Ritual States of Consciousness: A Way of Accounting for Anomalies in the Observation and Explanation of Spirit Possession
Anthropology of Consciousness December 1, 1995 Wallace W. Zane
Anthropological studies of spirit possession are confused because researchers struggle to distinguish culture-specific categories of altered consciousness from analytical ones. Theories either describe local contexts without reference to outside theories, making comparison impossible, or apply externally derived categories that lack local relevance. To enable cross-cultural comparison while respecting cultural beliefs, the author proposes focusing on "ritual states of consciousness" rather than simply altered states, which may or may not be spirit possession by different criteria. This approach is tested by analyzing the Spiritual Baptists of St. Vincent and other Caribbean religions.