“Basic Shamanismˮ as a Syncretic Phenomenon in Modern Culture

Neo-shamanism is a syncretic phenomenon in modern culture that blends elements of traditional shamanism with modern psychology and esotericism. The paper examines Michael Harner's "basic shamanism" as a new religious movement in Europe, North America, and Russia, exploring its emergence, development, and significance in spiritual life. It describes how shamanism is reborn and transformed through the shaman's journey into an unseemly reality and the construction of a three-world cosmology. Neo-shamanism aims to preserve traditional knowledge for future generations by defining its nature and influence on mass culture. Shamanism can form and develop relations between humans and nature, recording prospects in modern culture.

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Abstract

The paper explores Michael Harner's “basic shamanism” as a syncretic phenomenon in modern culture. Neo-shamanism is considered as a subculture or syncretic form of new religious consciousness that combines with elements of traditional cultures and elements of modern psychology and mysticism (esotericism) in modern popular culture. The article defines the problem of the emergence and development of neo-shamanism with its significance in the spiritual life of society, and also examines the way of rebirth and transformation of shamanism through the journey of the shaman into an unseemly reality and by building a complete picture of the world (three worlds), that is, cartography. The phenomenon of neo-shamanism is considered as a new, popular, religious movement, represented in the modern culture of Europe, North America and Russia. It is noted that neo-shamanism is aimed at preserving traditional knowledge and transferring it to future generations by determining its nature, essence and influence on modern mass culture. As a result, it was revealed that shamanism is able not only to form, but also to develop relations between man and nature and record development prospects in modern culture.