"The Call of the Trance" is a magnificent book which takes us to the frontiers of the forbidden. These states of eclipse from life that are pursued by every human being who is in search of meaning are elusive and invariably inexpressible. From initiation ceremonies to crises of hysteria, from suicide attempts to the ecstasies of witches, Catherine Clement explores in simple but scholarly terms the responses that civilizations have offered to this need to disappear. These human beings whose marginal status is a source of ...
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"The Call of the Trance" is a magnificent book which takes us to the frontiers of the forbidden. These states of eclipse from life that are pursued by every human being who is in search of meaning are elusive and invariably inexpressible. From initiation ceremonies to crises of hysteria, from suicide attempts to the ecstasies of witches, Catherine Clement explores in simple but scholarly terms the responses that civilizations have offered to this need to disappear. These human beings whose marginal status is a source of anxiety are persecuted by social and religious rules. From the witches of Loudun to current Mongolian shamans, from the eighteenth-century Convulsionaries of Saint-Medard to Greeks of today dancing on the embers of their fires, Clement questions the countless means desire employs to push back the limits of the body. She shows how, from Dionysian antiquity to our own day, the "petite mort" of the trance state shows up in the lovers "coup de foudre," in anorexia, rock music, rap, sexual reassignment, eroticism and even "Twilight"-style vampire stories."
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Seller's Description:
Acceptable. Former Library book. Hardcover The item is fairly worn but still readable. Signs of wear include aesthetic issues such as scratches, worn covers, damaged binding. The item may have identifying markings on it or show other signs of previous use. May have page creases, creased spine, bent cover or markings inside. Packed with care, shipped promptly.
