Bwiti,iboga, trance and healing in Gabon |
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| Authors: | Pierre Didier Nyongo Ndoua Kaveh Vaghar |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Psychology, University of Yaoundé, Yaoundé, Cameroon;2. Department of Theology, University of Vienna, Catholic Theological Faculty, Vienna, Austrianyongondoua@yahoo.fr;4. General Hospital of the City of Vienna - Hospital of the Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria |
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| Abstract: | ABSTRACTThe Bwiti is one out of several religions in Africa and through it, it is believed, that the members can be connected to the world of the ancestors. There is also the ritual of healing in Bwiti. In this ritual, participants are invited to take iboga. They fall into a trance and after this phase, which in principle lasts three days; those who were sick recover the health in many cases. We try to find out in the article, if the change of the state of consciousness like trance can heal. In the end we discover that it is possible. In Bwiti, the change of the paradigm is the most important principle. |
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| Keywords: | Bwiti religion trance consciousness iboga culture health |
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