Böcker av Lynne Hume

Ancestral Power suggests that Aboriginal spirituality is much more complex and compelling than the early missionaries could ever have imagined.The Dreaming, or the Dreamtime, is the English translation of a complex Aboriginal religious concept. It relates to the idea of an ancestral presence which exists as a spiritual power that is deeply present in the land. This presence or power also exists in certain paintings, in some dance performances, and in songs, blood and ceremonial objects. In Ancestral Power, Lynne Hume seeks to further our understanding of human consciousness by looking through a Western lens at the concept of the Dreaming. She examines the idea that Aboriginal people may have used certain techniques for entering altered states of consciousness. Could their experiences in such states, together with their extensive knowledge of their environment, have helped to create the cosmological scheme we call the Dreaming? With these questions in mind, she brings together and examines, for the first time, a wide range of existing literature on Aboriginal cosmology and spiritual practices, together with studies of Aboriginal art, data from anthropologists and ethnomusicologists, and statements by Aboriginal people from many different regional areas of Australia. Much of the information she highlights is little known. Ancestral Power suggests that Aboriginal spirituality is much more complex and compelling than the early missionaries could ever have imagined.

Draws on case studies of particular groups, including pagans, witches, radical faeries, postmodern tourists, and queer and goddess groups. This book discusses various forms of spirituality and how they contribute to self-knowledge, identity, and community life.

This accessible study of religious dress practices contains case studies on a wide range of religious groups, including: Catholics, Jews, Hindus, Druids, Shamans, and Mystics. Its unique sensory approach will appeal to scholars and students across many disciplines.

Investigates how we move beyond the conscious and physical world using our senses, into other realities of the spiritual and the divine. This title looks at the techniques used to alter consciousness practiced by shamans, monks, and other religious specialists. These include the use of drugs, as well as drumming, chanting and meditation.