How would you complete this unfinished quote?

“The convergence of neurology and cross-cultural research provides…”

At the beginning of this year, I posted a “Complete this quote” about religiosity and another about hypnotisability. At the time, I was reminded about my prior reading of Michael James Winkelman’s work about shamanism. For Winkelman, whose work is closely aligned with authors like Merlin Donald, Steven Mithen and Charles Laughlin,  “Shamanism is a part of an evolved psychology, with significant implications for human cognitive evolution…Shamanism clearly constituted a significant form of symbolic representation, cross-modal cognitive integration, community bonding and psychological individuation that characterised the emergence of modern humans” (Winkelman 2003:294).

This week’s “Complete this quote” comes from page 72 of Winkelman’s 2002 article called ‘Shamanism and Cognitive Evolution’ in the Cambridge Archaeological Journal.

Articles by Dr Michael Winkelman:

Winkelman, M. (1982) Magic: a theoretical reassessment, Current Anthropology, 23, 37-44, 59-66.
Winkelman, M. (1984) A Cross-cultural Study of Magico-Religious Practitioners, PhD Dissertation, University of California, Irvine. Ann Arbor: University Microfilms.
Winkelman, M. (1986a) Magico-religious practitioner types and socioeconomic conditions, Behaviour Science Research, 20(1-4), 17-46.
Winkelman, M. (1986b) Trance states: a theoretical model and cross-cultural analysis. Ethos, 14, 76-105.
Winkelman, M. (1992) Shamans, Priests and Witches: A Cross-cultural study of Magico-religious practitioners. (Anthropological research papers 44), Tempe (AZ): Arizona State University.
Winkelman, M. (1996a) Psychointegrator plants: their roles in human culture and health, in Sacred Plants, Consciousness and Healing: Cross-Cultural and Interdisciplinary Perspectives, eds. M. Winkelman & W. Andritzky. (Yearbook of Cross-cultural Medicine and Psychotherapy 6), Berlin: Verlag und Vertrieb.
Winkelman, M. (1996b) Neurophenomenology and genetic epistemology as a basis for the study of consciousness. Journal of Social and Evolutionary Systems, 19(3), 217-236.
Winkelman, M. (1997) Altered States of Consciousness and Religious Behaviour, in Glazier (ed.), 393-428.
Winkelman, M. (2000) Shamanism: The neural ecology of consciousness and healing. Westport, CT: Bergin and Garvey.
Winkelman, M. (2002a) Shamanism and Cognitive Evolution. Cambridge Archaeological Journal, 12(1), 71-101.
Winkelman, M. (2002b) Shamanic universals and evolutionary psychology, Journal of Ritual Studies, 16(2), 63-76.
Winkelman, M. (2003) Evolutionary and Neurohermeneutic Approaches to Culture and the Brain, Reviews in Anthropology, 32(4), 275-295.
Winkelman, M. & White, D. (1987) A cross-cultural study of magico-religious practitioners and trance states: Data Base, in Human Relations Area Files Research Series in Quantitative Cross-cultural Data, vol. 3, eds. D. Levinson & R. Wagner. New Haven (CT): HRAF Press.
Winkelman’s most recent books include Psychedelic Medicine, Supernatural as Natural, Cultural Awareness, Sensitivity and Competency, American Ethnic History and Culture & Health.

If you enjoy our weekly « Complete this quote » you might be interested in looking at our responses from previous weeks. We always love it when someone adds another witty reply to our older posts!
“How does this cultural memory work ? The answer…”
Finissez cette citation : « Comment s’effectue cette mise en mémoire culturelle ? La rèponse… »
“Of course, there remains a yawning chasm between present knowledge and any actual understanding of…”
« Bien entendu, il y a encore un gouffre béant entre ce que nous savons actuellement et la compréhension réelle… »
“Before any attempt is made to hypnotize a Subject for the first time it is highly desirable that the Hypnotist…”
“In a small, dark room at the lab of a large university hospital…”
“The culturally modified brain is subject to…”
“If we considered the number of possible circuits, we would…”
The “chief activity [of the mind] consists…”
“…the theories, technologies and findings of molecular biology, evolutionary developmental biology, neuroscience, cognitive psychology, linguistics and anthropology can be productively combined to…”
“To some extent, in a variety of imperfect ways, individually and collectively, we have the means to…”
“Our cherished belief in the specialness of human consciousness has not prevented us from…”
“Emotional expressions are crucial to…”
“If a meme is to dominate the attention of a human brain, it…”
“Shaped like a little like a loaf of French country bread, our brain is…”
“One of the difficulties in understanding the brain is that…”
“There is no scientific study more vital to man than…”
“You have brains in your head, you have…”

Reply below and inform us how you would complete this week’s unfinished quote?

“The convergence of neurology and cross-cultural research provides…”