Abstract

Discusses the vast intercultural tradition of shamanism and its psychic heritage with regard to tests for psi among shamans and novices, shamanic claims, and observations by anthropologists. Common features of shamanism are fire-immunity, levitation, second sight, and the release of the soul from the body. The fact that many trained witnesses have seen psychic displays indicates that shamanism is neither a psychological nor sociological phenomenon. Shamanism represents an anthropological mystery that parapsychology can help to solve. (33 ref)