Faculty Forum to Examine Shamanistic Healing

The Truman Faculty Forum will continue with “Shamanistic Healing: Spirits, Culture and Bodies in Brazil” by Dereck Daschke, professor of philosophy and religion, at 7 p.m. Feb. 25 in Baldwin Little Theater.

Presentation Abstract:
Shamanic ritual performances may be both the earliest form of religion and the earliest form of medicine in human cultures. Cross-culturally, shamans are known to enter into altered states of consciousness where they interact with spirits, animals, ancestors and other forms of supernatural power. In this state they lead communities in ceremonies that encourage the trance state in the group as a whole, increasing social bonding and creating a shared, symbolic identity. Even though the traditional cultures in which shamanism originated have all but disappeared today, shamanistic healing continues to exist in variety of ways around the world. One of the places where modern shamanic forms are most prominent is Brazil. Daschke will present his understanding of how healing and culture work together in shamanic ritual, based on the interdisciplinary body of literature that addresses this subject and his own experiences and observations in Brazil.