Genealogy of Religion

Exploring the Origins, History and Future of Religion

Entries Tagged as 'Altamira'

America’s Unknown & Ancient Cave Art

March 21st, 2011 · No Comments · Archaeology, Cognition, Ritual, Shamanism

In a collaborative (subscription seeking) arrangement with the Paris Review, Slate has just published a riveting piece on “America’s Ancient Cave Art” by John Jeremiah Sullivan. Many of these Cumberland and Tennessee Valley caves have been only recently discovered and their locations are largely secret. Except for a small group of Southeastern archaeologists, their existence [...]

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Mural Magic of Mushrooms

March 14th, 2011 · 8 Comments · Archaeology, Cognition, Hunter-Gatherers, Ritual, Shamanism

Cognitive archaeologist David Lewis-Williams has long argued that the spectacular Paleolithic paintings in European caves such Lascaux, Chauvet, and Altamira were created by early shamans who were experiencing altered states of consciousness (“ASC”). Because Paleolithic rock art around the world displays the same types of symbols or form constants, which Lewis-Williams calls “entoptics,” he contends [...]

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The Art of Perception

August 15th, 2010 · No Comments · Archaeology, Cognition, Hunter-Gatherers, Shamanism

How we perceive the external world is a fascinating subject that has long attracted the attention of great thinkers from Kant to Nietzsche.  Kant knew that we possessed some sort of interior filter that enables us to perceive the world and Nietzsche knew that this filtered perception was always an interpretation of the world.  Modern [...]

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