Mama Lola By Karen Mccarthy Brown: Textual Analysis

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There are many religions in the world and each religion has different beliefs. Most religions have a higher power (e.g. a God, a spirit, etc.). Those religions that believe in a higher power also try to communicate with them and often feel as if they get possessed by that spirit or God when they successfully communicate with them. I will be looking at two readings that share the different types of experiences people have when they communicate with their spirits. In the first reading, “Mama Lola,” written by Karen McCarthy Brown, Brown talks about her experience in learning about the Vodou religion. Brown visits a woman in Haiti known as Mama Lola. Mama Lola is a priestess in the Haitian Vodou religion (Brown, 1991). During the saints’ day, which is set by the Catholic calendar, Mama Lola has “birthday parties” for her spirits, which are also called “lwa” (Brown, 1991). During these parties, people that practice Vodou gather around a “niche” that has a table with food as a centerpiece (Brown, 1991). The Vodou people pray, clap, and sing and they do …show more content…

People that believe in Shamanism that features of the world such as trees, animals, mountains and man-made objects hold some form of spirit (Vitebsky, 2001). These objects and features of the world notice how the people treat them and can give or take from us (Vitebsky, 2001). The spirits are able to interact with people and can be the cause of the events that happen in our lives (Vitebsky,). Shaman’s also go through a journey that “allows him or her to perceive the true nature or essence of phenomena.” When the Shaman’s go through the state of unconsciousness, it is like they are taking a journey through space (Vitebsky, 2001). They travel to another world while they are on this spiritual journey. Shamanism is based on acknowledging the essence and process of the world and they also use this to achieve their goals (Vitebsky,

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