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David Lewis-Williams - Native American Indians - Water
Identifier
011563
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
Some types of rebirth were felt to be like drowning - a sort of purification by water
A description of the experience
The Mind in the Cave – David Lewis-Williams
Drowning and passing underwater are themes that crop up in many North American shaman’s narratives. In the art, the experience is referred to by images of aquatic helpers. They include water-striders, frogs, toads, turtles, beavers and swordfish. Turtles were sometimes thought of as doors to the spirit world. We have seen that in Southern Africa, depictions of fish and eels often suggest subaquatic locations.