Shamanism in Cross-Cultural Perspective

This article reviews the origins of the concept of the shaman and controversies about shamanism's existence and nature. It clarifies confusion by reviewing research that supports a cross-cultural concept of shamans distinct from related shamanistic healers. The authors examine common shamanistic universals involving altered states of consciousness from psychobiological perspectives, arguing that biological aspects of these states help explain shamanism's origins, while social influences explain its diverse manifestations, including elicitation of endogenous healing responses. The review suggests shamanism relates to human nature through these universal biological and social mechanisms.

Study at a glance

Abstract

This article reviews the origins of the concept of the shaman and the principal sources of controversy regarding the existence and nature of shamanism. Confusion regarding the nature of shamanism is clarified with a review of research providing empirical support for a cross-cultural concept of shamans that distinguishes them from related shamanistic healers. The common shamanistic universals involving altered states of consciousness are examined from psychobiological perspectives to illustrate shamanism’s relationships to human nature. Common biological aspects of altered states of consciousness help explain the origins of shamanism while social influences on this aspect of human nature help to explain the diverse manifestations of shamanistic phenomena involving an elicitation of endogenous healing responses.