ABSTRACT
States of altered consciousness were an important feature of temple healing and oracular divination in classical India, Greece, and Rome. Altered states of consciousness-based healing being continued in agricultural and large-scale societies by other types of healers and possession-trance mediums. The understanding that a spirit realm that interacts with the visible realm exists throughout the natural world has been well documented by numerous anthropologists in societies worldwide. Ayurvedic treatments are often associated with New Age spirituality and spa therapies, while their perceived holism and reputed gentleness offer a competitive alternative to Western biomedical treatments. Referred to by anthropologists as shamans. from a Siberian language term for such indigenous practitioners, these local leaders and healers purposefully enter altered states of consciousness to communicate with the spirit world, in order to bring healing and wisdom to their communities and the afflicted.
