scholarly journals Altered States of Consciousness and Charismatic Authority

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-22
Author(s):  
Olav Hammer ◽  
Karen Swartz
Keyword(s):  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Altered States Of Consciousness ◽  
The Other ◽  
Altered States ◽  
States Of Consciousness ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
Charismatic Authority

Charisma is an unstable basis upon which to build authority. Charismatic leaders need their followers to perceive them as being endowed with extraordinary, even supernatural, gifts. Detractors can in turn question whether the leader actually possesses these unique qualities. Using Judith von Halle and her conflicts with the Anthroposophical Society as a case study, we address the question of how charismatic authority can be constructed and deconstructed in polemical texts. At various points throughout her career, Von Halle has made extraordinary claims. She presents herself as being clairvoyant and as having received stigmata. Anthroposophists who believe these claims cite them as their reasons for regarding her doctrinal statements as being trustworthy. Skeptical Anthroposophists, on the other hand, question her experiences and motives. Using a theoretical framework inspired by Foucault and Bourdieu, we discuss how both camps discuss von Halle’s charismatic status in terms that are opaque to outsiders unfamiliar with Anthroposophical discourse.

Occurrence of Altered States of Consciousness among Students: Profoundly and Superficially Altered States in Wakefulness

1993 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 231-247 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrzej Kokoszka
Keyword(s):  
Everyday Life ◽  
Questionnaire Survey ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Integrated Model ◽  
Altered States Of Consciousness ◽  
The Other ◽  
Altered States ◽  
States Of Consciousness ◽  
Natural Tendency ◽  
Cognitive Disturbances

In a questionnaire survey waking altered states of consciousness (ASC) are found to be common among 174 Polish students. The experience of Superficially Altered States of Consciousness (SACS) was reported by 96 percent of subjects and more than half of them had such experiences often. Whereas an experience of Profoundly Altered States of Consciousness (PASC) was confirmed by 75 percent and about one-third of them had them often. The comparison of the experiences accompanying the ASC indicates that SASC are characterized by disturbances in experiencing the reality and oneself combined with positive, pleasant feelings and with quietness. On the other hand, PASC are accompanied by experiences related to an absolute, universal, eternal, and existential or religious matters. PASC are accompanied by extremely strong positive emotions of happiness, total love, etc. and are experienced as more rational than SASC, and with significantly less feelings of cognitive disturbances than in SASC. The comparison of circumstances of the ASC occurrence, indicates that SASC occur in usual and common states and situation of everyday life, whereas PASC mainly in the context of religion and nature. The congruence of these findings with an integrated model of the main states of consciousness suggests a natural tendency for a cyclical occurence of ASC, or more precisely, the differentiated waking states of consciousness.

scholarly journals The Ritual Play and Altered States of Consciousness: the psychophysical processes in actor creation work

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Leônidas Oliveira Neto ◽  
Robson Carlos Haderchpek
Keyword(s):  
Performing Arts ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Altered States Of Consciousness ◽  
The Other ◽  
Altered States ◽  
Laboratory Practice ◽  
Creative Processes ◽  
States Of Consciousness ◽  
Cerebral Physiology ◽  
Bibliographic Study

ABSTRACT This article discusses the psychophysical processes of the actor from a laboratory practice developed with the Arkhétypos Group. The exposition presented is the result of the meeting of two researchers, one from the Performing Arts area and the other from Physiology, generating an interdisciplinary discussion about the Ritual Theater. This article analyzes two creative processes experienced by the authors and proposes an approximation with the theory of transient hypofrontality. The methodological approach is based on the anecdotal evidence and a rigorous bibliographic study. The partial results of the research help us understand what happens to the cerebral physiology of the actor who enters the ritual play.

Mad Speculation and Absolute Inhumanism: Lovecraft, Ligotti, and the Weirding of Philosophy

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 203-228
Keyword(s):  
Gilles Deleuze ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Altered States Of Consciousness ◽  
Felix Guattari ◽  
Altered States ◽  
Speculative Realism ◽  
States Of Consciousness ◽  
Theoretical Tool ◽  
Weird Fiction ◽  
The Absolute

How does one redefine the boundary between madness and rationality? This is the question that launches Ben Woodard on a discussion of the methods for accessing the Absolute or what he refers to as the Great Outdoors. Immanuel Kant’s theoretical framework with its “legalistic” norms is the first target of his criticism, which argues that Kant’s bulwark shielding rationality from madness is untenable. Kant had “circled his wagons” against madness in order to clearly distinguish philosophical speculation from the ravings of a madman, but that defense deprived philosophy of the capacity to describe reality as it is. Speculative realism positions itself as an alternative to Kant that holds out the promise of access to the Great Outdoors; therefore it must somehow distinguish philosophy from madness. Rather than indulging in the “mad speculation” or theoretical permissiveness of some followers of Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari in order to leave the narrow limits of reason behind, Woodard applies the thinking of Thomas Ligotti and Howard Lovecraft to make a two-pronged attack on anthropocentrism. Lovecraft represents a “shoggothic materialism” that energizes the horror of formless matter, while Ligotti represents a “ventriloquist idealism” highlighting the inherent horror of having a consciousness. Weird fiction then is no longer a literary excuse for madness that justifies pursuit of after stunning imagery at the expense of meaning, but is instead an important theoretical tool for grounding the external as such. What is ultimate is not attainable through altered states of consciousness or otherwise distorting language or bodily being. To the contrary, it is reached by rather tedious work with a text which is itself already positioned in the Outdoors with respect to the reader.

scholarly journals Ecstasy research in the 20th century – an introduction

1982 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nils Holm
Keyword(s):  
20Th Century ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Altered States Of Consciousness ◽  
The Other ◽  
Altered States ◽  
Field Of Study ◽  
Similar Tendency ◽  
States Of Consciousness ◽  
Vast Area ◽  
Technical Terms

Scholars have always been interested in distinctive phenomena in culture and religion. Thus the accounts and achievements of yogis and mystics received attention at an early stage. There is a similar tendency with shamans, different kinds of sorcerers and with the "group-hysterical" phenomena that have appeared from time to time. There is, on the other hand, no major collection of research contributions on all the phenomena belonging to this field. Before proceeding to discuss some of the research produced over this vast area, some of the technical terms and concepts current in this field of study need to be introduced: ecstasy, trance, mysticism, possession, and altered states of consciousness.

Sadomasochism as a path to altered states of consciousness

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
James K. Ambler ◽  
Ellen M. Lee ◽  
Kathryn R. Klement ◽  
Tonio Loewald ◽  
Brad J. Sagarin
Keyword(s):  
Altered States Of Consciousness ◽  
Altered States ◽  
States Of Consciousness
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