Carol R. Ember has authored a summary of cross-cultural knowledge about Altered States of Consciousness for HRAF’s open access resource Explaining Human Culture. Nearly all societies are known to engage in practices that lead to altered states of consciousness. However the methods, functions, and cultural context vary widely between societies. In the Altered States of Consciousness topical summary, you can find out more about what altered states of consciousness are and how they are manifested and understood cross-culturally. Read the full summary here. You can also view the rest of the topical summaries in Explaining Human Culture, including Games and Sports, Dwellings and Hunter-Gatherers.