“Not to Be Aware Anymore”: Indigenous Sumatran Ideas and Shamanic Experiences of Changed States of Awareness/Consciousness
Anthropology of Consciousness May 1, 2013 Nathan Porath
Anthropologists 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.