Shamans and Robots: On Ritual, the Placebo Effect, and Artificial Consciousness

A profound exploration of the external influences that shape human consciousness, from healing rituals to digital devices

In this voyage through thousands of years of psychosomatic healing, distinguished anthropologist and sociologist Roger Bartra examines the placebo effect as a key to our understanding of human consciousness. Shamans and Robots demonstrates how biology and technology become intertwined within human culture by using the various histories of ritual and symbolic healing to s...