Download or read book An Encyclopedia of Shamanism Volume 2 written by Christina Pratt and published by The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc. This book was released on 2007-08-01 with total page 318 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Shamanism can be defined as the practice of initiated shamans who are distinguished by their mastery of a range of altered states of consciousness. Shamanism arises from the actions the shaman takes in non-ordinary reality and the results of those actions in ordinary reality. It is not a religion, yet it demands spiritual discipline and personal sacrifice from the mature shaman who seeks the highest stages of mystical development.