The term "trance" comes from the Latin transitus (a passage) implying a passage from one state to another and it has been widely researched in fields as diverse as neuroscience, anthropology, psychology, and religion. Given the fact that trance is a well-studied, worldwide phenomenon and several religions, including Spiritualism and Tibetan Buddhism, incorporate it in their practice, what, if any, commonalities exist in its use across different religions. This study attempted to answer this question by examining the use of trance in Tibetan Buddhism and Spiritualism seeking to find any overlap. To do so, several sub-components of trance (i.e. methodology, philosophy, and purpose) were identified and examined. This paper theorized that the trance methodologies employed in both traditions would show similarities. It was also hypothesized that the philosophical framework of each tradition and varying purposes of trance would not demonstrate notable similarities. The evidence uncovered in this study did support these hypotheses and by revealing unexpected findings, themes, and deficiencies added to the body of literature on trance as well as Tibetan Buddhism and Spiritualism. These included the sacredness, veneration, and power that Tibetan Buddhism gives its oracles and the possible detrimental effects of advocacy and bias among the researchers studied.
目次
Dedication iv Acknowledgements v
I. The Background and its Problem 1 Background of the Problem 1 Research Problem 2 Research Question 2 Hypothesis 3 An Overview of Tibetan Buddhism and Spiritualism 4 Tibetan Buddhism 4 Spiritualism 6 Significance of the Study 7
II. Literature Review 9 Introduction 9 Review of Trance Studies within Tibetan Buddhism 10 Review of Trance Studies within Spiritualism 11 Research Gap 14
III. Evidence 17 Introduction 17 Evidence 17 Methodology of Trance 18 Philosophy of Trance 22 Purpose of Trance 27
IV. Analysis and Discussion 31 Introduction 31 Unexpected Findings 32 Themes 33 Deficiencies 36
V. Summary, Conclusion, and Recommendations 40 Summary 40 Summary of the Study 40 Summary of the Findings 41 Conclusion 47 Limitations of the Study 47 Implications and Relevance of the Study 48 Recommendations for Future Research 49 Endnotes 51 Bibliography 56 Appendix 1: List of Terms 63
