“Certainly, the sensory deprivation afforded by the remote, silent and totally dark chambers, such as the Diverticule of the Felines in Lascaux and the Horse’s Tail in Altamira, induces altered states of consciousness.”
James David Lewis-Williams“There were at least four contexts in which San shamans acquired insights into the spiritual world: – the trance dance, – special curing rituals, – viewing rock art, and – dreams.”
James David Lewis-Williams“A shaman’s activities as a sorcerer, or his own conscious act of entry into the supernatural world, were a kind of “killing”.”
James David Lewis-Williams, The Mind in the Cave: Consciousness and the Origins of Art“Entering a cave” or rock was a metaphor for a shaman’s altered state; therefore, caves (and rocks more generally) were considered entrances or portals to the supernatural world.”
James David Lewis-Williams, The Mind in the Cave: Consciousness and the Origins of Art“In Lascaux and other sites, hoofs are depicted to show their underside, or hoofprint.”
James David Lewis-Williams, The Mind in the Cave: Consciousness and the Origins of Art“Once human beings had developed higher-order consciousness, they had the ability to see mental images projected onto surfaces and to experience afterimages.”
James David Lewis-Williams, The Mind in the Cave: Consciousness and the Origins of Art“Improved memory made possible the long-term recollection of dreams and visions and the construction of those recollections into a spirit world.”
James David Lewis-Williams, The Mind in the Cave: Consciousness and the Origins of Art“I believe it is reasonable to assume that higher-order consciousness developed neurologically in Africa before the second wave of emigration to the Middle East and Europe.”
James David Lewis-Williams, The Mind in the Cave: Consciousness and the Origins of Art“Shamanism is not simply a component of society: on the contrary, shamanism, together with its tiered cosmos, can be said to be the overall framework of society.”
James David Lewis-Williams, The Mind in the Cave: Consciousness and the Origins of Art“The ‘wounded men’ may, I argue, represent a form of shamanistic suffering, ‘death’ and initiation that was closely associated with somatic hallucinati”
James David Lewis-Williams, The Mind in the Cave: Consciousness and the Origins of Art“Shamans submit to death in order to serve their communities.”
James David Lewis-Williams, The Mind in the Cave: Consciousness and the Origins of Art