Shamanism Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
Journal of Cognitive Historiography January 6, 2022 Leonardo Ambasciano
A review of two recent books on shamanism argues that the field needs to integrate neurocognitive and historical approaches. One book, by Homayun Sidky, offers a cognitive anthropological perspective on shamanism's origins, while the other, by Sergio Botta, provides a poststructural historiographical analysis. The commentary traces the history of shamanic studies in anthropology and the history of religions, then concludes that cognitive historians should collaborate with anthropologists to advance research and prevent the subfield from being taken over by paranormal or postmodern anthropology.