Shamanistic healing is not simply a dyadic transaction between shaman and patient but a polyphonic experience where clients actively compete with the shaman to shape the session's discourse. A textual analysis of a curing session among the Aguaruna Jívaro of Peru shows that the ritual blends political and medical themes, revealing contradictions in a belief system where shamanism and sorcery are intertwined. Although the session may achieve symbolic closure, the shaman's revelations merely transfer disorder from the individual body to the broader political body.
Spirit possession healing in prerevolutionary China illustrates universal features of possession trance. The article examines social-psychological and neurophysiological explanations for how trance is induced and how it heals, using Chinese examples. Questions for future research are proposed.
This abstract describes three scholarly books on shamanism and traditional medicine in Asian societies. The first, edited by Connor and Samuel, examines the interplay between traditional healing practices, shamanism, and modern science across Asian cultures. The second, by Winkelman, proposes a neural-ecological framework linking shamanism to human consciousness and healing. The third, edited by Schenk and Rätsch, explores Western perspectives on shamans, healers, and medicine men. The works collectively argue that shamanic and traditional medical systems remain relevant and dynamic, challenging simplistic dichotomies between tradition and modernity.