ISM Presents Dr. Jody Bower: “Possession - It's NOT what you think!”
Tue, May 21
|Zoom
Dr. Bower explores the physiological basis for trance states; how possession rituals meet the cultural, religious, and psychological needs of certain communities; and what the surprising implications are for our understanding of consciousness itself.
Time & Location
May 21, 2024, 8:30 PM – 10:00 PM EDT
Zoom
Guests
About this event
Join ISM (Professional or Student Membership) and watch the entire presentation and discussion at: ISM Member's Only Video
The idea of being “possessed” while in trance is a terrifying prospect for most, conjuring up images of “The Exorcist” and other horror movies. Yet some cultures embrace and deliberately seek to invite possession. This talk will explore the physiological basis for trance states; how possession rituals meet the cultural, religious, and psychological needs of certain communities; and what the surprising implications are for our understanding of consciousness itself.
Jody Gentian Bower did pre-med as an undergraduate and worked as a medical editor and writer for 30 years before earning her PhD in Mythological Studies from Pacifica Graduate Institute in 2013. She is the author of Jane Eyre’s Sisters: How Women Live and Write the Heroine Story and The Princess Powers Up: Watching the Sleeping Beauties Become Warrior Goddesses. She frequently lectures on hero/heroine stories and blogs about myths and archetypes in film and TV on her website, jodybower.com. She maintains an avid interest in neurobiology and consciousness studies.