Altered States in Human Rituals

Session Date: 
Mar 13, 2021
Speakers: 

If we adopt fairly mainstream definitions of both ritual and altered states of consciousness (ASCs), it is clear that they intersect in some cases but not others. Rituals, whether religious or not, only induce noticeably altered states if the ritual includes “induction techniques,” which many rituals do not. When rituals do involve the induction of ASCs, it tends to stabilize them and reinforce their value.

AttachmentSize
File 2021_03_13_09_Taves.mp41.18 GB