“ Rock art sites were symbolic vaginas, and entry into the wall of a rock art site was thus akin to intercourse. James David Lewis-Williams
“ A shaman’s activities as a sorcerer, or his own conscious act of entry into the supernatural world, were a kind of “killing”. James David Lewis-Williams
“ Entering a cave” or rock was a metaphor for a shaman’s altered state; therefore, caves (and rocks more generally) were considered entrances or portals to the supernatural world. James David Lewis-Williams
“ The principal aim of a vision quest is to ‘see’ a spirit animal that will become the quester’s animal-helper and source of his power. James David Lewis-Williams
“ There were at least four contexts in which San shamans acquired insights into the spiritual world: – the trance dance, – special curing rituals, – viewing rock art, and – dreams. James David Lewis-Williams
“ San religion is built around belief in a tiered universe. As do other shamanistic peoples throughout the world, the San believe in a realm above and another below the surface of the world on which the… James David Lewis-Williams
“ The behaviour of the human nervous system in certain altered states creates the illusion of dissociation from one’s body (less commonly understood in hunting and gathering shamanistic societies as pos… James David Lewis-Williams
“ In altered states of consciousness, the nervous system itself becomes a ‘sixth sense’ that produces a variety of images including entoptic phenomena. James David Lewis-Williams
“ According to Martindale’s view, as we drift into sleep we pass through: – waking, problem-oriented thought, – realistic fantasy, – autistic fantasy, – reverie, – hypnagogic (falling asleep) states, an… James David Lewis-Williams
“ It is the task of San shamans to activate their supernatural potency, to cause it to ‘boil’ up their spines until it explodes in their heads and takes them off to the spirit realms – that is, they ent… James David Lewis-Williams
