Tambiah S J
Cult Med Psychiatry. 1977 Apr;1(1):97-132. doi: 10.1007/BF00114812.
A cult of healing through meditation that was observed in Bangkok, Thailand in 1974 is described, and the cult is interpreted in terms of two axes, the cosmological and the performative, and the dialectical, reciprocal and complementary relations between them. The various ramifications of the cosmology are discussed--the categorization of the cosmos itself as a hierarchical scheme, the relations between man and non-human forms of existence, the ideas concerning power and its manner of acquisition and use, the relation between power and restraint, etc. The epistemological basis of the cult, which attempts cure through meditation, and the features of the ritual as they contribute to its performative efficacy are highlighted. The essay concludes by suggesting that there is a single scheme (episteme) underlying religious ideas and applications of knowledge such as meditation, medicine, alchemy, and astrology.
本文描述了1974年在泰国曼谷观察到的一种通过冥想进行治疗的崇拜现象，并从宇宙论和表演性这两个轴以及它们之间辩证、相互和互补的关系来解读这种崇拜。文中讨论了宇宙论的各种分支——将宇宙本身分类为一种等级体系、人类与非人类存在形式之间的关系、关于力量及其获取和使用方式的观念、力量与克制之间的关系等。强调了该崇拜通过冥想尝试治愈的认识论基础，以及仪式有助于其表演效果的特征。文章最后指出，宗教观念以及诸如冥想、医学、炼金术和占星术等知识应用背后存在着一个单一的体系（知识型）。
