A'aisa's Gifts: A Study of Magic and the Self

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Filled with insight, exceptionally well written, and provocative in its conclusions, A'aisa's Gifts is a groundbreaking study of the Mekeo of Papua New Guinea and a valuable contribution to anthropological theory and practice. Based on fieldwork extending over two decades, Michele Stephen's ethnography of Mekeo esoteric knowledge, cosmology, and conceptualizations of self recasts accepted notions about magic and selfhood.

Unlike previous anthropological studies that have viewed magic as a belief system reflecting social relationships, this book draws on the accounts of Mekeo ritual experts and laypersons to demonstrate the profound role magic plays in the creation of the individuated self. Focusing on subjective experience, Stephen argues convincingly that dream reporting, often ignored by anthropologists, provides a natural context for self-reflection. As she presents richly detailed ethnographic data, Stephen develops the concept of "autonomous imagination" into a new theoretical framework for exploring subjective imagery processes across cultures.