Papers by Michael J . Winkelman
The International Encyclopedia of Anthropology, Sep 5, 2018
Anthropology of Consciousness, Sep 1, 2021
Journal of psychedelic studies, May 11, 2021
Crowley uses his personal engagement with Buddhism and a review and analysis of ancient texts as ... more Crowley uses his personal engagement with Buddhism and a review and analysis of ancient texts as a basis to address evidence for entheogenic substances in Tibetan Buddhism. Crowley provides a wide-ranging analysis of an idea that has gained increasing popularity-and controversy-that ancient Buddhist practices involved the use of entheogens. Crowley provides analyses of myth and ritual practices that reveal information regarding the identities of entheogenic sacraments of Buddhism and Hinduism. Crowley places his considerations of entheogen use in the context of the development of the Aryan peoples (Indo-European speakers) and the Indus Valley Civilization (IVC). In contrast to a longstanding view that the entheogenic soma traditions of the Vedas originated in the Indo-Aryan civilization, Crowley contends the Indo-Aryans obtained it from IVC. Depictions of ceramic strainers associated with soma ritual resemble much earlier artifacts of the Harappan civilization, indicating that the prototype Iranian haoma and Indic soma traditions derived from cultural transfer from the IVC sacramental practices. This interpretation is consistent with the lack of central psychoactive sacramental rituals among other ancient Indo-European cultures, the exceptions being the related soma of India and haoma in Iran. Further evidence of IVC origins of Vedic/Brahman deities comes from the Aryan deity Rudra, also identified with Agni ("fire") and Soma. Rudra appears to have been derived from a Dravidian deity that entered the Aryan belief system after they arrived in the Indus Valley since the characteristic features (an archer with horns and a tail) are represented on IVC seals. This background and arguments are, however, largely incidental to Crowley's main arguments. Crowley's analyses focus on a central myths of a more recent phase (since 500 BCE), the period that gave rise to new gods and heroes expressed in the epics Mah abh arata and the R am ayan _ a and myths known as pur an _ as ("ancient tales") that conveyed the beliefs of the non-Aryan Indian populations and supported the emergence of Vajray ana Buddhism. The meanings behind these Vajray ana deities nonetheless came from Hindu myth and ritual, and it is the tracing of these similarities between the deities of Hindu and Vajray ana in their characteristics that provides the basis of Crowley's arguments that Buddhist amr _ ita is the Vedic soma. Crowley's analysis focuses on the Vedic myth called The Churning of the Ocean, a later account of the origins of soma sacrament. Here we learn of how the Vedic gods stole soma from the asuras, a group outside of the castes that represented the shamanic practitioners of the IVC. Crowley analyzes and compares the Vedic account with the Tibetan Buddhist Vajray ana text Immaculate Crystal Garland which recounts the principal events of the Churning of the Ocean myth, showing its origins in the earlier Sanskrit version. The parallels between Tibetan Buddhist accounts of the origin of amr _ ita as described in The Immaculate Crystal Garland and the origins of soma as related in The Churning of the Ocean reveals the origins of the Buddhist amr _ ita in the Vedic soma. While soma and amr _ ita are used interchangeably in Hinduism, the entheogen is only referred to as amr _ ita in Vajray ana Buddhism. Crowley links the features of various Vajray ana deities to the red cap or other features of the fly agaric mushroom or the purple-necked Psilocybe cubensis. Another significant entheogenic feature involves one of the fourteen "treasures" Kamadhenu (meaning, "desire
Coding of magico-religious practitioners in a subsample of the SCCS
Social Science & Medicine, Jul 1, 2003
Neuroquantology, Mar 5, 2011
Although the term "shamanic" is used to refer to a diverse range of phenomena, it nonetheless ref... more Although the term "shamanic" is used to refer to a diverse range of phenomena, it nonetheless reflects something empirical. Cross-cultural research illustrates that the concept of the shaman reflects the existence of similar spiritual healing practices found in pre-modern foraging and simple horticultural and pastoral societies around the world (Winkelman, 1992; 2000). This cross-cultural concept of the shaman was initially proposed by the renowned scholar of comparative religion, Mircea Eliade (1964). However, his various characterizations of shamans were in part responsible for subsequent confusion regarding their exact nature and function. While offering very general characterizations of the shaman as someone who entered a state of "ecstasy" to interact with "spirits" on behalf of the community, Eliade also cited many additional specific concepts of the shaman which some subsequent researchers neglected in their applications of this term. This paper presents the findings of cross-cultural and crossspecies research that provides a basis for describing shamanism, its relationships to human nature, and its deep evolutionary origins. Shamanism has its bases in innate aspects of human cognition, engaging the use of altered states of consciousness to integrate information across several levels of the brain to produce visual symbolism exemplified in visionary experiences. The deeper evolutionary roots of shamanism are found in the capacities for ritual, which provide the most important communication and integrative processes in lower animal species. The evolution of shamanism can be deduced from these bases and the similarities of shamanic practices to the rituals of chimpanzees. Drumming, group vocalization, and other displays were the foundations from which the uniquely human mimetic capacity evolved and provided a basis for shamanism.
University of Arizona Press eBooks, 2005
Bikers converge at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Thousands flock to a Nevada ... more Bikers converge at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Thousands flock to a Nevada desert to burn a towering effigy. And the hopeless but hopeful ill journey to Lourdes as they have for centuries. Although pilgrimage may seem an antiquated religious ritual, it remains a vibrant activity in the modern world as pilgrims combine traditional motives'such as seeking a cure for physical or spiritual problems?with contemporary searches for identity or interpersonal connection. That pilgrimage continues to exercise such a strong attraction is testimony to the power it continues to hold for those who undertake these sacred journeys. This volume brings together anthropological and interdisciplinary perspectives on these persistent forms of popular religion to expand our understanding of the role of the traditional practice of pilgrimage in what many believe to be an increasingly secular world. Focusing on the healing dimensions of pilgrimage, the authors present case studies grounded in specific cultures and pilgrimage traditions to help readers understand the many therapeutic resources pilgrimage provides for people around the world. The chapters examine a variety of pilgrimage forms, both religious and non-religious, from Nepalese and Huichol shamanism pilgrimage to Catholic journeys to shrines and feast days to Nevada's Burning Man festival. These diverse cases suggest a range of meanings embodied in the concept of healing itself, from curing physical ailments and redefining the self to redressing social suffering and healing the wounds of the past. Collectively and individually, the chapters raise important questions about the nature of ritual in general, and healing through pilgrimage in particular, and seek to illuminate why so many participants find pilgrimage a compelling way to address the problem of suffering. They also illustrate how pilgrimage exerts its social and political influence at the personal, local, and national levels, as well as providing symbols and processes that link people across social and spiritual boundaries. By examining the persistence of pilgrimage as a significant source of personal engagement with spirituality, Pilgrimage and Healing shows that the power of pilgrimage lies in its broad transformative powers. As our world increasingly adopts a secular and atheistic perspective in many domains of experience, it reminds us that, for many, spiritual quest remains a potent force.
International Journal of Transpersonal Studies, Jul 1, 2012
This article reviews the origins of the concept of the shaman and the principal sources of contro... more This article reviews the origins of the concept of the shaman and the principal sources of controversy regarding the existence and nature of shamanism. Confusion regarding the nature of shamanism is clarified with a review of research providing empirical support for a cross-cultural concept of shamans that distinguishes them from related shamanistic healers. The common shamanistic universals involving altered states of consciousness are examined from psychobiological perspectives to illustrate shamanism's relationships to human nature. Common biological aspects of altered states of consciousness help explain the origins of shamanism while social influences on this aspect of human nature help to explain the diverse manifestations of shamanistic phenomena involving an elicitation of endogenous healing responses.
Time and Mind, 2010
Page 1. Time and Mind Volume 3Issue 2July 2010, pp. 159182 Time and Mind: The Journal of Archa... more Page 1. Time and Mind Volume 3Issue 2July 2010, pp. 159182 Time and Mind: The Journal of Archaeology, Consciousness and Culture Volume 3Issue 2 July 2010 pp. 159182 DOI 10.2752/175169610X12632240392758 Reprints available directly from the publishers ...
Anthropology of Consciousness, 2003
ABSTRACT Hank Wesselman. Spirit Walker Messages from the Future, Bantam Books, 1995; Medicine Mak... more ABSTRACT Hank Wesselman. Spirit Walker Messages from the Future, Bantam Books, 1995; Medicine Maker Mystic Encounters on the Shaman's Path, Bantam Books, 1998; Vision Seeker Shared Wisdom from the Place of Refuge, Hay House, Inc. 2001
Routledge eBooks, Sep 4, 2015
Human Organization, Jun 1, 1996
Anthropologists' understandings of cultural factors affecting behavior can assist in the developm... more Anthropologists' understandings of cultural factors affecting behavior can assist in the development of criminal defenses as a basis for establishing exculpating, extenuating, and mitigating circumstances. While the cultural defense is generally not recognized as a specific defense, cultural factors are admissible within traditional defenses. This article orients anthropologists to their potential contributions in criminal defenses by reviewing the legal context for establishing the relevance of cultural factors, with specific reference to the Model Penal Code. The article also reviews case materials where the author was appointed as an expert witness to illustrate how cultural factors may serve to establish mitigating circumstances during the preliminary, guilt and penalty phases of trials.
Ethnology, 1998
Ecological, religious, and social predictors of institutionalized human sacrifice are assessed th... more Ecological, religious, and social predictors of institutionalized human sacrifice are assessed through cross-cultural analysis. While human sacrifice has no signifcant correlations with measures of agricultural potential, protein, total food, food storage adequacy, and famine risk, there ...
Complementary Health Practice Review, Jul 1, 2001
Vision-inducing plants ("hallucinogens") are important in many societies, evoking powerful emotio... more Vision-inducing plants ("hallucinogens") are important in many societies, evoking powerful emotional, psychological, cognitive, religious, spiritual, therapeutic and political reactions. These substances' psychophysiological properties shape crosscultural similarities in patterns of use and experiences, while political factors shape their cultural desirability. Neurological studies illustrate that common effects are based in intervention in serotonergic neurotransmission. Effects upon neural, sensory, emotional, and cognitive processes stimulate integrative information processing, justifying a new term-"psychointegrators." Psychointegrators disinhibit sensory and emotional processes. They stimulate systemic integration of brain information-processing functions, enhancing integration of limbic system self and emotional dynamics with neocortical processes. Their therapeutic applications are reviewed from perspectives of cross-cultural and clinical studies. The use of hallucinogens or psychedelics as therapeutic and religious agents is reported
Religions, Jun 29, 2023
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
Religion, brain and behavior, Mar 14, 2023
Intellectica, 2017
Les altérations de la conscience manifestent une capacité énigmatique qui mobilise nos plus profo... more Les altérations de la conscience manifestent une capacité énigmatique qui mobilise nos plus profondes capacités de connaissance. Leurs manifestations rituelles et spontanées partagent à travers toutes les cultures de mêmes propriétés, manifestant des similitudes dans le vol de âme, la possession et les expériences mystiques, qui reflètent les caractéristiques intrinsèques de la nature et de la biologie humaines. Le lien entre la nature phénoménale de ces expériences et les processus physiologiques associés, nous fournit un cadre biologique qui nous permet identifier les origines et les fonctions de ces expériences. altération de la conscience résulte de la stimulation des systèmes de neuromodulation de la sérotonine, de la dopamine et des endocannabinoïdes. Le vol de âme chamanique se définit en termes phénoménologiques, neurologiques et épistémologiques en impliquant des modalités spécifiques de représentation de environnement, de soi, de autre, des attachements et des émotions. Les approches biologiques de altération de la conscience fournissent des bases pour la caractérisation de ces expériences en termes de mode de conscience intégratif spécifié par des modèles cérébraux à ondes lentes, qui synchronisent le cortex frontal avec des décharges provenant de niveaux anciens du cerveau. Cette perspective place les altérations de la conscience dans un cadre théorique qui illustre leur rôle dans évolution cognitive, adaptation et la spécialisation épistémique de homme.
Uploads
Papers by Michael J . Winkelman