Pilch, John J. – Biblical scholar at Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., and the University of Pretoria, South Africa, who argues that Jesus Christ was a “holy man” whose ability to achieve altered states of consciousness and journey to the upper world established his ability to heal. He draws on a range of cultures and theories to make his case.
SOURCE:
Historical Dictionary of Shamanism by Graham Harvey and Robert J. Wallis 2007