Shamanism: psychopathology and psychotherapy
Ari Brouwer, Michael J. Winkelman, C. Raison
Religion, Brain & Behavior November 24, 2023 DOI: 10.1080/2153599x.2023.2258212 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Shamanism |
| Citations | 6 |
| Key findings | Shamanic sickness, unlike psychosis, is ameliorated by ritualized and controlled engagement with altered states of consciousness, and when culturally accepted, shamanic vocation leads to increased functional capacity rather than deterioration. |
Abstract
ABSTRACT The cross-cultural practice of shamanism reflects an innate capacity for altered states of consciousness (ASC’s) that are elicited by stress, deliberately sought in shamanic rituals, and associated with psychopathology. Shamanic sickness, animal transformation, and death-rebirth experiences specifically resemble psychotic experiences. The triggers of shamanic and psychotic experiences are also related, but while psychotic experiences endure and intensify under uncontrollable circumstances, shamanic sickness is ameliorated by ritualized and controlled engagement of ASC. Shamanic vocation, when and where it is culturally accepted, does not lead to progressive deterioration or dysfunction but rather to an increased functional capacity as expert healer, teacher, and ritual guide. Shamanic training methods, or other controlled and ritual methods of engaging ASC, may inform strategies for promoting mental well-being.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on shamanism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hallucinogenic Drugs and Plants in Psychotherapy and Shamanism | 1998 | Review | |
| Hallucinogenic Mushrooms in Mexico: An Overview | 2008 | Review | |
| Healing, spirituality and integrative medicine. | 2017 | Review | |
| Introduction: Evidence for entheogen use in prehistory and world religions | 2019 | Review | |
| The Evolved Psychology of Psychedelic Set and Setting: Inferences Regarding the Roles of Shamanism and Entheogenic Ecopsychology | 2021 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 5
- Psychotomimetic compensation versus sensitization. Pharmacology Research & Perspectives August 1, 2024
- The trajectory of psychedelic, spiritual, and psychotic experiences: implications for cognitive scientific perspectives on religion Religion, Brain & Behavior July 11, 2024
- Psychedelics and the future evolution of humanity Journal of Psychedelic Studies August 13, 2025
- From Suffering to Salvation: Making Sense of Religious Experiences International Journal for the Psychology of Religion December 13, 2024
- Self, Other, and Higher Power: A “Relational Triad” Moderates Associations Between Mystical Experience and Mental Health International Journal for the Psychology of Religion October 1, 2024
Cites 22
- Altered States of Consciousness Archives of General Psychiatry September 1, 1966
- The phenomenon of quantum change. Journal of Clinical Psychology May 1, 2004
- The lived experience of psychosis: a bottom-up review co-written by experts by experience and academics. World Psychiatry June 1, 2022
- Pivotal mental states Journal of Psychopharmacology April 1, 2021
- Survey of entity encounter experiences occasioned by inhaled N,N-dimethyltryptamine: Phenomenology, interpretation, and enduring effects. Journal of Psychopharmacology September 1, 2020
and 17 more in the library