Blog #5

“Since trance-induced forms of knowledge and experience run sharply counter to Western practice, it is hard to evaluate the genuineness of the shaman’s achievement” (21). This quote captures the question which kept running through my mind as I read this chapter. Is the work done by men who are in a trance or under the influence of hallucinogens legitimate? I pondered this question the most while I was reading about the shamans and Dionysus.
According to the book the purpose of a shaman was to help people make the connection between the physical and spiritual world. He benefited the community by connecting with the spiritual world and bringing back what he saw. In other words, “the shaman’s creativity is valued according to the benefits he or she brings the people: healing, prediction, and knowledge” (21). Yet, with my Western mindset which stigmatizes the use of hallucinogens, I have to wonder how effectual the shamans’ work was. Did they have real spiritual experiences, or was it simply the effects of the drugs? Also, did they have influence when they were not in an altered state, or did all their “healing” come from an altered state?
I suppose these questions bring up my principle question. Is there really something to hallucinogenic experiences or are they just what their name implies; hallucinations? I feel also that with more information about the shamans this question could be answered. It’s not covered in the book, but I would like to know how effective the shamans were in their healing. Did the people they worked with experience better health and lifestyles as a result of the shamans, or did their lives remain basically the same? If there was an improvement in living conditions I would say there might be something to the shamans’ hallucinogenic quests, but unfortunately this is not covered in the book.
Similar questions came to mind as I read about Dionysus. It’s said in the book that “masked dancers performed the cult of Dionysus, embodying the invisible forces that worked through them” (28). This idea that Dionysus’ followers were in touch with the spiritual is an interesting concept, but I question its validity. From what I know about Dionysus’ festivals they were basically just a wild party in which all the people did was drink and have sex. So this again brings up my question about the validity of altered state experiences. Was the alcohol used in these experiences a way to come in contact with “invisible forces” or were they just plain drunk?
After reading the four chapters I guess I came out with more questions than answers. There’s no need to recap all the questions I asked in my blog, but I will end by mentioning one place in the book that I feel matches up with my own experiences. In the section about rock and roll Hughes likens that style of music to the “hypnotic quality of the shaman’s mystic drumming” (26). I have noticed too that with certain rock and roll songs the beat has an engulfing, “zone out” quality. I just thought it was interesting that this was something I had before noticed about rock and then it showed up in the book.