Wondrous Events: Foundations of Folk Belief

McClenon, James; Edwards, Emily

doi:10.1037/e502492011-001

Cited by 20 publications

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“…Expectations likely influence an experiencer's interpretation of certain features of the NDE, but they do not appear to influence the experience itself: Children who are too young to have internalized expectations of death or of an afterlife describe the same NDE features as do adults (Bush 1983;Herzog and Herrin 1985;Morse et al 1986), cross-cultural studies show few differences in NDE content from differing societies (Holck 1978-79;McClenon 1994), and NDE descriptions are not affected by the experiencer's prior knowledge of NDEs or expectations of the dying process or of an afterlife (Athappilly, Greyson, and Stevenson 2006;Greyson 1991;Greyson and Stevenson 1980). The enhancement of mental functioning at a time when the brain is physiologically impaired, as well as the paranormal and otherworldly experiences, are not easily explained by materialistic models.…”

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confidence: 99%

Near‐death Experiences and Spirituality

Greyson

2006

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Some individuals when they come close to death report having experiences that they interpret as spiritual or religious. These so-called near-death experiences (NDEs) often include a sense of separation from the physical body and encounters with religious figures and a mystical or divine presence. They share with mystical experiences a sense of cosmic unity or oneness, transcendence of time and space, deeply felt positive mood, sense of sacredness, noetic quality or intuitive illumination, paradoxicality, ineffability, transiency, and persistent positive aftereffects. Although there is no relationship between NDEs and religious belief prior to the experience, there are strong associations between depth of NDE and religious change after the experience. NDEs often change experiencers' values, decreasing their fear of death and giving their lives new meaning. NDEs lead to a shift from ego-centered to other-centered consciousness, disposition to love unconditionally, heightened empathy, decreased interest in status symbols and material possessions, reduced fear of death, and deepened spiritual consciousness. Many experiencers become more empathic and spiritually oriented and express the beliefs that death is not fearsome, that life continues beyond, that love is more important than material possessions, and that everything happens for a reason. These changes meet the definition of spiritual transformation as "a dramatic change in religious belief, attitude, and behavior that occurs over a relatively short period of time." NDEs do not necessarily promote any one particular religious or spiritual tradition over others, but they do foster general spiritual growth both in the experiencers themselves and in human society at large.

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Section: Zygonmentioning

confidence: 99%

Near‐death Experiences and Spirituality

Greyson

2006

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“…All these evolutionary theories link religious and anomalous experiences with physiological processes and regard experiential events as the basis for religious belief. D' Aquili and Newberg (1998)are particularly clear in specifying physiological processes regarding mystical experiences, based on common features within mystical episodes.We argue that anomalous accounts from a wide variety of cultures (Europe, Asia, United States) also reveal common features ( McClenon 1994McClenon , 2000McClenon ,2002. Although societies vary in their interpretation of apparitions, waking extrasensory perceptions, paranormal dreams, out-of-body experiences, psychokinesis, and sleep paralysis, their perceptions contribute to somewhat similar beliefs in spirits, souls, lifeafter death, andanomalous capacities, the foundation of shamanism.…”

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confidence: 82%

“…The North Carolina collection consists of 1446 anomalous experience narrati v esgathered by undergraduate students between 1988 and 1996 (McClenon 1994(McClenon , 2000(McClenon , 2002. The…”

Section: The North Carolina Collectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Second, many anomalous experiences are at variance with their host culture and cannot be attributed to it. People in all societies report experiences they previously believed impossible or which clashed with accepted beliefs.Third, research indicates that various formsof anomalous experience (apparitions, waking extrasensory perceptions, paranormal dreams, out-of-body and near-death experience, psychokinesis, sleep paralysis) reveal common narrative featuresall over the world and over the ages (McClenon 1994(McClenon ,1997 .Accounts from modern hunter/gatherers, medieval Europeans, and medieval Asians correspond with those reported by modem Asians, Europeans, andAmericans. Most observers attribute such recurring features to physiological bases.…”

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confidence: 94%

“…A parallel argument is that the genetic basis for religion developed in response to anticipatory anxiety associated with frontal and temporal lobe development (Schumaker 1995).The ritual healing theory portrays religion as resulting from hominid therapeutic rituals which selected for genotypes related to hypnotic/ shamanic suggestibility, a trait associated with the propensity for experiences leading to rel igious beliefs (McClenon 1997(McClenon ,2002 .This theory argues that those more suggestible werehealed more oftenby shamanicrituals; asa result, they passed on their genes to future generations more frequently than those not benefitting from healing rituals.The evolutionary processes selecting for these genotypes shaped the physiological basis for religiosity. Much evidence links shamanism,hypnotic processes, anomalous experiences, resulting folk beliefs, and ritual healing (Cardena 1988;Cardena, Lynn, and Krippner 2000;McClenon 1994McClenon ,2002. Sincehypnoticsuggestibility has been demonstrated to have genetic basis (Morgan 1973) and is correlated with the incidence of anomalous experience, the theory posits that hominid therapeutic rituals selected for genotypes facilitating experiences producing shamanism, humankind's first religion.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Anomalous Experiences Reported by Field Anthropologists: Evaluating Theories Regarding Religion

McClenon

Nooney

2002

Anthropol of Consciousness

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Content analysis of published accounts of 40 anomalous experiences reported by 16anthropologists allows qualitative evaluationof elements within evolutionary theories pertaining to religion .The analysis supports findings from previous studies indicating that certain anomalous experienceshave cross-culturally consistent features. Narrative and structural features within the anthropologists' accounts coincide with those gathered in northeastern North Carolina and many other areas.The data also reveal the capacity of these episodes to transform belief, supporting an experiential source theory regarding faith in spirits, souls, life after death, and magical abilities.The narratives indicate that anomalous perceptions cause some anthropologists to consider novel theories.This study supports evolutionary explanations for the origin of religion and provides predictions regarding research directionsinanthropology.KCTivorols.anomaiousexpcrienccamii/opo/og* of religion, spiritual healing Comparison of anomalousexperiences reported by professional anthropologists to those of lay people allows evaluation of arguments regarding the relation of these perceptions to religious beliefs. Although the anomalous experiences reported by anthropologists are parallel to those described by lay people, anthropologiststendtointerprettheirperceptionsdifrerently.The present analysiscoincides with prev ious studies which support biological evolutionary theories regarding the origin of religion (d'Aquili, Laughlin, and McManus 1979; d'Aquili and Although some sociologists portray religion as totally a product of culture, studies of twins indicate that religious interests, attitudes, and values have genetic basis (Waller, et al. 1990) .Three Anthropology of Consciousness 13(2):46-60.

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Shamanism and Cognitive Evolution (with comments)

Winkelman

2002

CAJ

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Shamanic referents in Upper Palaeolithic cave art indicate its pivotal role in the Middle–Upper Palaeolithic transition. Etic models of shamanism derived from cross-cultural research help articulate the shamanic paradigm in cave art and explicate the role of shamanism in this transition. Shamanism is found cross-culturally in hunter-gatherer societies, constituting an ecological and psychosociobiological adaptation that reflects the ritual and cosmology of early modern humans. Shamanism played a role in cognitive and social evolution through production of analogical thought processes, visual symbolism and group-bonding rituals. Universals of shamanism are derived from innate modules, particularly the hominid ‘mimetic controller’ and music and dance. These induced altered states of consciousness, which produce physiological, cognitive, personal and social integration through integrative brain-processing. Shamanic altered states of consciousness have the cross-modal integration characteristic of the emergent features of Palaeolithic thought and facilitated adaptations to the ecological and social changes of the Upper Palaeolithic. Cross-modular integration of innate modules for inferring mental states (mind), and social relations (self/others), and understanding the natural world (classificatory schemas) produced the fundamental forms of trope (metaphor) that underlay analogical representation. These integrations also explain animism (mental and social modules applied to natural domains); totemism (natural module applied to social domain); and guardian spirit relations (natural module applied to self and mental domains).

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Wondrous Events: Foundations of Folk Belief

Cited by 20 publications

References 0 publications

Near‐death Experiences and Spirituality

Near‐death Experiences and Spirituality

Anomalous Experiences Reported by Field Anthropologists: Evaluating Theories Regarding Religion

Shamanism and Cognitive Evolution (with comments)

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