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Shamanism and psychosis: Shared mechanisms?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 April 2018

Albert R. Powers III
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, CT 06519albert.powers@yale.eduphilip.corlett@yale.eduhttp://www.nrtp.yale.edu/residents/albert_powers-1.profilehttp://psychiatry.yale.edu/people/philip_corlett.profile
Philip R. Corlett
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, CT 06519albert.powers@yale.eduphilip.corlett@yale.eduhttp://www.nrtp.yale.edu/residents/albert_powers-1.profilehttp://psychiatry.yale.edu/people/philip_corlett.profile

Abstract

Individual-specific predispositions may precede the cultural evolution of shamanism and may be linked to it via principles of predictive coding. We have used these principles to identify commonalities between clinical and shaman-like non-clinical voice-hearers. The author may find this approach helpful in relating the experiences of shamans to those of their clients.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2018 

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