Abstract:
Shamanic trance is an altered state of consciousness used by shamanic practitioners to glean information to be used for the physical, psychological, or spiritual healing of others. Despite shamanic practices dating back to the paleolithic era, few studies of this unique non-pharamacological state of consciousness have been conducted. In the largest study of shamanic practitioners to date, Huels et al. demonstrated that shamanic practitioners endure a variety of EEG changes during shamanic trance, with several of these correlating with self-reported changes in experience. Additionally, the self-reported changes in experience endured by shamanic practitioners are comparable to (and sometimes exceed) those induced by psychedelics.
