The boundaries between religion and esotericism are conventional and mobile, not fixed. Using J.D. Frazer and B.K. Malinowski's criteria for distinguishing magic, the analysis examines institutional, doctrinal, epistemological, social, practical, and functional levels. Despite both appealing to the transcendental and searching for meaning, differences remain debated. The author identifies zones of interpenetration: the "religiosity of esotericism" and the internal esoteric component within traditional religions ("esotericism of religion"). A rigid opposition between the two phenomena should be abandoned in favor of considering historical dynamics and cultural context.
The article examines archaeologist David Lewis-Williams's ideas on shamanism and rock art. It describes how his conception of a spectrum of consciousness and altered states (ASCs) explains universal mental images fixed in rock paintings, allowing reconstruction of creators' inner experiences and trance roles. The author finds confirmation in religious history, notes criticisms—mainly about defining symbolic activity and neglecting social organization—partially agrees, and introduces auxiliary theories to address some critiques. Prospects for applying Lewis-Williams's method to folklore sources are outlined.