Hughes Ch.2

Hughes opens this chapter with remarks concerning the consciousness of our stone age ancestors. He notes that they too could have actively pursued attainment of altered states of consciousness and presents abstract shapes of Paleolithic cave paintings as being indicative of such a situation. I would not be surprised if Paleolithic humans did engage in ritualistic ceremonies which involved various different approaches to obtaining an altered state of consciousness before or during painting on cave walls. Nor would I be wholly surprised if some of their artwork was just the byproduct of an inexperienced artist using a relatively poor quality apparatus for painting images that depict he/her perception of the chaotic world he/she lived in. The majority of the most commonly cited examples of Paleolithic cave paintings, such as those at sites like Chauvet, Consquer and Lascaux, predominantly depicts fauna and not abstract symbols. These paintings do illustrate early mans adulation for the animals which provided his sustenance and demonstrates his ever-present focus and dependence on those animals.

If I remember correctly, the section discussing the shamans healing trance in ceremonial practices was described by on person as "part seance, part spectacle, and wholly performance." The majority of shamanistic practices could be portrayed in a similar light, while some could be better understood in a socio-political context. When studying certain Amerindian cultures one finds that shamans wielded the largest degree of political clout in their community. The peoples of California such as the Maidu, Yokut, Wiyot, Yurok, etc. both revered and feared their shaman. He was second in power only to the political leader, whose arbitrary role was more closely related to his mastery of ceremonial practices rather than to his military prowess. Shamans in this culture (as in many) were feareed for their knowledge of the future, control over the weather and perceived ability to both cure and cause illnesses. The religous leaders were at the apex of communal authority in the societies of the Pueblo peopels in the southwest as well. The strongest political authority rested in the hands of the religous clans such as the Kacina Cult, and not the village or tribe. The chiefdoms of the Southeast didn't have a shaman per se, but their relgious leader also happened to be the chief. It is this close relationship that shamans and religous leaders have to social and poltical organization and their access to the unknowable that makes their vocation easyily contextualized. At any rate, I wonder if Walsh will present any evidence that rituals and practices of the shaman positively affected the human mind and body. I'm more interested in the actual trance-like state of mind which results from meditation, yoga, or any other mental and physical activity, than considering the actual shamanistic practices as having any legitamate substantive aspects.

Walsh Ch.1 & 2

I was unaware that there has been a recent explosion of interest in shamanism. Unfortuantely I do not share Walsh's enthusiasm for the topic of shamans and their practices; however, I plan to remain indifferent toward the matters he will present throughout his book. Walsh proposed to "carefully examine" the criticism typically posed at shamanism, such it being a totally neurotic, entirely corrupt or the notion that it potentially pocesses superhuman qualities. Ultimately, Walsh dubs his perspective toward shamanism "assumptive minimalism," which he claims involves a combination of not being presumputous and retreating to agnosticism when all else fails. Given Walsh's scientific background and his professed moderate, objective approach to studying the topic at hand, I will be interested to see what evidence, findings and arguements he'll present in the future chapters of the text.