SLFK 215, October 23, 2003
Film Resurrection implies that shamanic-like healing ability is the natural consequence of a near-death experience
Please note attitudes toward Edna May McCauley
Opposites and extremes, though film as a whole comes down on the positive side
Compare to Rasputin documentary
To what extent is Rasputin like Edna May?
We don't know about near-death &endash; but possible, as result of the stress of his wanderings
He does see light
He does heal
Edna May and Rasputin are isolated individuals
But we already know that there can be whole sects = organized groups that practice ecstatic techniques
That feel better as a result
Social healing, if they are disenfranchised groups
But they often see it in terms of healing of the body (snake handlers)
And healing of the spirits (Skoptsy)
Supposition that these various things, and the Old Believer Stolpniki included, are remnants of an organized belief system
Essentially, that the Slavs were once shamanic, like some of their neighbors now are
Shamanism STRONGLY persecuted during the Soviet period
Revived in New-Agey ways now.
Zolotov/NPR tape
Pictures of New Age shamanic séances covered in the Post
Kashpirovsky
Other sects and cults &endash; Mariia Devi Khristos
This is rather unique and isolated &endash; more like the Skoptsy
What is much more wide-spread is witchcraft
They are reading a book on possession
What at the causes of possession?
Demon
Malefice by an individual
Have not seen cases of possession, but there is certainly a wide-spread belief in malefice
Nature of belief in malefice
Recall evil eye and jealous eye
Someone envious of your child can make your child sicken
Greg example
Someone envious of a married couple can make one or the other spouse sicken
Can cause impotence
Wedding in Mryn
Belief in natural and inevitable seizures in children (ecstatic state?)
If these are not handled properly, child can become deformed, paralyzed
So, what do you do?
There are practitioners who help with these problems
Remnant of shamanic practices
Look at practitioners first
Then beliefs and lore
These are individuals
Often very pious
May or may not have had a traumatic experience
Very sensitive to others &endash; ability often passed down in the family
Often manifested also in particular tie to animals &endash; animals love this sort of person
What they do is take care of illnesses
Lots of childhood stuff &endash; like the seizures
Crying, colicky baby
Child who can't sleep (fear sickness)
And they help adults &endash; esp. those with various aches and pains
Which can be attributed to fear sickness
Or evil eye, malefice
Example of cure of colicky baby
Perform wax ceremony
Egg ceremony
Whispering over water &endash; prayers
Sometimes spit in water
Patient then has to drink
Writing prayers on a piece of bread
Which you then have to eat
This is not a full ecstatic state
But group can be present
Not full ecstatic state &endash; but then the problem that is cured is not as severe as the problem cured by a shamanic séance