The role of the body in Kalahari San healing dances

Low, Chris

doi:10.3828/hgr.2015.3

Cited by 13 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 0 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…This then encouraged the formation of larger social groups, and these were further established by the creation of buildings for worship, such as churches, and individuals specializing in religious practices, such as shamans. There is evidence supporting the trance hypothesis (e.g., Balbuena et al, 2013 ; Winkelman, 2004 , Low ( 2015 )). Dein ( 2020 ) further suggests that the development of the ability to experience the breakdown of ego, i.e., to be in a transcendental state could had led to enhancement of social bonding.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 92%

A “random group of misfits” or being “part of something bigger”? Exploring experiences of attending a non-religious congregation

Blackburn

Jim

Paltoglou

2022

International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Purpose Religion is an important part of many people’s lives and there is some evidence that attending church or other religious congregations is positively associated with psychological well-being. However, religious participation is declining in Western Europe and North America. Sunday Assembly is a non-religious gathering that intends to provide a similar communal experience and a sense of spirituality to the church, but without the religious element. In the current study, we aimed to explore the experiences of and motivations for attending a non-religious congregation in relation to well-being. Methods A qualitative approach was taken, gathering data through semi-structured interviews with participants from Sunday Assembly congregations across England. Results Thematic analysis was used and three key themes were found: (1) searching for meaning and community, (2) Sunday Assembly as protective of mental health, and (3) loneliness in a crowd. Conclusions Sunday Assembly can provide a sense of belonging and improvement in mental health through shared experience and spirituality, and it can act as a coping mechanism during difficult times. Further research could explore the benefits of Sunday Assembly upon attendee’s mental health, test the effectiveness of Sunday Assembly as a coping mechanism, and whether continued attendance improves mood over time.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 92%

A “random group of misfits” or being “part of something bigger”? Exploring experiences of attending a non-religious congregation

Blackburn

Jim

Paltoglou

2022

International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Low (e.g. Low 2012Low , 2007Low , 2009Low , 2015, who mainly worked on KhoeSan healing, and Guenther, who worked on San cosmologies (e.g. Guenther , 2020aGuenther , 2020b, mention the Hai||om occasionally.…”

Section: People and Beings-beyond-the Humanmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mapping the Unmappable?

Roche¹

2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This research was undertaken within the framework of the Collaborative Research Centre 806 Our Way to Europe, funded by the German Research Foundation. Support was also provided by the DFG-AHRC project Etosha-Kunene-Histories (www.etosha-kunenehistories.net). I would like to thank all the contributors for their inspiring input that has influenced my own thinking around the topic. I owe my special thanks to Thomas

show abstract

“…While not perfect replicas of Stone Age populations, studies of the San Bushmen of southern Africa indicate that shamanic rituals are explicitly linked to the generation of transcendent experiences and the resolution of social conflict. Low (2015) argues that San healers deploy sophisticated techniques of manipulating the body and mind to attain specific goals, including the ability to heal, experience of extreme empathy, feelings of transcendence and experience of transforming into animals. Dunbar (2014) notes that trance dances occur among members of this group at times of social conflict within the extended community and restore equilibrium.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transcendence, religion and social bonding

Dein

2020

Archive for the Psychology of Religion

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This article examines the relationship between religion, transcendence and social bonding. I speculate that the capacity to undergo transcendent experiences facilitated social bonding. Following a discussion of Gorelik’s typology of transcendence, it examines the relationship between ritual, transcendence and bonding with an emphasis on singing, dancing and synchrony. It then moves on to explore theory of mind and transcendence. Finally, transcendent emotions like compassion, admiration, gratitude, love and awe will be discussed. I conclude by arguing that transcendence originates from group-level selection.

show abstract

The role of the body in Kalahari San healing dances

Cited by 13 publications

References 0 publications

A “random group of misfits” or being “part of something bigger”? Exploring experiences of attending a non-religious congregation

A “random group of misfits” or being “part of something bigger”? Exploring experiences of attending a non-religious congregation

Mapping the Unmappable?

Transcendence, religion and social bonding

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About