Shamanism, psychosis and autonomous imagination

Area of Science:

• Anthropology of Religion
• Medical Anthropology
• Psychology of Religion

Background:

• This study examines the phenomenon of initiatory suffering among traditional healers (balian) in Bali, Indonesia.
• It challenges common assumptions about the universality and nature of shamanic initiation.
• The research explores the cultural context of healing practices and the subjective experiences of healers.

Observation:

• Contrary to expectations, initiatory madness or illness is reported by a minority, not a majority, of Balinese balian.
• The occurrence of such experiences is associated with gender and specific healing modalities, particularly trance possession among female healers.
• These reported sufferings are culturally understood and distinguishable from clinical mental illness.

Findings:

• The nature of initiatory sufferings, when present, can be differentiated from the onset of mental illness using both emic (cultural) and etic (objective) criteria.
• The concept of 'autonomous imagination' is proposed as central to becoming a balian, rather than overcoming a period of madness.
• Western interpretations of self, healing, and the superficial resemblance to schizophrenia have contributed to an overemphasis on initiatory madness in shamanism.

Implications:

• Re-evaluates the role of initiatory madness in shamanic traditions, suggesting a need to move beyond Western diagnostic frameworks.
• Highlights the importance of cultural context and specific healing practices in understanding spiritual or psychological transformations.
• Suggests that the mastery of 'autonomous imagination' is a more accurate descriptor for the development of traditional healers than the concept of 'initiatory madness'.