From witchcraft to shamans to those with schizophrenia, voices and visions have always been part of human experience and they have always intrigued anthropologist Tanya Luhrmann. She now studies how various cultures understand these mysterious mental phenomena. Luhrmann has observed and talked to hundreds who’ve experienced voices and visions and learned there are “different pathways” to understand them, as she tells host Russ Altman on this episode of Stanford Engineering’s The Future of Everything podcast.

Episode Reference Links:

• Stanford Profile: Tanya Marie Luhrmann
• Tanya Luhrmann: Website

Connect With Us:

• Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything Website
• Connect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / Mastodon
• Connect with School of Engineering >>> Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook

Chapters:

(00:00:00) Introduction

Host Russ Altman introduces guest Tanya Luhrmann, a professor of anthropology at Stanford University.

(00:02:18) Origins of Interest

Tanya shares her background and how it influenced her studies on the human mind and its perceptions.

(00:05:53) Methodologies in Anthropological Research

The methods used to understand experiences like hearing voices and seeing visions.

(00:07:04) Cultural Variability in Human Experiences

How hearing voices varies across cultures, and their implications on mental health.

(00:13:42) The Clinical and Non-Clinical Spectrum

The clinical aspects of hearing voices, and how they are perceived and treated in different contexts.

(00:18:01) Non-Clinical Manifestations and Practice

The influence of practices and beliefs on non-clinical supernatural experiences.

(00:22:24) Characteristics of Leaders

Factors that make certain individuals leaders in perceptual practices.

(00:23:43) AI and Relationships with Chatbots

Parallels between relationships with imagined entities and modern AI chatbots.

(00:28:40) Conclusion

Connect With Us:

Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything Website

Connect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / Mastodon

Connect with School of Engineering >>>Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook