Altered States of Consciousness within a General Evolutionary Perspective: A Holocultural Analysis
Erika Bourguignon, Thomas L. Evascu
Behavior Science Research August 1, 1977 DOI: 10.1177/106939717701200303 via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA reanalysis of earlier data finds that the cultural patterning of altered states of consciousness (trance) follows a general evolutionary scale of sociocultural behavior. Global correlations using holocultural methodology show trance type to be positively correlated with four evolutionary variables: two related to societal complexity and two related to subsistence economy.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Reanalysis of data from earlier studies Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Societies studied in earlier data |
| Citations | 76 |
| Key finding | Trance type is positively correlated with four selected evolutionary variables related to societal complexity and subsistence economy. |
Abstract
This paper represents a reanalysis of data from earlier studies sup porting the hypothesis that cultural patterning of altered states of con sciousness (trance) conforms to a monothetic general evolutionary scale of sociocultural behavior. Global correlations using holocultural method ology show trance type to be positively correlated with four selected evolutionary variables, two related to societal complexity and two related to subsistence economy.