shamanism
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: 1. An animistic religion of northern Asia: A belief system centered on the idea that a specialist, a shaman, can mediate between the visible, ordinary world and the invisible spirit world to heal, divine, or influence events. 2. Any similar animistic religion: A term extended to describe comparable spiritual practices found in other cultures, particularly among certain Indigenous peoples of the Americas, which involve similar concepts of spirit mediation and healing.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The anthropologist wrote a book about Siberian shamanism and its rituals.
- Some forms of Native American spirituality are often categorized under the broad term shamanism.
Advanced Usage
- Core Concept: The term often implies a practice rather than a formal, organized religion, focusing on the shaman's ecstatic techniques (like drumming or chanting) to enter altered states of consciousness.
- Academic Context: In comparative religion, shamanism is frequently discussed as a widespread, cross-cultural phenomenon with core characteristics, despite regional variations.
Variants and Related Words
- Shaman (n): The practitioner, the mediator in shamanism.
- The shaman performed a healing ceremony.
- Shamanic (adj): Relating to shamans or shamanism.
- They studied shamanic journeying techniques.
- Shamanistic (adj): Another adjective form meaning of or relating to shamanism.
- The artifacts had shamanistic symbolism.
Synonyms
- Animism: A related belief system attributing souls to natural phenomena, often foundational to shamanistic practices.
- Ecstatic religion: A descriptive term highlighting the altered states of consciousness central to the practice.
Related Phrases and Concepts
- Shamanic journey: A specific practice within shamanism where the shaman travels in spirit to other realms.
- The healing involved a shamanic journey to retrieve a lost soul part.
- Shamanic healing: A form of healing that addresses spiritual causes of illness.
- She sought shamanic healing for her chronic condition.
Noun
- an animistic religion of northern Asia having the belief that the mediation between the visible and the spirit worlds is effected by shamans
- any animistic religion similar to Asian shamanism (especially as practiced by certain Native American tribes)