July 8, 2020
In this episode, Wendy speaks with anthropologist Tanya Luhrmann about how practices embedded in social realities change our minds and our experiences. They discuss:
- her research on unusual spiritual experiences (voices, visions);
- her work with magic practitioners and evangelical Christian communities;
- the boundary between reality and imagination;
- local theory of mind;
- the psychological constructs of absorption and porosity, and how they relate to these spiritual experiences;
- how mental training and mindfulness affect the way we relate to our thoughts;
- the impacts of a relationship with the divine for self and society, and other topics.
Tanya Luhrmann is the Watkins University Professor at Stanford University, with appointments in the Anthropology and Psychology departments. Her work focuses on local theory of mind and the world of the spirit: on voices, visions, and the presence of invisible others. She was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2003 and received a John Guggenheim Fellowship award in 2007.
Resources
Website: luhrmann.net
TED Talk: When God Talks Back
Article: Differences in voice-hearing experiences of people with psychosis in the USA, India, and Ghana: interview-based study
View or download a transcript of this episode