Identifying the nature of shamanism.
The Behavioral and brain sciences 2018 DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x17002217 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Shamanism |
| Key points | Argues that Singh's conflation of diverse religious statuses and rejection of biological and conspicuous display models misses the evolutionary roots of shamanism involving ritual's social functions. |
Abstract
Singh conflates diverse religious statuses into a single category that includes practitioners with roles that differ significantly from empirical characteristics of shamans. The rejection of biological models of trance and conspicuous display models misses the evolutionary roots of shamanism involving the social functions of ritual in producing psychological and social integration and ritual healing.