shamanism

Shamanism refers to a range of indigenous and traditional practices in which a shaman acts as an intermediary between the human community and the spirit world. Shamanic practitioners are found in many cultures across Asia, the Americas, Africa, and Oceania. Central features commonly include trance states induced by drumming, dancing, singing, fasting, or the use of psychoactive substances; journeying to non-ordinary reality to locate souls, retrieve lost power, or communicate with spirits; and performing healing, divination, and guidance for individuals and communities. Shamans may enter trance to diagnose illness, retrieve wholeness, influence weather or hunting fortunes, or settle disputes.

Shamanism is not a single organized religion but a set of related practices and beliefs that vary between cultures. Common concepts include a cosmology of spirits, ancestors, and animal or plant spirit helpers, and the belief that illness may have spiritual or social causes. Ritual tools such as drums, rattles, masks, pipes, and other ceremonial objects; purification rites; and offerings are typical. Shamans may be chosen by spirits or initiated through training and testing.

In academic usage, shamanism describes a range of ethnographic phenomena and is often discussed in relation to organized religions. Neo-shamanism, a modern adaptation, appears in urban settings and may blend traditional elements with contemporary spirituality. Critiques include concerns about cultural appropriation and misrepresentation. The term derives from Siberian languages, where it denoted a ritual specialist.