What is a Shaman, and What Are Shamanic Altered States of Consciousness?
In any study of shamanism and al tered states of consciousness (ASCs), clear definitions are necessary. Ac cording to Dobkin de Rios and M. Winkelman (1989), “general anthro pological consensus, which is sup ported by cross-cultural research, is that the shaman is (and was) found throughout the world in hunting and gathering societies and forms the basis for the universal distribution of practi tioners who use trance states in healing and divination” (2). Characteristic of shamanism is an ecstatic state in which the shaman’s soul is believed to journey to the spirit world, underworld, or ani mal spirit world; however, not all of the shaman’s work involves such journeys. The goal of shamanic work includes the diagnosis and treatment of disease, especially where “soul loss” is in volved, escorting dead souls to other realms, locating animals for successful hunting, predicting and altering the weather, or divining the past, present, and future — all for the benefit of the communit
