Abstract
The spiritual practice of the Shaman is most likely the oldest spiritual tradition on Earth. Shamanism is a way in which humanity has sought a psychic connection to the world of healing, life and death, as well as a sense of social and individual balance. It is a complex psychological grammar that allows the Shaman to function in both the conventional and an alternative "spirit" view of reality. Shamanisn has been a part of American culture since the colonial settlement and continues today despite technology and modern scientific rationalism. This chapter is a brief social history of the African-American shamanic experience called "Hoodoo" and "Conjure" found in the Southeastern United States.
Disciplines
Other Religion | Science and Technology Studies | Technology and Innovation
Recommended Repository Citation
Montgomery, Jack G. Jr., "Chapter One: Beneath the Spanish Moss: The World of the Root Doctor" (2008). DLTS Faculty Publications. Paper 3.
https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/dlts_fac_pub/3
Included in
Other Religion Commons, Science and Technology Studies Commons, Technology and Innovation Commons
Comments
Chapter One in the book American Shamans: Journeys with Traditional Healers, published in 2008, and is deposited with permission of Busca, Inc.