On Humans What Can Shamans Teach Us About Religion? | Many Minds with Manvir Singh
Jan 21, 2026
Manvir Singh, an anthropologist at UC Davis and author of 'Shamanism: The Timeless Religion', dives into the fascinating world of shamanism. He explores how varied practices evolve and intertwine with modern life, breaking down exotic perceptions versus scholarly definitions. Discussions include the transformative power of trances, the cultural markers that define shamans, and the intriguing connections between shamanism and major religions, even pondering if figures like Jesus had shamanic traits. Singh argues for the persistent relevance of shamanic practices in today's spiritual landscape.
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Mentawai Night-Long Initiation
- Manvir Singh describes a Mentawai shamanic initiation with night-long drumming, dancing, turmeric, tattoos, and trance states.
- The ceremony mixed healing, performance, and celebration as observers and shamans repeatedly entered trance.
Shamanism As A Cultural Super‑Attractor
- Singh frames shamanism as a "super-attractor": a bundled package of interacting cultural features.
- Trance, unseen agents, healing, music, and initiations co-evolve because they amplify each other's appeal.
Shamanism Requires Demographic Support
- Shamanism is not strictly universal but emerges reliably given typical human cognition and social size.
- Small isolated groups can lose shamanism after cultural bottlenecks, but it redevelops in appropriate contexts.
