The Spiritual Dimensions of Healing Rituals in Ancient Mesopotamia
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The Spiritual Dimensions of Healing Rituals in Ancient Mesopotamia Amar Annus1
© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2019
Abstract The spell formula called the Marduk–Ea incantation from ancient Mesopotamia is unique in history of medicine due to its documented use of almost 3000 years. The incantation was recited in exorcistic healing rituals. The formal structure of the spell is studied from the point of view of neuroscience of doctor–patient relationship and in the context of the decentring mechanism of religious experiences. The incantation structure is also analysed for decentring phenomenology in dreams. The structure of this incantation enables religious and spiritual experiences to occur both to healer and patient. These experiences generated a positive psychosocial context and facilitated placebo effects. The incantation structure is bound to stimulate brain mechanisms in prefrontal cortex that promote both executive functions and placebo responsiveness. Keywords Healing incantations · Decentring mechanism · Ancient Mesopotamia · Spiritual experiences · Incubation rituals
Introduction In ancient Mesopotamia, the cause of illness was often attributed to a demonic attack or possession. The sicknesses were cured with healing rituals, in which exorcist priests recited incantations. The use of a particular type of incantation in ancient Mesopotamia is unique in history of medicine due to its longest documented history. The precursors of the neo-Sumerian incantations of so-called Asalluhi–Enki type are attested since Early Dynastic period. The first cuneiform manuscripts with this type of incantation are found in the ancient cities of Fara and Ebla from the middle of third millennium BCE (George 2016). Because of historical circumstances, the names of deities in this incantation type changed to Babylonian Marduk and Ea * Amar Annus [email protected] 1
School of Theology and Religious Studies, University of Tartu, Ülikooli 18‑310, 50090 Tartu, Estonia
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Vol.:(0123456789)
Journal of Religion and Health
in the second millennium BCE. The names of the deities were prone to changes, but the plot and the actors’ functions remained the same (Cunningham 1997). The scenario described in the Marduk–Ea incantations was often carried out in a ritual drama, where the exorcist priest played the part of Marduk. In such instances the healing ritual required special expertise of priests in order to be properly performed. The formal schematic structure of the incantation was never abandoned as a standard type in the ancient Mesopotamia. The last written examples of this incantation type come from Hellenistic Babylonia (Geller 2016). Such an extraordinary continuity of almost 3000 years must be considered as firm proof of its perceived authority and efficacy. This paper investigates the structure of this incantation, the content of which crosses the border between medicine and religion. Its formal structure was salient to ancient medical specialists because the same pattern of divine inter
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