Mental Imagery Cultivation as a Cultural Phenomenon: The Role of Visions in Shamanism [and Comments and Reply]

Noll, Richard; Achterberg, Jeanne; Bourguignon, Erika; George, Leonard; Harner, Michael J.; Honko, Lauri; Hultkrantz, Åke; Krippner, Stanley; Kiefer, Christie W.; Preston, Richard J.; Siikala, Anna-Leena; Vásquez, Iréne S.; Lex, Barbara W.; Winkelman, Michael

doi:10.1086/203305

Cited by 141 publications

(72 citation statements)

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“…If individuals with visual forms of synesthesia have enhanced visual imagery, this could be due to their everyday experiences of visual concurrents -a sort of practice effect --since improvements in imagery with practice have been shown elsewhere (Noll et al, 1985;Rodgers, Hall & Buckolz, 1991). If so, we would expect the enhanced imagery to be restricted to the modalities of the synesthesia.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Beyond visual imagery: How modality-specific is enhanced mental imagery in synesthesia?

Spiller

Jonas

Simner

et al. 2015

Consciousness and Cognition

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Synesthesia based in visual modalities has been associated with reports of vivid visual imagery. We extend this finding to consider whether other forms of synesthesia are also associated with enhanced imagery, and whether this enhancement reflects the modality of synesthesia. We used self-report imagery measures across multiple sensory modalities, comparing synesthetes' responses (with a variety of forms of synesthesia) to those of nonsynesthete matched controls. Synesthetes reported higher levels of visual, auditory, gustatory, olfactory and tactile imagery and a greater level of imagery use. Furthermore, their reported enhanced imagery is restricted to the modalities involved in the individual's synesthesia. There was also a relationship between the number of forms of synesthesia an individual has, and the reported vividness of their imagery, highlighting the need for future research to consider the impact of multiple forms of synesthesia. We also recommend the use of behavioral measures to validate these self-report findings.KEYWORDS: synesthesia, mental imagery, visual imagery, auditory imagery, gustatory imagery, tactile imagery, olfactory imagery Highlights: We compare self-reported mental imagery across many variants of synesthesia. Synesthetes report more vivid imagery than controls across multiple modalities. Enhanced imagery is limited to modalities involved in an individual's synesthesia. We advise researchers to consider the impact of multiple forms of synesthesia.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Beyond visual imagery: How modality-specific is enhanced mental imagery in synesthesia?

Spiller

Jonas

Simner

et al. 2015

Consciousness and Cognition

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show abstract

“…Ethnographic data, however, suggests that shamans tend to cultivate a mastery over journeying images (e.g., Noll, 1985), thus indicatingprovided one accepts Mercante's (2008) preceding argument-that shamanic journeying imagery is the result of an epistemological process involving memory recall and superimposition within a percipient's phenomenal space.…”

Section: Previous Experimental Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In other papers (e.g., Rock & Krippner, 2007a, 2007b, we have provided our rationale for replacing the term shamanic state of consciousness with shamanic pattern of phenomenal properties, and will use the latter term throughout this article. Noll (1985) asserted that an integral feature of shamanism is the utilization of "…techniques for inducing, maintaining, and interpreting the experience of enhanced visual mental imagery" (p. 445). Similarly, Peters (1989) stated that, "The shaman is a visualizer…" (p. 130) who relies on this modality to access transpersonal realms.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Some Rudimentary Problems Pertaining to the Construction of an Ontology and Epistemology of Shamanic Journeying Imagery

Rock¹,

Krippner²

2008

IJTS

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“…This visual information system links domains of experience, integrating somatic, psychological, and cognitive levels through visual images and analogical processes (Noll, 1985;Winkelman, 2000). These visual symbol systems provide advantages in engaging an analogic system of analysis, synthesis, and planning through visual images.…”

Section: The Shamanic "Soul Journey"mentioning

confidence: 99%

Shamanism and the Evolutionary Origins of Spirituality and Healing

Winkelman

2011

Neuroquantology

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Although the term "shamanic" is used to refer to a diverse range of phenomena, it nonetheless reflects something empirical. Cross-cultural research illustrates that the concept of the shaman reflects the existence of similar spiritual healing practices found in pre-modern foraging and simple horticultural and pastoral societies around the world (Winkelman, 1992;. This cross-cultural concept of the shaman was initially proposed by the renowned scholar of comparative religion, Mircea Eliade (1964). However, his various characterizations of shamans were in part responsible for subsequent confusion regarding their exact nature and function. While offering very general characterizations of the shaman as someone who entered a state of "ecstasy" to interact with "spirits" on behalf of the community, Eliade also cited many additional specific concepts of the shaman which some subsequent researchers neglected in their applications of this term. This paper presents the findings of cross-cultural and crossspecies research that provides a basis for describing shamanism, its relationships to human nature, and its deep evolutionary origins. Shamanism has its bases in innate aspects of human cognition, engaging the use of altered states of consciousness to integrate information across several levels of the brain to produce visual symbolism exemplified in visionary experiences. The deeper evolutionary roots of shamanism are found in the capacities for ritual, which provide the most important communication and integrative processes in lower animal species. The evolution of shamanism can be deduced from these bases and the similarities of shamanic practices to the rituals of chimpanzees. Drumming, group vocalization, and other displays were the foundations from which the uniquely human mimetic capacity evolved and provided a basis for shamanism.

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Mental Imagery Cultivation as a Cultural Phenomenon: The Role of Visions in Shamanism [and Comments and Reply]

Cited by 141 publications

References 50 publications

Beyond visual imagery: How modality-specific is enhanced mental imagery in synesthesia?

Beyond visual imagery: How modality-specific is enhanced mental imagery in synesthesia?

Some Rudimentary Problems Pertaining to the Construction of an Ontology and Epistemology of Shamanic Journeying Imagery

Shamanism and the Evolutionary Origins of Spirituality and Healing

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