Native fascination and neo-shamanism in Europe

Abstract: The exotic imaginary and the indigenous fascination it conveys as a saving narrative possibility have their roots in the primitivist aesthetic trend of the early 20th century. This tropism of mythologized thought from the past is becoming a driving force behind cultural production today. Today's native is often seen as the last survivor (of a multitude that never really disappeared) of a culture that is always on the verge of vanishing. This symposium will be an opportunity for me to analyze in depth how the fascination with the image of the native has been fundamental to the process of diffusion of neo-shamanic practices in contemporary France.

Presenter bio: I am an Italian anthropologist based in France. My research concerns conventional and alternative psychotherapies and contemporary spiritual practices with special attention to Neo-Shamanism and healing rituals in Western societies. I did fieldwork in France, Italy, Mexico, and Switzerland. I have written the first academic book about Neo-shamanism in France.

Affiliation: Groupe Sociétés Religions et Laïcités