1. STUDYING THE WORLD’S RELIGIONS
WORLD RELIGIONS
STUDYING THE WORLD’S RELIGIONS

2. GLOBAL VILLAGE
ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY HAS DECREASED THE DISTANCE BETWEEN FORMERLY REMOTE AREAS OF THE WORLD
KNOWLEDGE OF PEOPLE, WHO WERE FORMERLY NEVER IN CONTACT, NOW IS NECESSITATED IN ORDER TO CARRY ON BUSINESS AND AVOID CONFLICT AROUND THE WORLD

3. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF RELIGION?

4. RELIGIOUS QUESTIONS WHERE DID WE COME FROM? WHY ARE WE HERE?
THE ANSWERS TO THESE MYSTERIES LED TO THE FORMATION OF RELIGIONS WHICH PROVIDE A WAY OF LIVING AND DYING MEANINGFULLY

5. WHAT IS THE HUMAN CONDITION?
WHAT IS OUR ESSENTIAL NATURE?
OUR WE ENDOWED WITH SOME FORM OF SOUL?
WHY IS THERE SUFFERING?
RELIGIONS OFTEN DESCRIBE A MEANS OF OVERCOMING SUFFERING
ARE WE BY NATURE GOOD OR EVIL?
CREATION STORIES OFTEN ATTEMPT TO ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS

6. WHAT IS SPIRITUAL PERFECTION?
IS THIS ATTAINABLE NOW OR IN AN AFTERLIFE?
IS IT ATTAINABLE WITHOUT DIVINE ASSISTANCE?
THREE BASIC QUESTIONS THAT RELIGION DEFINES SPIRITUAL PERFECTION
WHAT IS ETHICAL?
HOW DO WE TRANSCEND THE HUMAN CONDITION?
HOW DO WE ATTAIN SALVATION?

7. WHAT IS ETHICAL?
TEACHING REGARDING WHAT IS RIGHT OR WRONG IN ORDER TO ATTAIN SPIRITUAL PERFECTION

8. HOW DO WE TRANSCEND THE HUMAN CONDITION?
BRINGING ONE FACE TO FACE WITH THE HUMAN CONDITION, AND THEN RAISING ONE ABOVE IT OR TO SEE THROUGH IT.
BUDDHIST ENLIGHTENMENT
“CONTINUING TO INHABIT A PHYSICAL BODY WITH THE USUAL DISCOMFORTS AND NEEDS WHILE MAINTAINING A STATE OF INDESCRIBABLE SPIRITUAL TRANQUILITY AND BLISS.”

9. HOW DO WE ATTAIN SALVATION?
“MOST RELIGIONSTEACH THAT SPIRITUAL PERFECTION IS CLOSELY RELATED TO SOME FORM OF SALVATION FROM THE LIMITATIONS IMPOSED BY THE HUMAN CONDITION: DEATH”
SOME RELIGIONS TEACH THIS IS ATTAINABLE IN THIS LIFE, OTHERS THAT IT AWAITS IN THE AFTERLIFE.

10. WHAT IS OUR DESTINY?
THE DEGREE ONE HAS ATTAINED SPIRITUAL PERFECTION CORRESPONDS TO ONE’S REWARDS IN THE AFTERLIFE.
RELIGIONS THAT TEACH HUMAN BEINGS LIVE MORE THAN ONE LIFETIME, BELIEVE THAT LIFE AFTER DEATH IS JUST ANOTHER STEP TOWARD THE FINAL DESTINY.

11. WHAT IS THE NATURE OF HE WORLD?
QUESTIONS ON THE CREATION OF THE WORLD
COSMOLOGY: UNDERSTANDING THE NATURE OF THE UNIVERSE
RELIGIONS EITHER SUPPORT INTEREST IN SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY OR ARE SUSPICIOUS OF IT

12. WHAT IS THE ULTIMATE REALITY AND HOW IS IT REVEALED?
ULTIMATE REALITY IS REVEALED TO HUMAN BEINGS THROUGH SACRED STORIES, MYTHS AND TYPES OF RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCES
THEISTIC RELIGIONS
BELIEF IN GOD OR MULTIPLE GODS
MONOTHEISM, POLYTHEISM, PANTHEISM
NONTHEISTIC RELIGIONS
NO BELIEF IN GOD RELEVANT TO HUMAN BEINGS
HUMAN BEINGS ARE PART OF THE ULTIMATE RELAITY

13. SEVEN DIMENSIONS OF RELIGION
ALL RELIGIONS HAVE 7 DIMENSIONS (CHARACTERISTICS) THAT ARE UNIQUE TO EACH RELIGION EVEN THOUGH SOME DIMENSIONS ARE EMPHASIZED MORE THAN OTHERS IN A PARTICULAR RELIGION

14. EXPERIENTIAL RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE OF INDIVIDUALS THEISTIC NONTHHEISTIC
FASCINATION; AWE-INSPIRING
NONTHHEISTIC
MYSTICISM; VISION QUEST

15. MYTHIC
STORIES OR SACRED LITERATURE THAT CONVEY IMPORTANT TRUTHS OF THE RELIGION

16. DOCTRINAL
THE BELIEF ASPECT OF A RELIGION IS CATAGORIZED AS THE DOCTRINAL DIMENSION OR BASIC BELIEFS
APOSTLE’S CREED
THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE RELIGION WHICH MAKES SENSE OF THE MYTHS AND EXPERIENTIAL

17. ETHICAL
HOW DOES A PERSON ACT IN THE LIVING WORLD

18. RITUAL
WORSHIP IN FORMALIZED SETTINGS, OFTEN REENACTING MYTHS OR SACRED STORIES

19. SOCIAL SENSE OF BELONGING TO A COMMUNITY
EMPOWERING A RELIGION THROUGH SHARED EXPERIENCE
FORTIFIES A COMMUNITY
INDIVIDUALS WHO EMBODY IDEALS OF SPIRITUAL PERFECTION: SAINTS

20. MATERIAL
BOOKS, ARCHITECTURE, STATUES, NATURAL FORMS

21. EMPATHY
THE CAPACITY OF SEEING A THING FROM ANOTHER’S PERSPECTIVE

22. PRIMAL RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS
THE NATURE OF PRIMAL RELIGIONS
NATIVE INHABITANTS OF AUSTRALIA, AFRICA AND THE AMERICAS PRACTICE RELIGIONS WHICH ARE CONSIDERED PRIMAL
PRIMAL: TEND TO COME BEFORE RELIGIONS TRADITIONS HAVE BEEN ESTALISHED

23. WHY STUDY PRIMAL RELIGIONS?
PROVIDE SPECIAL INSIGHT INTO THE MYTHIC ORIENTATION TOWARD LIFE
ALL RELIGIONS STEM MORE OR LESS DIRECTLY FROM PRIMAL BEGINNINGS
OFTEN ARE THE TRADITIONS OF NONLITERATE PEOPLE
TEND TO BE THE TRADITIONS OF TRIBAL PEOPLE, GENERALLY ORGANIZED IN SMALL GROUPS

24. RELIGION OF THE AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINES
MAINTAINED TRADITIONS THOUSANDS OF YEARS OLD
HAD NO CONTACT WITH EUROPEANS UNTIL ABOUT TWO CENTURIES AGO

25. THE DREAMING: THE ETERNAL TIME OF THE ANCESTORS
AT A CERTAIN POINT IN THE MYTHIC PAST, SUPERNATURAL BEINGS CALLED “ANCESTORS” EMERGED AND ROAMED THE EARTH
THEY GAVE SHAPE TO THE LANDSCAPE AND CREATED VARIOUS FORMS OF LIFE
ORGANIZED HUMANS INTO TRIBES AND DETERMINED THE TRIBE’S LANGUAGE, SOCIAL RULES AND CUSTOMS
WHEN THEY FINISHED THEY LEFT BEHIND SYMBOLS OF THEIR PRESENCE IN THE FORM OF NATURAL LANDMARKS
ROCK PAINTINGS AND SO ON

26. THE DREAMING MYTHIC PERIOD OF THE “ANCESTORS”: THE DREAMING
ABORIGINES BELIEVE THAT THE SPIRITUAL ESSENCE OF THE ANCESTORS REMAINS IN THE VARIOUS SYMBOLS THEY LEFT BEHIND
THESE SITES OF THESE SYMBOLS ARE BELIEVED TO BE CHARGED WITH SACRED POWER
ONLY CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS ARE ALLOWED TO VISIT THESE SITES
THE RITUAL APPROACH TO THESE SITES RE-ENACTS THE MYTHIC EVENTS OF THE “DREAMING”
THIS REENACTMENT GIVES THEM ACCESS TO ENDLESS SOURCES OF SACRED POWER OF THE SITES
ABORIGINAL COSMOLOGY PLAYS A CONSTANT ROLE IN ABORIGINAL RELIGION

27. THE DREAMING (CON.)
EACH INDIVIDUAL HAS RESIDING WITHIN THEM THE SPIRITUAL ESSENCE OF THE ANCESTORS
A CHILD IS BORN WHEN THE MOTHER OR SOME OTHER RELATIVE MAKES SOME FORM OF CONTACT WITH A SACRED SITE
THIS USUALLY INVOLVES A RITUAL THAT DRAWS THE ANCESTOR’S SPIRITUAL ESSENCE INTO THE UNBORN CHILD
EACH ABORIGINE IS A LIVING REPRESENTATION OF AN ANCESTOR
THIS IS SYMBOLIZED BY A “TOTEM” : THE NATURAL FORM THE ANCESTOR APPEARED IN THE DREAMING
TOTISM: THE SYSTEM OF BELIEF AND RITUAL BASED ON TOTEMS

28. ABORIGINAL SPIRITUAL PERFECTION
HARMONIOUS RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SUPERNATURAL, THE HUMAN WORLD AND THE WORLD OF NATURE

29. ANIMATING THE POWER OF THE DREAMING: ABORIGINAL RELIGIOUS LIFE
MUST RECREATE THE MYTHIC PAST IN ORDER TO TAP INTO ITS SACRED POWER
IN ORDER TO ACCOMPLISH THIS CERTAIN RITUALS MUST BE PERFORMED
RITUALS WERE TAUGHT TO THE FIRST HUMANS BY THE ANCESTORS IN DREAMING

30. TABOO: THE BASIS OF ABORIGINAL SOCIAL STRUCTURE
TABOO: CERTAIN ACTIVITIES, OWEING TO THEIR SACRED NATURE, ARE SET ASIDE FOR SPECIFIC MEMBERS OF THE GROUP AND ARE FORBIDDEN TO OTHERS
AGE AND SEX ARE OFTEN THE RESTRICTIVE FACTORS
OLDER MEMBERS OF THE TRIBE ARE IN CHARGE OF SUCH MATTERS
THE YOUNG ACHIEVE RELIGIOUS MATURITY THROUGH THE PROCESS OF INITIATION

31. INITIATION AWAKEN YOUNG PEOPLE TO THEIR SPIRITUAL IDENTITY (TOTEM)
THIS RITUAL BRINGS ABOUT THE SYMBOLIC DEATH OF CHILDHOOD AND A SPIRITUAL REBIRTH INTO ADULTHOOD
YOUNG ABORIGININES LEARN THE ESSENTIAL TRUTHS ABOUT THEIR WORLD AND HOW TO ACT WITHIN IT
THESE RITUALS MAY SEEM NONSENSICAL TO US, BUT TO ABORIGINES THEY ARE ESSENTIAL TO GIVE MEANING TO THEIR LIFE

32. AN AFRICAN TRADITION: THE RELIGION OF THE YORUBA
RELIGION OF 10 MILLION AFRICANS THAT HAS EXISTED OVER ONE THOUSAND YEARS

33. THE YORUBA AND THEIR UNIVERSE
LOCATED IN THE WEST-CENTRAL PORTION OF AFRICA IN THE COUNTRIES OF NIGERIA, BENIN AND TOGO
ORIGINATED WITH A COMMON CULTURE AND LANGUAGE
GENERALLY IN URBAN AREAS; IFE HAS BEEN THE MOST IMPORTANT CITY, SINCE IT IS BELIEVED THE GOD ORISHA-NLA FIRST BEGAN TO CREATE THE WORLD

34. YORUBA COSMOLOGY HEAVEN EARTH INVISIBLE HOME OF THE GODS AND ANCESTORS
NORMAL EXPERIENCE, VISIBLE HOME OF HUMAN BEINGS WHO DESCENDED FROM THE GODS
ALSO POPULATED BY PERVERTED FORMS OF HUMAN BEINGS SUCH AS WITCHES AND SORCERERS
CAUSE DISASTROUS HARM IF NOT CONTROLLED

35. PURPOSE OF YORUBA RELIGION
MAINTAIN THE BALANCE BETWEEN THE HUMAN BEINGS OF EARTH AND THE GODS AND ANCESTORS OF HEAVEN, WHILE GUARDING AGAINST THE EVIL DEEDS OF THE SORCERORS AND WITCHES

36. GODS AND ANCESTORS: THE INHABITANTS OF HEAVEN
SUPREME GOD: OLORUN
LESS POWERFUL GODS: ORISHAS
ALL THESE GODS INHABIT HEAVEN

37. OLORUN, THE HIGH GOD CHARACTERISTICS
ORIGINAL SOURCE OF POWER IN THE UNIVERSE
DISTANT AND REMOTE
NOT INVOLVED IN HUMAN AFFAIRS
OTHER GODS, ORISHAS, FUNCTION AS MEDIATORS BETWEEN OLORUN AND HUMAN BEINGS

38. ORISHAS
SOURCES OF ALL SACRED POWER WHICH CAN HELP OR HARM HUMAN BEINGS, DEPENDING HOW WELL RITUALS, DESIGNED TO APPEASE THEM ARE CARRIED OUT
HUNDREDS EXIST
SOME ARE WORSHIPPED BY ALL YORUBA
SOME WORSHIPPED ONLY BY ONE FAMILY GROUP

39. SIGNIFICANT ORISHAS ORISHA-NLA OGUN ESU CREATOR OF THE EARTH
GOD OF IRON AND OF WAR
ORIGINALLY A HUMAN BEING
INHABITS THE BORDER AREA BETWEEN THE ANCESTORS AND THE REST OF THE ORISHAS
ESU
CONTAINS BOTH GOOD AND EVIL PROPERTIES
MEDIATES BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH
HAS A PLACE AT EVERY SHRINE
TRICKSTER FIGURE
SIGNIFICANT IN MANY PRIMAL RELIGIONS

40. THE ANCESTORS OF THE LIVING
DECEASED HUMANS WHO ARE ACQUIRED SUPERNATURAL STATUS
CAN HELP OR HARM HUMANS
TWO TYPES OF ANCESTORS
FAMILY ANCESTORS
DEIFIED ANCESTORS
KNOWN THROUGHOUT YORUBA SOCIETY AND NOW WORSHIPED BY LARGE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE

41. CONNECTING HEAVEN AND EARTH: RITUAL PRACTITIONERS
ALL PLAY THE ROLE OF MEDIATION AND MAINTAINING THE BALANCE BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH
SEVERAL PRACTITIONERS MEDIATE BETWEEN HUMANS AND THE ANCESTORS DEPENDING UPON WHAT THE WORSHIPER WANTS FULFILLED
HEAD OF A FAMILY
DIVINERS
DIVINATION
THE PRACTICE OF PREDICTING THE FUTURE BY WISDOM STORIES
RITUAL SPECIALISTS
TRANSMITTING MESSAGES FROM THE DECEASED TO THE LIVING AT FESTIVALS

42. RELIGION OF THE NORTH AMERICAN PLAINS INDIANS
“NATIVE AMERICANS” MIGRATED FROM SIBERIA OVER 20,000-30,000 YEARS AGO
MORE THAN 30 TRIBES, SPEAKING SEVEN DISTINCT LANGUAGES, RESIDED IN THE REGION OF THE GREAT PLAINS
THEIR CULTURE WAS GREATLY AFFECTED BY THE INTRODUCTION IF THE HORSE BY EUROPEANS IN THE 16TH CENTURY
THEIR RELIGION TODAY SERVES AS A MODEL PAN-INDIAN RELIGION, WHICH IS UNITING TRIBES FROM ACROSS NORTH AMERICA

43. LAKOTA PEOPLE LAKOTA (SIOUX)
KNOWN BEST FOR “CUSTER’S LAST STAND” (1876), WOUNDED KNEE (1890)
ABOUT 100,000 CURRENTLY LIVE ON RESERVATIONS

44. BASIC BELIEFS SUPREME REALITY: WAKAN TANKA (GREAT SPIRIT)
NAME REFERS TO 16 SEPARATE DEITIES
NUMBER 16 IS SACRED NUMBER TO THE LAKOTA

45. COSMOLOGY
CREATION AND APPEARANCE OF HUMAN BEINGS EXPLAINED IN DETAILED MYTHS CELEBRATING SUPERNATURAL BEINGS INVOLVED
KEY DEITY: INKTOME-”SPIDER” (TRICKSTER)
BELIEF THAT, IN DEATH, FOUR SOULS DEPART FROM A PERSON AT DEATH
ONE JOURNEYS TO THE “SPIRIT PATH” (MILKY WAY”
ONE MEETS AN OLD WOMAN WHO JUDGES IT
ALLOWS IT TO CONTINUE TO THE OTHER WORLD OF ANCESTORS OR SENDS IT BACK TO EARTH AS A GHOST
OTHER SOULS ENTER UNBORN CHILDREN AND ARE REBORN IN NEW BODIES

46. THE VISION QUEST COMMON TO MANY PRIMAL RELIGIONS
PRIMARY MEANS FOR AN INDIVIDUAL TO GAIN ACCESS TO SPIRITUAL POWER IN ORDER TO ENSURE GREATER SUCCESS IN HUNTING, WARFARE AND CURING THE ILL.
BOTH MEN AND WOMEN EXPERIENCE THE QUEST
OVERSEEN BY A MEDICINE MAN OR WOMAN
ISSUES SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS BEFOREHAND AND INTERPRETS THE CONTENT OF THE VISION AFTERWARD
PARTICIPANT UNDERGOES A RITUAL PURIFICATION IN THE SWEAT LODGE BEFORE THE QUEST

47. VISION QUEST (CON.) SWEAT LODGE: REPRESENTS THE UNIVERSE
PROCESS OF PROFUSELY SWEATING SYMBOLIZES BOTH A PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL CLEANSING
THE VISION QUESTER THEN GOES TO A DESIGNATED SECLUDED SPOT FOR A PERIOD OF TIME WITH NO FOOD OR WATER, PERFORMING CERTAIN RITUALS AS INSTRUCTED BY THE MEDICINE MAN OR WOMAN
THE VISION APPEARS IN THE FORM OF AN ANIMAL, SOME OTHER OBJECT OR FORCE OF NATURE
THE VISION IS THEN INTERPRETED BY THE MEDICINE MAN AND THESE LESSONS WILL INFLUENCE THE QUESTOR FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIFE

48. THE SUN DANCE FOCUSES ON THE TRIBE
OCCURS AT THE BEGINNING OF SUMMER: A CELEBRATION OF THE NEW YEAR AND AS A PREPARATION FOR THE ANNUAL BUFFALO HUNT
CEREMONY CONDUCTED BY MEDICINE MAN OR A WOMAN OF OUTSTANDING CHARACTER
CEREMONY CENTERED AROUND THE “SUN DANCE” LODGE
COTTONWOOD TREE REPRESENTING THE “AXIS MUNDI” CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE
TWENTY-EIGHT POLES COMPOSE THE LODGE REPRESENTING THE 28 DAYS OF THE LUNAR MONTHLY CALENDAR
THE LODGE REPRESENTS THE UNIVERSE AND THE FOUR COMPASS DIRECTIONS

49. A MESOAMERICAN RELIGION: THE AZTECS AND THEIR LEGACY
POPULATION OF ABOUT 15 MILLION; MAKES THEM EXCEPTION OF PRIMAL RELIGIONS
CENTERED IN CITY OF TENOCHTITLAN (MEXICO CITY)
EMPHASIZED RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MYTH AND RITUAL
INFLUENCE STILL FOUND IN MODERN RELIGIOUS PRACTICES

50. THE AZTECS AND MESOAMERICAN CULTURE
CULTURE CENTERED IN REGION FROM MEXICO SOUTH TO COSTA RICA
NATIVE AMERICANS ARRIVED ABOUT 20,000 YEARS AGO
FROM ABOUT 2,000 B.C. UNTIL ABOUT THE TIME OF THE ARRIVAL OF COLUMBUS, AREA DOMINATED BY SOPHISTICATED DIVERSE CULTURES
OLMECS, MAYA, TOLTEC, AZTEC

51. THE TOLTEC TRADITION: THE FOUNDATION OF AZTEC RELIGION
INFLUENCED BY TOLTECS
BELIEVED TOLTEC GOD, QUETZALCOATL, PRESIDED OVER GOLDEN AGE
EARTHLY DEVOTEE WAS THE YOUNG PRINCE, WHO RULED AS PRIEST-KING
AZTEC COSMOLOGY ATTRIBUTED THE CREATION OF THE WORLD TO QUETZALCOATL

52. TEOTIHUACAN: PLACE OF ORIGINS
BELIEVED THAT ORIGIN OF THE COSMOS TOOK PLACE AT TEOTIHUACAN
LOCATED ABOUT 30 MILES FROM THE CAPITAL
QUETZALCOATL WAS WORSHIPPED LONG BEFORE THE RISE OF THE TOLTECS
LOCATION IS NOW THE MOST POPULAR ARCHEOLOGICAL SITE IN MEXICO

53. COSMOLOGY: TIME AND SPACE
COSMOLOGY RELATED WITH
PESSIMISTIC VIEW OF TIME
PERSPECTIVE ON HUMAN CONDITION
RITUAL OF HUMAN SACRIFICE

54. AGE OF THE FIFTH SUN CURRENT SUN WAS THE FIFTH SUN
PREVIOUS SUNS HAD BEEN DESTROYED AND SIMILAR FATE WAS ANTICIPATED
HUMAN SACRIFICE WAS THE ONLY WAY TO FORESTALL THIS EVENT
BELIEVED THAT THE FIFTH SUN WAS THE LAST SUN
EACH SUN HAD OCCUPIED ITS OWN COSMIC LOCATION

55. FOUR DIRECTIONS AND THE AXIS MUNDI
EARTHLY REALM CONNECTED TO A MANY-LAYERED HEAVEN AND UNDERWORLD
SERPENT MOUNTAIN WAS THE CENTER OF THE WORLD AT TENOCHTITLAN; THE TEMPLE WAS WHERE THE FOUR DIRECTIONS CONVERGED
MOUNTAINS ARE FREQUENTLY AXIS MUNDI’S FOR PRIMAL RELIGIONS
GOD’S OF RAIN, FERTILITY, WAR, SACRIFICE

56. THE HUMAN ROLE IN SUSTAINING THE COSMOS
TWO DIVINE FORCES, ONE IN THE HEAD AND ONE IN THE HEART, INFLUENCED THE HUMAN CONDITION
THE HUMAN HEAD AND HEART WERE REGARDED AS POTENT NOURISHMENT FOR THE SUN AND THE COSMOS

57. THE RITUAL OF HUMAN SACRIFICE
THE HEART WAS OFFERED AS NOURISHMENT TO THE SUN
THE HEAD WAS OFFERED TO THE SKY
THE INDIVIDUAL WILLINGLY WAS SACRIFICED AND ENTERED THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF HEAVEN
SACRIFICES CARRIED OUT ONCE EVERY TWENTY DAYS
VICTEMS WERE NORMALLY CAPTURED WARRIORS

58. THE MASTERY OF LANGUAGE
MUCH RELIGIOUS POWER WAS CONVEYED THROUGH THE MASTERY OF LANGUAGE
AZTECS SPOKE “NAHUATL”
“KNOWERS OF THINGS” COULD COMMUNICATE WITH THE GODS AND MAKE OFFERINGS THROUGH LANGUAGE AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO SACRIFICE

59. FROM AZTEC EMPIRE TO CATHOLIC MEXICO
HERNAN CORTES CONQUERS THE AZTECS IN 1521
MONTECZUMA BELIEVED HE WAS A GOD
THE VIRGIN OF GUADALUPE, WHICH APPEARED IN 1531 AT A LOCATION THAT HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN VENERATED AS THE SACRED PLACE OF THE AZTEC MOTHER GODDESS
AZTECS ALSO PERFORMED RITUALS SIMILAR TO THE “DIA DE LOS MUERTOS”

60. SUN DANCE (CON)
SELF-MUTILATION BY SOME PARTICIPANTS WAS CONSIDERED THE ONLY WORTHY SACRIFICE A HUMAN BEING COULD OFFER THE SUPREME BEING
EVENTUALLY OUTLAWED BY U.S. GOVERNMENT, IT IS NOW LEGAL AND PRACTICED IN ITS TRADITIONAL FORM AMONG TRIBES OF THE PLAINS