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An existential perspective on the psychological function of shamans.
Simon Schindler1, Jeff Greenberg2, Stefan Pfattheicher3
1Department of Psychology,University of Kassel,34127 Kassel,Germany.schindler@uni-kassel.dehttp://www.uni-kassel.de/fb01/institute/psychologie/sozialpsychologie/dr-simon-schindler.html.
The Behavioral and Brain Sciences
|May 9, 2019
Summary
Shamans manage death anxiety by offering hope and evidence of an afterlife. This likely explains the historical development and persistence of shamanism across cultures.
Area of Science:
- Anthropology
- Psychology
- Sociology
Background:
- Shamanism is a practice often associated with managing critical life events.
- The threat of death and associated anxiety are significant human concerns.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the role of shamanism in mitigating death anxiety.
- To understand the psychological and social functions of shamanistic practices.
Main Methods:
- This study is a theoretical analysis based on existing ethnographic and psychological literature.
- It synthesizes anthropological findings on shamanism with psychological theories of death anxiety.
Main Results:
- Shamans provide hope for averting death through supernatural claims.
- They offer evidence for an afterlife, suggesting continuity beyond death.
- These functions directly address and buffer existential mortality threats.
Conclusions:
- The management of death anxiety is a probable key factor in the origin and continuation of shamanism.
- Shamanism's efficacy may stem from its ability to provide psychological comfort regarding mortality.
- Understanding shamanism offers insights into human coping mechanisms for existential threats.
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