Certain forms of shamanism existed in many communities worldwide, including some of the indigenous cultures and tribes of North America, from the Arctic to the Gulf of Mexico and the desert areas of the Southwest, California, and northern Mexico. At least several American Indian and Inuit societies are known to have practised shamanism in bothpre-Columbian and other historical periods (even...
The Huni Kuin people, inhabiting the Amazon rainforest in Brazil and Peru, have mastered the use of ayahuasca, which serves as a conduit bridging different realms of existence. Grounded in an immersive personal experience of participating in an ayahuasca ceremony, this paper explores ayahuasca rituals in a Huni Kuin community in the Brazilian state of Acre, focusing on their healing purposes...
The article analyses the social media activity of selected Mongolian shamans intended for dissemination of what they believe to be the correct knowledge about Mongolian shamanism. The Internet is a tool that, combined with their own creativity, allows themto convey aspects of this phenomenon that are difficult to verbalize. On the one hand, the shamans present a great diversity, make use of...
The article explores the concept of “shared subjectivity” in the shamanic practices of the Quechua people in the central Andes of Peru. It reveals the interconnection between humans and non-humans in Quechua shamanic practices, where various ritual objects (stones, coca leaves, guinea pigs, and eggs) play active roles in rituals and in the process of synergistic becoming and building...
This paper explores the experiences and perspectives of people from Poland who engage with psychoactive plants, referred to by me as the Plants, such as ayahuasca, psilocybin mushrooms, and mescaline-containing cacti-for healing and personal growth. Based on fourteen in-depth interviews and analysis of online discussions, the paper examines how my interlocutors conceptualize health, disease,...
Since the collapse of the socialist system in the past 30 years, Mongolia has transitioned from an atheist state to one where multiple religions – such as Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam – coexist freely, with no restrictions on freedom of belief. This transformationhas also spurred the revival of shamanism, the indigenous religion of the Mongols. Despite its tragic history, Mongolian...
In this text, I describe shamanistic beliefs and practices of the Matsigenka Amerindians from the Peruvian Amazon. After an introductory section, I present the saankariite – beings from the Matsigenka cosmology which are important in the shamanism of this ethnic group. Then, I outline uses of visionary plants by the Matsigenka. This is followed by a descriptionof the functions of seripigari...
The article provides a concise introduction to two issues in anthropological research on shamanism:1) the conceptual use of the term “shamanism” and 2) the main methodological approaches to its study. It proposes a kind of cognitive map of shamanisms, shaped by key ideas from anthropology. The text also suggests a way to organize the extensive literature on shamanism from both paradigmatic...
In this article, I start from the premise that the understanding of punishment is determined by the overall system of thinking, by the cosmology that underpins a given social order. In analysing the understanding of punishment in shamanism, I use a broad definition encompassing not only punishment inflicted by human individuals and communities, but also punishment by non-human entities such as...
This article examines the diverse forms of shamanic death rituals observed in Korea from a historical perspective. Korean shamanism, or musok, is a highly dynamic form of faith centred on the figure of the shaman, associated rituals, and a worldview that has been passed down orally among shamans from generation to generation. It is important to note, however, that this worldview, and therefore...
Reproduction and aggression: shamanic practices among Quichuas from Ecuador (Imbabura and Chimborazo Provinces) 1 Reproduction and aggression: shamanic practices… El agua no es más fuerte que yo, porque yo soy el agua.La tierra no es más grande que yo, porque yo soy la tierra.El fuego no es más fuerte que yo, porque yo soy la luz.El aire no es más grande que yo, porque yo soy el aire.Yachak...