The nose and altered states of consciousness: Tascodrugites and Ezekiel
HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies August 18, 2010 John J. Pilch
A reinterpretation of an ancient Christian practice suggests that placing a finger on the nostril during prayer, described by the Church Father Epiphanius among the Tascodrugites, may have been a deliberate technique to induce an altered state of consciousness. Drawing on anthropological and neurophysiological evidence, the gesture's capacity to affect brain function is explored as a pan-human potential. This framework is then applied to two biblical passages: Ezekiel 8:17 and Jesus' experience in the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:43-44), arguing that these texts may also describe similar practices for achieving altered states.