Shamanic Journeying Imagery, Constructivism and the Affect Bridge Technique

ABSTRACT Shamanic journeying imagery arguably occurs across cultures and historical epochs. However, to what extent is the content of the journeying imagery a construction of the shaman's cultural milieu, belief structures, autobiographical memories, and so forth. The present article finds the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Anthropology of consciousness 2005-12, Vol.16 (2), p.50-71
Main Authors: ROCK, ADAM J., BAYNES, PETER B.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Affect Bridge
constructivism
epistemology
imagery
shamanism
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Summary:ABSTRACT Shamanic journeying imagery arguably occurs across cultures and historical epochs. However, to what extent is the content of the journeying imagery a construction of the shaman's cultural milieu, belief structures, autobiographical memories, and so forth. The present article finds the literature inconclusive on this question. It is suggested that attempts to answer it face a fundamental methodological problem: how to detect contextual influences on imagery that the shaman cannot report on because they are outside his/her present consciousness and memory. The authors propose a partial solution: Watkins' (1971) Affect Bridge, a memory “uncovering” technique used in hypnosis. A non‐hypnotic version of the technique developed by one of the authors for inquiry into shamanic journeying imagery is then described.
ISSN:1053-4202
1556-3537
DOI:10.1525/ac.2005.16.2.50