Shamanism

[Sarah]

The type of religion which once prevalied among all the Ural-Altaic peoples (Tungusic, Mongol, and Turkish), and which stillsurvives in various parts of Northern Asia. The Shaman, or wizardpriest, deals with good as well as with evil spirits, especially thegood spirits of ancestors. Encyc. Brit.

[Sarah]

A mode of dealing with the spirit world through the agency of an individual set apart as spirit possessed and specially equipped to deal with superhuman forces. The term Shaman is generically applied to healers, exorcists, sorcerers, magicians, etc.

[Sarah]

Shamanism combines a range of traditional beliefs and practices focusing on communication with the spirit world, and higher power. A practitioner of shamanism is known as a shaman.
There are many variations of shamanism throughout the world, but several common beliefs are shared by all forms of shamanism. Shamans are intermediaries between the human and spirit worlds. According to believers, they can treat illness and are capable of entering supernatural realms to obtain answers to the problems of their community.