Trance and Transfiguration in Rock Art and Literature

The book is a largely unprecedented inter-disciplinary collaboration between archaeology, anthropology, and literary studies, although it touches on philosophy and religious studies, too. It explores the creative ways that altered states of consciousness play in culture and the arts, whether these states are induced though rituals like the trance dance or meditation, or through the consumption of mind enhancing substances.

The author explores altered states of consciousness present in select Anglophone literature illuminated by archaeological research on trance states in relation to rock art. This specifically concerns the shamanistic theory of David Lewis-Williams.

In response to Northover, Wayne Stables relates it to the Western philosophical tradition, seeing altered states and the loss of the sense of self that these usually involve as a critique of Western individualism. Contributions by David Whitley and Francis Thackeray are primarily concerned with the creative role that mind-altering substances play in culture. Also stepping into the conversation, Dan Wylie’s reflections are critical, even sceptical, about the use of psychedelics and opiates for recreational, religious and creative purposes. Wylie’s references to Southern African literature complements Whitley’s discussion of North American texts and Northover’s focus on Anglophone literature.

Overall, the book creates by way of multiple perspectives a multivoiced dialogue on the currently highly debated topic of the use of mind-enhancing substances and techniques in art, culture, therapy
and religion. In addition to the more academic material, blogs written by two of the authors are included to contextualise and broaden the discussion. This aligns with the book’s multivocal and multimodal spirit.

Print editions not for sale in Sub-Saharan Africa.