Welcome to the Street Prophets Coffee Hour cleverly hidden at the intersection of religion and politics. This is an open thread where we can share our thoughts and comments about the day. In some shamanistic ceremonies, darkness is used as a form of sensory deprivation to aide in inducing a trance state. In many parts of the world, shamans have used caves as a ceremonial setting. Caves are often viewed as transitional places or portals between the world of the surface where there is light and the mysterious and sacred underworld where there is darkness.
In Europe, there are more than 300 caves which contain Paleolithic art and which may have been used for shamanistic rituals. In their book The Scots: A Genetic Journey, Alistair Moffat and James Wilson write about these caves:
“The form of rituals involving the animal paintings, music, song and dance can be guessed at but no detail has come down to us. But that these rites were long-lived there can be no doubt.”
For rituals conducted in caves, the darkness not only emphasized the mystical experience, but the acoustics in the cave also amplified the chanting and may have helped in obtaining the trance state.
Among some Native American groups today, there are ceremonies which are conducted in total darkness. The sweatlodge provides one setting in which there is a combination of total darkness, intense heat, and chanting which may be accompanied by drums and rattles. This setting makes it possible for some participants to have visions.
Open Thread
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