“Not to Be Aware Anymore”: Indigenous Sumatran Ideas and Shamanic Experiences of Changed States of Awareness/Consciousness
Anthropology of Consciousness May 1, 2013 DOI: 10.1111/anoc.12001
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractAnthropologists studying altered states of consciousness (ASC) have argued for using local terms instead of psychological concepts. Drawing on fieldwork with the Orang Sakai of Sumatra, this paper shows that practitioners who use ASC do recognize changes in awareness as necessary for spiritual or numinous encounters. The paper also critically examines the term "ASC" itself.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Ethnography Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Orang Sakai of Sumatra |
| Key finding | Orang Sakai practitioners recognize altered states of awareness as preconditions for numinous interactions, and the term ASC is critically discussed. |
Abstract
AbstractAnthropologists working on altered states of consciousness (ASC) have suggested that we should do away with psychologizing concepts and use people's own terms for these experiences. With material drawn from the Orang Sakai of Sumatra this paper shows that practitioners who utilizeASCdo recognize the alteration of states of awareness as preconditions for numinous interactions. Also critically discussed is the termASC.