Contemporary Czech Shamanism: A Case Study of Ritual Practice and Healing
Helena Dyndová
Český lid June 25, 2020 DOI: 10.21104/cl.2020.2.02 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Czech shamanic communities |
| Topics | Shamanism |
| Citations | 5 |
| Key findings | Shamanism in the Czech Republic enjoys considerable popularity despite a general distrust of formal religion, and its 'action approach' to human adversity offers an attractive explanation for experiences during shamanic ritual. |
Abstract
The article presents an overview of contemporary Czech shamanism based on field research into Czech shamanic communities that the author has been conducting since 2017. Despite the specific Czech distrust of ‘religion’ and ‘formalized ritualization’ in general, shamanism enjoys considerable popularity. Particular attention is paid to the concept of illnesses and shamanic treatment. It is argued that the shamanic ‘action approach’ to human adversity offers a relatively broad and attractive explanation as to what is experienced and performed during shamanic ritual. The second part of the paper is dedicated to shamanic ritual, i.e. the paraphernalia, ritual set and setting that create the space for ritual practice and also a safe-space for spontaneous communitas and the participant’s own understanding of this psychotherapeutic and religious experience. The final part examines the specifics of contemporary Czech shamanism in the pervasive discourse of modern western spirituality.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on shamanism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Plantas con madre": plants that teach and guide in the shamanic initiation process in the East-Central Peruvian Amazon. Curanderos, apprentices, and herbalists in East-Central Peru, including Mestizo,... | 2011 | Qualitative study | n = 36 |
| Purging and the body in the therapeutic use of ayahuasca Healers and participants in shamanic tourism contexts of the Peruvian Amazon and... | 2019 | Ethnography with literature review | n = 227 |
| The Globalization of Ayahuasca Shamanism and the Erasure of Indigenous Shamanism Western tourists and indigenous peoples in Iquitos, Peru | 2016 | Ethnography | |
| Shamanism and Rock Art in Far Western North America Historic hunter-gatherer cultures of California and the Great Basin | 1992 | Ethnographic review and analysis | |
| Working with “La Medicina”: Elements of Healing in Contemporary Ayahuasca Rituals Ayahuasqueros and Western participants in shamanic tourism in Iquitos, Peru | 2012 | Ethnography |