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952The Splendid and the Savage: The Dance of the Opposites in Indigenous Andean ThoughtJournal of Transpersonal Research 4 (1). 2013.One of the most well-known and defining characteristics of indigenous Andean thought is its adherence to a “complementary dualism” in which the “opposites” of existence are viewed as interdependent parts of a harmonious whole. This is in many ways in stark contrast to Western philosophical models, which have historically tended towards an “antagonistic dualism,” the view that the opposites are engaged in an eternal struggle for dominance. This paper considers how a culture’s relationship to the …Read more
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633Doing Consciousness Studies at Goddard CollegeAnthropology of Consciousness 18 (1): 51-64. 2007.In the first part of this article we briefly describe the design and development of a Consciousness Studies concentration at Goddard College, a student centered, progressive educational institution in the northeastern United States. We emphasize the tensions we experienced between different orientations in Consciousness Studies and especially the one related to the scientific and transpersonal ends of the spectrum of consciousness. In the second part, we relate the scientific‐transpersonal issue…Read more
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452Clock System or Cloud System?: Applying Popper's Metaphor to the Study of Human ConsciousnessParanthropology 3 (4). 2012.The question of what human consciousness “is,” how it “works,” and what it “does” is currently being approached by myriad fields of study, each with their own particular goals and research techniques. But despite the undeniably complex nature of this enigmatic phenomenon, the prevailing scientific and institutional paradigm seems to imply that only quantitative, experimentally focused approaches are a worthy means of illuminating “truth” about human consciousness. In this paper, I begin by borr…Read more
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94Expanding Western Definitions of Shamanism: A Conversation with Stephan Beyer, Stanley Krippner, and Hillary S. WebbAnthropology of Consciousness 24 (1): 57-75. 2013.Where has the Western attraction to the study and practice of shamanic techniques brought us? Where might it take us? In what ways have our Western biases and philosophical underpinnings influenced and changed how shamanism is practiced, both in the West and in the traditional cultures out of which they emerged? Is it time to stop using the umbrella term “shamanism” to refer to such diverse cross-cultural practices? What are our responsibilities, both as researchers and as spiritual seekers? In …Read more
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52Book review: Altered states of consciousness and psi: An historical survey and research prospectus (parapsychological monograph series no. 18). Edward F. Kelly and Rafael G. Locke (review)Anthropology of Consciousness 21 (2): 224-226. 2010.
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31:Intelligence in Nature: An Inquiry into KnowledgeAnthropology of Consciousness 18 (1): 116-118. 2007.
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31The Use of Peyote as Treatment for Alcoholism within the NAC Community: Reflections on a StudyAnthropology of Consciousness 22 (2): 234-244. 2011.What are the ethical obligations of a researcher who wishes to study another culture's ceremonial practices, in particular those of the Native American Church (NAC)? What promise do peyote and the NAC peyote ceremony show for the treatment of alcoholism amongst NAC members? How does one approach the philosophical issues regarding “consciousness” within the context of such a study? In this interview, Dr. John Halpern, M.D., discusses how the fields of medicine and anthropology converged and infor…Read more
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26Communitas: The Anthropology of Collective Joy, Edith Turner. New York: Palgrave MacMillan, 2012. 258 pp. ISBN 978‐0‐230‐33908‐8, $28 (review)Anthropology of Consciousness 24 (1): 82-84. 2013.
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20Dance of the Deer Foundation Center for Shamanic Studies P.O. Box 699 Soquel , CA 5073 (831) 475–9560 (tel) (831) ... shamanism.com www.shamanism.com Sponsors seminars, pilgrimages, and ongoing study groups throughout the world ...
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20Editor's Note: Call for Managing Editor, Anthropology of ConsciousnessAnthropology of Consciousness 22 (2): 102-102. 2011.
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17Traveling Between the Worlds: Conversations with Contemporary ShamansHampton Roads. 2004.For anyone who’s ever had the desire to look at the world through the eyes of our indigenous ancestors, here is a unique opportunity. Traveling between the Worlds is a treasure trove of insight and exploration into the ancient spiritual wisdom of such diverse cultures as Ireland, Africa, and the Americas. The keeper of this wisdom is the shaman—a man or woman who can, at will, enter into altered states of consciousness in order to acquire extrasensory knowledge and healing power. In this impor…Read more
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13Yanantin and Masintin in the Andean World: Complementary Dualism in Modern Peru (edited book)University of New Mexico Press. 2012.When psychological anthropologist Dr. Hillary Webb went to Peru to study the Andean concept of yanantin or “complementary opposites,” she arrived with the intent to use a traditional ethnographic approach in which she would attempt to understand how this remarkable philosophical perspective is lived by the indigenous Peruvians themselves. But when she asked a young shaman named Amado to explain yanantin, she was given an answer that would not only change the way she viewed the research process, …Read more
Areas of Specialization
Metaphysics |
Philosophy of Mind |
Philosophy of Religion |
Areas of Interest
Metaphysics |
Philosophy of Mind |
Philosophy of Religion |