Tag: Violence

Inside the Shaman’s Mind

Shamanism a practice by which a person communicates with the spirits can be found throughout the ancient worlds. Although shamanism takes many and varied forms around the world, what a shaman actually experiences whilst in trance is remarkably uniform. Almost all report leaving their bodies to journey to an otherworld where they meet and interact with spirits. The reason for such similarity lies within the mind itself and the shared neurobiology of every human. In fact, any one of us could have the same experience as a shaman if we put ourselves in trance.

Shamans have varied ways of entering trance but all attempt to slow brain waves from a beta state, the usual rhythm, through an alpha state (which corresponds to light meditation or engrossment in an activity), to a theta state or trance. Whereas some shamans might stay very still and concentrate on breathing or praying, others move about in frenetic dances or whirl like Dervishes. Both types of activity, paradoxically, lead to trance.

Hallucinations start and one of the most common entities to appear is an animal. Scientists call this zoopsia, whereas shamans call them spirits.

The reason for this paradox relates to the way our brains regulate our bodies. The sympathetic system of brain activity reacts to external stimuli. It creates arousal in the body through pleasure or pain. The parasympathetic system manages automatic processes such as breathing, sleeping, and digesting. It tends towards quiescence, that is, complete still and calm. The two work in opposition and keep our bodies in balance. Is it possible, however, to push either system to extreme. If we undertake physical activities that lead to hyper-arousal, we load the sympathetic system and the activity completely takes over so that we begin to lose ourselves in a state of flow. Similarly, if we undertake activities that lead to hyper-quiescence, we load the parasympathetic system and the mind begins to empty and turn inward.

Beyond hyper-arousal or hyper-quiescence lies a further state, where one system, usually quite separate, overflows and begins to spill over into the other. With hyper-arousal, this happens when our strenuous activity brings waves of tranquillity and stillness, such as the sensation after vigorous sex. The sympathetic system has overflowed and feelings now arise from the parasympathetic system. Similarly, with hyper-quiescence, there can be a point where deep meditation brings a rush of energy that quite overwhelms us. The parasympathetic system has overflowed and feelings now arise from the sympathetic system. In both cases, when one system overflows into another and our feelings no longer correspond to our actions, we experience an out-of-body sensation that is at the heart of shamanic trance.

The Breakdown Of Self-Identity

Many shamans report that gravity no longer tethers their bodies to the earth and they can fly through the air with little effort. Since the active neurons in the brain at this stage of trance have a spiralling tendency, a tunnel opens up before them, formed entirely within the eye retina itself. Shamans recognise this as a portal to the otherworld and they leave their physical bodies behind to travel down it. Limbs might grow longer or detach from the body as the perception of being in a physical form diminishes. These are the first signs that self-identity is breaking down as the overflow of the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems of the brain excludes any outside stimulus. The mind turns entirely inward. This overflow also causes a leaking of imagery from the unconscious mind into the conscious and, as the shaman steps out of the tunnel and enters the otherworld, they find themselves in a startling new reality.

The disintegration of the self continues and some shamanic communities now speak of terrible violence inflicted upon the body. This self-generated fear response stems from the over stimulation of the amygdala, a bunch of neurons that are responsible for orientating the body in space. When a shaman drums and dances with frenzied intensity, the amygadala starts to malfunction and this causes waves of fear, heightening the expectation of violence. Alternatively, with less frenzied activity, it may provoke feelings of religious awe.

Hallucinations start and one of the most common entities to appear is an animal. Scientists call this zoopsia, whereas shamans call them spirits. Although hallucinations arise from the preconscious part of the brain, there appears to be a definite pattern to them. Jung calls these archetypes and the wise teacher seems a particularly prevalent example from many cultures.

The Unconscious Mind

Since the body is losing its self-awareness, it appears to someone in trance that knowledge comes from a point outside the mind. Coupled with zoopsia it is not surprising that many shamans speak of guardian or power animals being a rich source of otherworldly wisdom: the wise teacher. Since the unconscious mind is leaking into the conscious mind, much of this wisdom might also appear novel and new.

It is not always an animal that fulfils the wise teacher archetype but it could also be another human, either living, dead, or entirely mythical. Seeing the dead whilst in trance may reveal the origin of belief in an afterlife and the survival of the soul after death. Many shamans speak of contacting their deceased ancestors whilst in shamanic trance.

As the self breaks down, there is a corresponding sense of unity with the rest of existence; there is no longer any individual identity. This may mean a person merges with whatever appears in front of them, such as their animal guide. Shamans often describe turning into an animals form and they call this shapeshifting. Others feel that they are one with the universe, as if all existence connects at this higher level. Everything appears to pulsate with energy and contain its own life force, giving rise to animism, the shamanic belief that all things are alive.
Eventually, any lingering sense of the self disappears entirely and all thoughts and experience appear to emanate from outside the body. Some discern an ultimate authority at this point; a controlling influence that lies beyond human existence and possibly beyond the world itself. It is not difficult for them to put a name to this supreme being: God.

The neurobiology of the human mind explains the similarities that underpin shamanism (and possibly all religions) around the world. Shamans see what they do because of their minds. Whether the otherworld and its spirits are merely hallucinations or are actually real is less easy to determine. That, like most other aspects of religion, is entirely a matter of individual faith and belief.

The Spartacus Effect: Why we all Want to be Sexy, Blood-thirsty Romans

So despite objections from campaign groups such as MediaWatch UK, it now looks as though British viewers will be able to watch the new TV series Spartacus: Blood and Sandafter all.

Pay-TV channel Bravo, owned by Virgin Media, has bought the rights to the first two series and is planning to air the 13-part series this summer the dates are still to be confirmed.

The show, which was broadcast by Starz Network in the US, has raised a few eyebrows with its graphic violence, scenes of orgies and ‘full-frontal’ nudity.

So British viewers are certainly in for an eye-full this summer. You only need to see the trailer (below) to see that Starz (also the series’ producers) have got that blood-squirting special effect down to a very fine art.

The Gore Factor

But there’s been some debate about the wisdom of screening something so explicit on television particularly since, even if it’s screened after the 9pm watershed, there are concerns it could be watched on digital boxes after the screening, and that children will be able to see it easily.

The gore and explicit sex is probably aimed solely at scoring high viewer ratings rather than an attempt at historical authenticity. And for all our protests and qualms about sensationalist soft-porn creeping onto our screens, it’s likely that viewing figures for Spartacus: Blood and Sand will be high. Similar shows, such as HBO’s Rome, broadcast in the UK on BBC2, had viewing figures (when it was first broadcast in 2005) of 3 million or 13 per cent of the population, according to Broadcast magazine. While the sexy historical drama The Tudors (on BBC2 in the UK) was also netting an audience of well over 2 million in 2009. Spartacus, with the hype surrounding its high blood and sex content, could reel in even higher figures.

Were Romans Really That Sex-Mad?

But while these historical dramas are liberal with the historical facts as well as with their characters’ love affairs, perhaps they manage to sum up the spirit of the ages they portray far better than more straight-laced (but factual) productions. According to one academic, Roman contemporary writers made a lot of references to sexual exploits and violence and they are known for having a far more open attitude to sex than modern audiences. A classics professor at Birkbeck, University of London, Catherine Edwards, told the Telegraph: We do find Roman writers going on at great length about the terrible sexual excesses of their peers, or else castigating the Roman plebs for spending too much time watching gladiator fights.

The Romans during the first century BC (Spartacus’s rebellion lasted from 73-71 BC and the first two series of Rome span 49-31 BC) were beyond doubt far more liberal, physical and violent than we are today. Between 18-17 BC, Augustus tried to calm what he saw as the immoral behaviour in Rome by issuing his pro-family and anti-adultery laws, part of his Lex Julia. It was also a pagan age, before Christianity took hold and spread its message of virtue and restraint. So it’s quite likely that the Romans of the first century BC felt far fewer constraints or inhibitions when it came to physical conflict or sex.

Where is the Gore (and ‘Phwoar’) Factor Today?

Perhaps in watching the Romans frolicking in Spartacus: Sand and Blood, we realise how many inhibitions and constraints we have these days. There are endless good reasons why we’d choose not to fight or sleep around: diseases, guns, the police, disapproval, preference or some might say even a lack of opportunity. Some of these existed in Roman times, some didn’t.

It’s a dark, animal side to human nature that we might like to think we’ve evolved away from. The viewing figures for Spartacus might suggest otherwise.

So do we wish we were back in that state of ‘freedom’, able to settle disagreements with a battle rather than in court, and free to be as promiscuous as we like without having to think about the consequences, condoms, paternity tests, STDS or the huge social upset that affairs cause these days (you don’t have to scratch your head too hard to think of a celebrity castigated for having a fling or two there’s John Terry, Tiger Woods and now shock horror Mark Owen from Take That).

Adulterous ancient Romans before 18 BC certainly weren’t subject to the same level of social disapproval (perhaps the prevalence of marriages made for power and status, not love, had something to do with this). Maybe this is a more natural state of things for human beings and one we have hankerings for. It might be no wonder we want some escapism from the high-pressured lives we lead where marriages that don’t last forever are branded failures and celebrities who cheat on their partners are demonized by the press.

Our Animal Instinct

Apart from the free and open attitude to sex, Spartacus is a production based heavily on combat scenes inside and outside the arena. With the afore-mentioned blood-squirting special effects, these scenes aren’t pretty and could make even a professional butcher feel slightly sick.

It’s true that the ancients led far gorier and bloodier lives than we do. They killed their own animals for eating, and would have been used to deaths by childbirth, fighting, execution and injury. In contrast, people in the west today live a step removed from most of this we have hospitals to deal with the sick and with birth, supermarkets to prepare and pre-package our (pre-washed) food and police or law courts to settle disputes.

Perhaps it’s the sanitation, order and lack of risk in most people’s lives that means they are titillated by the blood and sex of shows like Spartacus or Rome. These shows, very much like the mixture of stories on grizzly crimes and celebrity love lives found in tabloids, pander to what seems to be an insatiable public thirst for images of sex and violence together if at all possible. It’s a dark, animal side to human nature that we might like to think we’ve evolved away from. The viewing figures for Spartacus might suggest otherwise.

Daily Flickr Finds: Calinore’s Kashgar

A young boy peers out of the doorway in the Chinese province of Kashgar, where days of rioting have left the area in a state of fear. The tensions between two ethnic groups have led to the recent violence, with the Uighars campaigning for independence from the Chinese government.

The Chinese Government recently announced plans to demolish a vast majority of this ancient city, in favour of more modern and earthquake proof buildings. This defies the wishes of the Uighari people, who would lose the culture in the old city. Additionally, they believe the Chinese Government has alterior motives for the move.

This image by Calinorecaptures perfectly the vulnerability and innocence of the whole situation. And certainly is a topic that spares a thought in a growing world, which still manages to become smaller by the day.