Identifying the nature of shamanism.
The Behavioral and brain sciences January 1, 2018 DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x17002217 (opens in new tab) via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractThe author argues that Singh incorrectly lumps together various religious practitioners under a single 'shaman' category, ignoring important differences in their roles. By dismissing biological models of trance and conspicuous display theories, Singh overlooks the evolutionary origins of shamanism, which lie in the social functions of ritual—namely, fostering psychological and social integration and enabling ritual healing.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key finding | 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.