Cultural Artifacts and the Oracular Trance States of the Sangoma in South Africa Part 3: Trance States of the Sangoma lthough the Sangoma uses herbs, he/she also heals on a psychological and interpersonal level. Claude Lévi-Strauss stated that a shaman is a "psychoanalyst."30 For Stanley Krippner, shamans represent the "first healers," who apply methods that closely parallel contemporary behavior therapy, chemotherapy, hypnotherapy, milieu therapy, family therapy, and dream interpretation.31 A more psychodynamic interpretation, would consider the healing and therapeutic functioning of trance states as resulting in the lowering of tension and the release of "bad objects" through abreaction, thereby creating a restorative emotional experience that enhances creativity.32 What most clearly distinguishes an herbalist from a Sangoma is the Sangoma’s use of shamanist trance states for healing. The Sangoma enters trance states in order to heal others and self. The trance states are oracular, imparting information about illnesses and about ways of curing them. The trance states that occur during dancing, lucid dreaming, and divination are all different from one another. During the trance state that the Sangoma enters while dancing, the ancestors, speaking through him/her, disclose future possibilities, reveal hidden agendas, interpret puzzling dreams, and find lost articles. The lucid dreams of a Sangoma may indicate a particular medicinal plant to be used for a patient, who may only visit him the following day. During divination, a gentle trance state is induced, and the ancestors "speak" to the Sangoma in a soft voice. Shamans across the world employ various inductive techniques to alter their states of consciousness 33 in order to bring about specific trance states. Besides such factors as the diviner’s mind-set, the setting, and the time chosen for the ritual, herbal medicines (muti) such as snuff (tobacco) and imphepho (the dried "English everlasting" plant) can aid in inducing a trance. Different techniques may involve any of various cultural artifacts, including dress, beads, rattles, drums, and shrines. The aesthetic component of such cultural artifacts is intrinsically linked with the production of trance states, which have an oracular and healing effect. CONTINUE
				30. Claude Lévi-Strauss, Structural Anthropology, vol. 1 (Middlesex: Penguin Books, 1963). 31. Stanley Krippner, "Shamans: The First Healers," in Gary Doore, ed., Shaman's Path: Healing, Personal Growth and Empowerment (London: Shambhala, 1988), pp. 101–14. 32. N. Field, "The Therapeutic Function of Altered States," Journal of Analytical Psychology 37 (1992), pp. 211–34. 33. Charles T. Tart, States of Consciousness (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1975).
		Home |  Works of Art |  Curatorial Departments |  Collection Database |  Features |  Timeline of Art History |  Explore & Learn |  The Met Store |  Membership |  Ways to Give |  Plan Your Visit |  Calendar |  The Cloisters |  Concerts & Lectures |  Educational Resources |  Events & Programs |  FAQs |  Special Exhibitions |  My Met Museum |  Press Room |  Met Podcast |  Site Index |  Now at the Met |  MuseumKids Photograph Credits Copyright © 2000–2008 The Metropolitan Museum of Art. All rights reserved.  Terms and Conditions | Privacy Policy.