability among Indigenous cultural understandings of consciousness, highlighting that these concepts are often intertwined with environmental and religious beliefs. Notably, it finds that Indigenous notions of global consciousness do not oppose local consciousness. The findings suggest that Indigenous perspectives could contribute meaningfully to current scientific discussions.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Investigation of Indigenous concepts and their meanings is highly inspirational for contemporary science because these concepts represent adaptive solutions in various environmental and social milieus. Past research has shown that conceptualizations of consciousness can vary widely between cultural groups from different geographical regions. The present study explores variability among a few of the thousands of Indigenous cultural understandings of consciousness. Indigenous concepts of consciousness are often relational and inseparable from environmental and religious concepts. Furthermore, this exploration of variability reveals the layers with which some Indigenous peoples understand their conscious experience of the world. Surprisingly, Indigenous understandings of global consciousness was found not to be in opposition to local consciousness. The final concluding section of this study discusses the usability of Indigenous concepts and meanings for recent scientific debates

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