Shamanism

Summary: "The shaman occupies a key role as a healer, mediating between the world of the living and the world of spirits, and is a potent figure in alternative medicine. Shamanism, a richly illustrated guide, looks at both historic and present-day manifestations, from the snowscapes of Siberia to the jungles of the Amazon." "The book discusses visions, initiations rites, shamanic chants, shamanism and mental health, the shamanic use of plants, and the political and social background of the shaman's work. Also covered are the links between the shaman's sense of unity in nature and the recent growth of ecological consciousness in Western societies."--Jacket.

Record details

ISBN: 0806133287
ISBN: 9780806133287
Physical Description: print
184 pages : illustrations (some color), maps ; 21 cm
Publisher: Norman : University of Oklahoma Press, 2001.

Content descriptions

General Note:	Originally published: The Shaman. 1st American ed. Boston : Little, Brown, �1995.
Bibliography, etc. Note:	Includes bibliographical references (pages 171-175) and index.
Formatted Contents Note:	The Shamanic Worldview -- What is a shaman? -- Spirits and souls -- Layers of the cosmos -- Levels of reality -- Concepts of power -- Regional Traditions -- The religion of the stone age -- Hunters, herders and farmers -- Siberia and Mongolia -- South and East Asia -- North America -- South and Central America -- The rest of the world -- Becoming a Shaman -- Who becomes a shaman? -- Initiation and instruction -- Trance and ecstasy -- Helpers and teachers -- Voyages to other realms -- Battles with hostile spirits -- Music, dance and words -- Costumes and equipment -- Shamanic botany: hallucinogens -- Tricks of the trade -- The shaman's multiple nature -- Death of the shaman -- Shamans and Clients -- Healing the sick, rescuing lost souls -- Divining -- Obtaining animals -- Protecting the community -- Shamans and the state -- Dramas and roles -- A summary of shamanic procedure -- Understanding Shamans -- Early impressions -- Shamanism in the history of religion -- Communist regimes -- Are shamans mentally ill? -- Do shamans really heal? -- Kinds of consciousness -- New shamanic movements -- The cosmos within. New Shamanic Movements.