Shamanic tradition and altered states of consciousness in Turkic culture
Pharos Journal of Theology February 14, 2026 Manat Kanagatov, Tatyana Seryozhkina, Zukhra Ismagambetova et al.
In Turkic Kazakh culture, altered states of consciousness (ASC) were a normal, regulated way of interacting with a multi-layered reality, functioning as tools for diagnosis, sacred knowledge, and social order. Shamans acted as mediators between sacred and social realms, integrating personal experience with collective knowledge. Ritual spaces and objects held stable, myth-based symbolism. Under modern conditions, the shamanic tradition has shifted toward individualized psycho-spiritual practice while keeping its core symbolic codes. Archetypal shamanic structures persist in Kazakh folklore, cultural memory, and identity. The study synthesizes philosophy, ethnology, archaeology, and symbolic analysis to interpret these sacred practices and their contemporary transformations.