Shamanism and complementary therapy.
Complementary therapies in nursing & midwifery November 1, 2000 DOI: 10.1054/ctnm.2000.0507 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Shamanism |
| Key points | Proposes that shamanic principles may be congruent with the practice of complementary practitioners. |
Abstract
Shamanism is an ancient tradition which may offer profound insights into the healing process and to our whole understanding of health. It has an extensive historical and geographical distribution, and may contain elements essential to our understanding of humanity. This paper outlines the origin and nature of shamanic practice, and considers its implications for a number of current healing issues. Several areas of potential relevance to complementary practitioners are explored. These include the shamanic concepts of illness, change and growth; illness and healing as rites of passage; death and dying; and the use of imagery in healing. This paper suggests that complementary practitioners may find some shamanic principles highly congruent with their own practice.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on shamanism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ayahuasca Shamanism in the Amazon and Beyond | 2014 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Shamanism as the Original Neurotheology | 2004 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Cognitive Neuroscience, Shamanism and the Rock Art of Native California | 1998 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| From Culture to Experience: Shamanism in the Pages of the Soviet Anti-Religious Press | 2020 | Historical analysis | |
| Anthropology, Shamanism, and Alternate Ways of Knowing–Being in the World: One Anthropologist's Journey of Discovery and Transformation | 2010 | Reflective essay or personal narrative |
Citations in the library
Cited by 5
- Brain changes during a shamanic trance: Altered modes of consciousness, hemispheric laterality, and systemic psychobiology Cogent Psychology April 24, 2017
- Shamanism: An Inquiry into the History of the Scholarly Use of the Term in English‐Speaking North America Anthropology of Consciousness September 1, 2006
- Antinociceptive Efficacy of Shamanic Healing for the Management of Temporomandibular Disorders: An Evidence-Based Review. Journal of Religion and Health April 1, 2024
- The rhythms of trance: Cultural phenomenology and neural mechanisms of music-induced non-ordinary states of consciousness. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews July 1, 2026
- A Cultural Pathway to Addressing Contemporary Mental Illness: Construction and Healing Logic of the “Virtual Illness” Concept in Shamanism in the North of China Religions April 1, 2026