ANTHROPOLOGY OF CONSCIOUSNESS最新文献

Ketamine and esketamine are regularly prescribed in the United States as pharmaceutical interventions for treatment-resistant depression. Although ketamine's mode of action is distinct from classic psychedelics, patients frequently report similar alterations in consciousness, including experiences described as spiritual or religious. This article provides an overview of the Ketamine Integration Chaplaincy (KIC) program developed at a university teaching hospital, which provides spiritual care and integration support to patients receiving ketamine. This pilot program offers virtual, one-on-one support to patients and may be one of the first instances of a major hospital providing ketamine integration modeled on spiritual care. The program supported 50 patients and trained four student chaplains from 2022 to 2025. This article reviews the current literature on ketamine-assisted psychotherapy and discusses hospital chaplaincy's longstanding relationship to altered states of consciousness. It articulates why contemporary hospital chaplaincy techniques are well-suited for patients receiving ketamine and other psychedelic treatments. The article then presents the KIC program, including its genesis, training structure, and approach to integration. The article details the theory and practice of six chaplaincy competencies deployed by the KIC program: nondirective presence, facilitating meaning-making, spiritually supportive listening, altered states support, ritual design, and community care.

Healers of the Shipibo, known as onayas, reside in Eastern Peru and build relationships with plant spirits through dreams seen during a training process called samá. Since they comprehend the process of building relationships with plant spirits by interpreting their dreams, dream interpretation serves as the medium through which the onayas learn how to build relationships with plant spirits, ultimately acquiring the healing capacity to aid others. Focusing on this role of dreams, this study connects an onaya's interpretations of dreams seen during samá to Shipibo cosmology, and examines the onaya–plant spirit relationship formed in dreams through the lens of their cosmological beliefs. The analysis reveals a wide variety of relationships in which the onayas personalize each plant spirit while differentiating its unique representations.

This essay explores the intricate interplay between fear, consciousness, and human evolution, positing fear as a critical catalyst for the emergence of self-awareness. Beginning with the role of fear as a reflexive survival mechanism, the discussion extends to its evolutionary transformation into a driver of complex cognitive traits. By examining the gradual emergence of inner experience, the essay highlights how early humans transitioned from instinct-driven responses to self-awareness, enabling them to adapt to hostile environments. Integrating theories of emotional processing and adaptive function, the framework presented emphasizes the iterative nature of consciousness, shaped by environmental pressures and the necessity for survival. The essay further bridges evolutionary biology, neuroscience, and philosophy to provide a comprehensive understanding of consciousness as an adaptive tool. Ultimately, it underscores the pivotal role of emotions, particularly fear, in shaping human cognition and the dynamic trajectory of human evolution.

We use Critical Narrative Analysis (CNA) to examine collected apparitional accounts within the geographic region of Western Georgia in the United States. We discuss the extant local folklore on ghosts in the literature while providing a methodological backdrop. The analysis of the data yields four dominant discourses, which are countered in five salient ways: through (1) the extension of consciousness across space and time, (2) lucid perceptual experience, (3) the presence of anomalous phenomena, (4) adjudication to story and hearsay, and (5) consensual or repeated verification. We discuss the implications of these countermoves and recommend further critical research on exceptional experiences.

Joshua Falcon's comprehensive synthesis, “Anthropology of Psychedelics,” significantly addresses gaps in psychedelic anthropology, particularly urban practices in the Global North and decolonial considerations. This commentary expands upon Falcon's work by incorporating recent clinical studies and sociocultural analyses that reinforce his proposed directions. Empirical evidence from psilocybin-assisted group therapy among cancer patients highlights the critical role of therapeutic environments, aligning with Falcon's emphasis on “set and setting.” Moreover, recent investigations into psychedelic microdosing illustrate complex user-driven cultural dynamics, advocating deeper anthropological exploration of stigma management and integration practices. Hartogsohn's examination of socio-cultural microclimates and Rose's sociological application of Durkheim's “collective effervescence” further validate Falcon's theoretical approach. Ethical considerations regarding cultural appropriation and Indigenous epistemologies, as discussed by Dupuis and Veissiere, underscore the necessity of culturally sensitive frameworks in psychedelic research. This commentary advocates ongoing interdisciplinary collaboration to enrich the anthropological understanding of psychedelics, emphasizing clinical efficacy, sociocultural context, and ethical integrity.