concept

shamanism

Facts (36)

Sources

Psychedelics, Sociality, and Human Evolution frontiersin.org Frontiers 24 facts

referenceM. J. Winkelman's 2004 chapter 'Spirits as human nature and the fundamental structures of consciousness' appears in the book 'From Shaman to Scientist: Essays on Humanity’s Search for Spirits'.

referenceR. Warner's 1980 article in the International Journal of Social Psychiatry examines the concepts of deception and self-deception within the contexts of shamanism and psychiatry.

referenceMichael J. Winkelman authored the article 'A cross-cultural study of the elementary forms of religious life: shamanistic healers, priests, and witches', published in Religion, Brain & Behavior in 2021.

referenceMichael J. Winkelman authored the 2010 book 'Shamanism: A Biopsychosocial Paradigm of Consciousness and Healing', published by ABC-CLIO in Santa Barbara, CA.

referenceLangdon (1992) provides an introduction to shamanism and anthropology in the book 'Portals of Power: Shamanism in South America'.

referenceMichael J. Winkelman authored the article 'Shamanism and psychedelics: a biogenetic structuralist paradigm of ecopsychology', published in the European Journal of Ecopsychology in 2013.

claimEthical training is a key element of the education of a shaman.

referenceMichael J. Winkelman authored the article 'Shamanism as a biogenetic structural paradigm for humans’ evolved social psychology', published in Psychology of Religion and Spirituality in 2015.

claimShamans use acting, illusions, masks, and costumes to intentionally affect the thoughts, feelings, or perceptions of the audience, which brings about emotional arousal and evokes faith, hope, and trust to enhance client expectations.

referenceMichael J. Winkelman authored the article 'The evolved psychology of psychedelic set and setting: inferences regarding the roles of shamanism and entheogenic ecopsychology', published in Frontiers in Pharmacology in 2021.

referenceKrippner (2002) discusses conflicting perspectives on shamans and shamanism, presenting points and counterpoints.

referenceThe article 'Shamanism and the origins of spirituality and ritual healing' was published in the Journal for the Study of Religion, Nature and Culture (Volume 3, pages 458–489).

claimShamanism includes techniques such as sleight-of-hand, ventriloquism, surreptitiously using informants to obtain information about the patient, and the 'sucking' cure, which may be construed as deceitful.

claimAccording to Garfield et al. (2020), shamans gain status by providing benefits to their community while imposing reasonable costs, which are accepted by the community as assurance of supernatural protection.

claimGarfield et al. (2020) characterize shamanism as a distinct form of leadership that combines a fear-inducing strategy, similar to the dominance strategy, with a knowledge-based strategy, similar to the prestige strategy.

referenceM. J. Winkelman's 1992 book 'Shamans, Priests, and Witches' is a cross-cultural study of magico-religious practitioners.

referenceMichael J. Winkelman authored the article 'Shamanic cosmology as an evolutionary neurocognitive epistemology', published in the International Journal of Transpersonal Studies in 2013.

referenceMichael J. Winkelman authored the chapter 'Shamanism and the alteration of consciousness' in the 2011 book 'Altering Consciousness Multidisciplinary Perspectives Volume 1: History, Culture and the Humanities', published by Praeger ABC-CLIO.

referenceMichael J. Winkelman authored the article 'The shamanic paradigm: evidence from ethnology, neuropsychology and ethology', published in the journal Time and Mind in 2011.

referenceStephen Hugh-Jones authored the chapter 'Shamans, prophets, priests and pastors' in the book 'Shamanism, History, and the State', edited by Thomas and Humphrey and published by the University of Michigan Press in 1996.

claimForagers primarily utilize psychedelics in shamanic rituals, indicating that a key aspect of psychedelic instrumentalization was their incorporation into prosocial contexts involving synchronic activities like ritual, drumming, dancing, and singing, which were precursors to shamanism.

referenceR. Walsh's 1990 book 'The Spirit of Shamanism' explores the practice and nature of shamanism.

referenceMichael J. Harner edited 'Hallucinogens and Shamanism', published by Oxford University Press in 1973.

claimThe cultural evolution of shamanism is a subject of study.

the consumption of psychoactive plants in ancient global and ... academia.edu Academia.edu 6 facts

procedureThe methodology for identifying shamanism in archaeological cultures involves examining objects and ornaments from graves, construction materials, burial stratification, and rituals, and comparing these findings with ethnographic materials and ancient historical sources.

claimShamanism and the ritual use of psychedelic plants co-evolved in prehistory, as hunter-gatherer diets included psychedelic mushrooms, which contributed to the selection of characteristics in human evolved psychologies.

referenceLewis-Williams JD authored 'Harnessing the brain: vision and shamanism in Upper Palaeolithic Western Europe', published in 'Beyond art: Pleistocene image and symbol' by the University of California Press in 1996.

referenceMetzner R authored 'Hallucinogenic drugs and plants in psychotherapy and shamanism', published in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs in 1998.

procedureThe author proposes a methodology for determining if shamanism was practiced in an archaeological culture based on comparative, interdisciplinary research involving written sources, archaeology, ethnography, and mythology.

claimThe use of psychedelic substances for medicinal and therapeutic purposes has existed for thousands of years and is closely linked to shamanism.

The Mechanisms of Psychedelic Visionary Experiences - Frontiers frontiersin.org Frontiers Sep 27, 2017 3 facts

referenceM. J. Winkelman's 2002 article in the Cambridge Archaeological Journal explores the relationship between shamanism and cognitive evolution.

claimPsychedelics are associated with experiences of the supernatural, including the separation of one's soul or spirit from the body and its travel to the supernatural world, which are signature experiences of altered consciousness in shamanism.

claimMichael Winkelman demonstrated that the mimetic complex of dance, music, drumming, and rhythmic enactment served as the context for transforming the collective rituals of ancient hominins into the visionary rituals of shamanism.

Medicinal plants and human health: a comprehensive review of ... link.springer.com Springer Nov 5, 2025 1 fact

referenceC. Elendu (2024) reviews the evolution of ancient healing practices, tracing the development from shamanism to Hippocratic medicine.

Ancient Roots of Today's Emerging Renaissance in ... link.springer.com Springer 1 fact

referenceMariko N. Walter and Eva Jane Neumann Fridman edited the 2004 encyclopedia titled 'Shamanism: An encyclopedia of world beliefs, practices, and culture'.

Psychoactive plants in Ancient World: notes from an Ethnobotanist academia.edu Academia.edu 1 fact

referenceTully and Crooks (2015) investigated Minoan cult practices and the tropes of shamanism in relation to the use of Ecstasy.