A shaman in Chiang Mai, Thailand, cures an elderly woman's ills by uttering incantations, blowing in her eyes, and rubbing her back with a knife. The shaman is a member of the Hmong, a mountain-dwelling people in Asia.
Practiced primarily by native people of Asia, shamanism involves a
belief in good and evil. Myth, ritual, and respect for the Earth are key elements in the ancient religion. The religion's priests are called shamans.
To correct evil—sickness, death, natural disaster—shamans say they can undertake a journey into a separate spiritual world.
There they can reportedly fight evil sprits, ask the aid of good spirits, or even find lost souls. This journey is believed to be dangerous, and death and illness can result if the shaman is unsuccessful.
Often an altered state of mind is required to make the spiritual journey. Shamans may ingest drugs that cause the shamans to see visions as part of the ritual.
Shamanism was highly developed by the Evenk people of Siberia. (The word "shaman" has an Evenki origin.) Evenk shamans can reportedly tell the future, predict the weather, cure or cause an illness, and assure success in hunting or herding. Shamans frequently eat special mushrooms to induce trance states.
The Chukchi and Koryak peoples of Siberia hold complex fertility ceremonies at annual reindeer slaughters and sea-mammal feasts. The rites are intended to ensure that the animals continue giving birth, thereby providing the people with a reliable supply of meat.
