‘Theory of mind’ in developmental psychology focuses on how children develop the ability to infer others’ beliefs, desires, and intentions. Anthropologists have taken up the notion of ‘theory of mind’ to explore the way cultural differences in representations of beliefs, desires, and intentions affect everyday lives. In Oceania, anthropologists have noted that inferences about others’ intentions are not accorded a privileged role in social interaction. In Vanuatu, I find, it is often the material, rather than immaterial, aspects of relatedness that are elaborated upon. People think about knowledge, creativity, meaning, and intention not as confined to a bounded mental or inner domain, but as discoverable through the body, and in the world at large. I argue here that this propensity to locate meaning and moral purpose as external to the mind corresponds to a ‘porous’ view of self and mind, and that this in turn may open people to experience vivid, intense, and often tangible forms of spiritual encounter.

中文翻译：

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增强想象力和精神脆弱性：瓦努阿图的本地心理理论和精神经验

发展心理学中的“心理理论”侧重于儿童如何发展推断他人的信念，欲望和意图的能力。人类学家采用“心理理论”的概念来探索信仰，欲望和意图表示中的文化差异如何影响日常生活。在大洋洲，人类学家注意到，关于他人意图的推论在社会交往中没有特权。我发现在瓦努阿图，经常会详细阐述相关性的实质性而非非实质性。人们认为知识，创造力，意义和意图不仅仅局限于有限的精神或内在领域，而是可以通过身体以及整个世界发现。