The REALM of the SUPERNATURAL: RELIGION and MAGIC

1. The REALM of the SUPERNATURAL: RELIGION and MAGIC

2. Anthropologists define religion as any set of attitudes, beliefs and practices pertaining to supernatural power, whether that power is forces, gods, spirits, ghosts or demons.

3. The supernatural is considered to be those powers not believed to be human or not subject to the laws of nature or logic.

4. For much of human history the division between religion and other aspects of culture were not strictly made. For example, the realm of illness and healing was widely considered part of a culture’s religion.

5. Thus, illness was conceived as the result of violations of spiritual beliefs or societal norms.

6. Such supernaturally caused illnesses are commonly thought to have only supernatural cures.

7. Religious beliefs and practices are found in all cultures and also seem to have a deep history.

8. From as long ago as 60,000 years we find evidence of spiritual beliefs such as: • (1) burial goods that seem to indicate a concern for life after death • (2) clay female figures that may have been created to insure fertility • (3) cave paintings of animal figures that may have been drawn to aid in hunting

9. Why is religious beliefs found in all cultures?

10. Most social scientists would say that religious beliefs are a response to certain universal human needs or conditions.

11. In particular these are: • (1) the need for humans to understand and explain the world that we inhabit

12. (2) reversion to childhood feelings; i.e. that in the face of helplessness and dependency humans revert to those same feelings they had as helpless and dependent children to rely on seemingly more powerful parents and by abstraction supernatural forces

13. (3) the need to allay anxiety and uncertainty • (4) the need for belongingness or sense of community

14. To understand the origins of human religious beliefs it is important to understand the following terms:

15. Animism is the belief in souls.

16. Animatism is the belief in impersonal supernatural forces, for example, good luck as coming for certain objects or numbers; bad luck coming from certain others.

17. Anthropomorphic is to attribute human characteristics and motivations to supernatural figures or forces. The ancient Greek gods and goddesses are an example. They behaved as humans but with supernatural powers and eternal life.

18. A monotheistic religion is one built upon the belief in a central god or supernatural being.

19. A polytheistic religion is one built on many important gods none of whom is supreme.

20. Some kinds of supernatural forces and beings: • mana, (a term arising from cultures in Polynesia) is a belief in a supernatural, impersonal force whose presence brings power and whose absence brings powerlessness.

21. taboo is a belief in the polluting or harmful power of certain objects, places, practices or people.

22. Spirits who are somewhat vague supernatural figures who may be mischievous or helpful as in guardian spirits but not as powerful as gods

23. ghosts are supernatural beings who were once human; ancestor spirits are the ghosts of dead relatives.

24. Ways to interact with the supernatural:

25. prayer, the act of honoring the supernatural often accompanied by requests or thanks for requests granted

26. (2) altered states of consciousness induced by drugs, alcohol, social isolation, sensory deprivation or repetitive sound or activity

27. use of imitation such as voodoo

28. divination, the use of a ritual to determine answers to problems or predict the future.

29. sacrifice, to surrender something or someone valued to appease the supernatural or attract supernatural goodwill.

30. MAGIC is the belief that human action can compel the supernatural to act in some particular and intended way. MAGIC seeks to control and manipulate the supernatural through human action.

31. Some common kinds of practitioners of magic thus defined are:

32. (1) Shamans are usually part-time spiritual practitioners, more often male than female, who attempt to heal the sick, bring good fortune, guard against evil and ill fortune and predict the future by seeking to control supernatural forces.

33. They are often respected and valued members of their societies. They often also have a deep knowledge of plant cures or some kinds of practical, empirically based healing knowledge.

34. (2) Sorcerers or witches, however, are those generally thought to bring harm to people in their society.

35. (3) Mediums are part-time spiritual practitioners who seek supernatural intervention in healing or prophecy while in a trance state.