The Fate of Shamanism in The Globalization Epoch: Philosophical-Religious Analysis

Shamanism, an ancient religious phenomenon, persists in modern globalized societies. Historically, people believed the world was filled with good and evil spirits governing human life. Shamanism centers on a shaman's supernatural ability to enter a trance and communicate with these spirits, particularly ancestral ones. The shaman's syncretic consciousness integrates herbal medicine, psychology, astrology, and numerology. Elements of shamanism endure in the worldview and lifestyle of Kazakh and many other peoples. The analysis covers core concepts: shamans, trance techniques, and cosmocentric rituals emphasizing harmony with nature. Kazakh shamanism is examined through S. Valikhanov's work, highlighting Korkyt-ata as the first Turkic shaman. The ontological, epistemological, and ethical dimensions of shamanism retain relevance during globalization.

Study at a glance

Abstract

The article deals with the problems of shamanism and its fate in the context of globalization. Nature is revealed, the essence of this unique phenomenon, dating back to the most ancient religious beliefs and continuing to live in modern conditions. The authors show that in the minds of most people in the past the idea was prevailing that the world is inhabited by many good and evil spirits, and human life depends on them. And at the heart of shamanism is a belief in the supernatural abilities of a shaman who can in a trance state communicate with these spirits, especially with the spirits of their ancestors. The syncretism of the shaman’s consciousness is analyzed, which includes knowledge of herbal medicine, human psychology, astrology, and the mysticism of numbers. The article draws attention to the fact that many elements of shamanism are preserved in the worldview, the lifestyle of not only the Kazakh, but also many other peoples. The analysis of the basic concepts of shamanism is given - shamans, the technique of transduction and its other important rituals, ceremonies, which are cosmocentric in nature, which means the desire to follow nature. The features of Kazakh shamanism are shown, while the authors rely on the work of S. Valikhanov “Traces of shamanism among the Kyrgyz”, attention is paid to the figure of Korkyt-ata, who is the first shaman of the Turkic (Kazakh) people. The authors emphasize the peculiarity of the ontological, epistemological and ethical doctrine of shamanism, many of which do not lose their positions in our time - in the period of globalization of its relevance.