Brain changes during a shamanic trance: Altered modes of consciousness, hemispheric laterality, and systemic psychobiology Brain changes during a shamanic trance: Altered modes of consciousness, hemispheric laterality, and systemic psychobiology ABOUT THE

Abstract: There have been a number of electrophysiological and neuroimaging studies in "altered" states of consciousness including dissociative conditions, hypnosis, and meditation; however, the nature and clinical significance of trance states remain elusive. Alterations of consciousness that accompany trance can shed light on the brain networks contributing to the experience of autobiographical self; the subjective demarcation of "self" from others and reality at large; and normative vs. pathological domains of self-experience. Shamanic trance is a volitional, self-induced state of consciousness that historically served the purposes of social cohesion and healing interventions in diverse tribal settings. We present the first neurophysiological study of a normal subject, who has received extensive training in the Mongolian shamanic tradition and is capable of self-inducing a trance state without external sensory stimulation. Quantitative EEG mapping and LORETA (low resolution electromagnetic tomography) source imaging indicate that shamanic state of consciousness (SSC) involves a shift from the normally dominant lef