Many voices clamor to be heard in debates about whether shamans cure, and whether shamanic spirituality is worth continuing or recovering in the 21rst century. This book represents my personal and analytical forays into shamanic studies, based on extensive, periodic fieldwork in several areas of Siberia and Inner Asia, beginning in 1976 in the Ob River (Khanty-Mansi) Region, sustained by long-term research in the Sakha Republic (Yakutia), and including trips to Tuva (Tyva) and Buriatia of the Russian Federation. It is historical and current, ethnographic and reflexive, geographically specific and theoretical when appropriate. New insights into the fascinating resurgence of shamanism are gained through exploration of political repression of religion and its transcendence. Literature representing eclectic claims to expertise is reviewed and interpreted in light of Siberian experiences. ""

Many voices clamour to be heard in debates about whether shamans cure, and whether shamanic spirituality is worth continuing or recovering in the twenty-first century. This book provides new insights into the fascinating resurgence of shamanism through an exploration of the political repression of religion and its transcendence