Ecstatic Religion by Michael M. Lewis
An anthropological study that surveys shamanism and spirit-possession traditions worldwide, arguing that ecstatic experiences—induced trances, possession, and visionary journeys—form a distinct mode of religious life with specific techniques, roles, and symbolic patterns. Using ethnographic examples and historical sources, it analyzes how ritual practices, cultural interpretations, and social structures shape these phenomena and their functions in healing, social regulation, and cosmological ordering. The work highlights the interplay between individual psychological states and communal frameworks that confer religious legitimacy and practical utility on ecstatic episodes.
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