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Toward a neurophysiological foundation for altered states of consciousness

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 April 2018

Shadab Tabatabaeian  and
Carolyn Dicey Jennings
Shadab Tabatabaeian
Affiliation:
University of California, Merced, CA 95343stabatabaeian@ucmerced.educjennings3@ucmerced.eduhttp://faculty.ucmerced.edu/cjennings3/
Carolyn Dicey Jennings
Affiliation:
University of California, Merced, CA 95343stabatabaeian@ucmerced.educjennings3@ucmerced.eduhttp://faculty.ucmerced.edu/cjennings3/
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Abstract

Singh's cultural evolutionary theory posits that methods of inducing shamanic altered states of consciousness differ, resulting in profoundly different cognitive states. We argue that, despite different methods of induction, altered states of consciousness share neurophysiological features and cause shared cognitive and behavioral effects. This common foundation enables further cross-cultural comparison of shamanic activities that is currently left out of Singh's theory.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 41 , 2018 , e87
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2018 

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