Fantazie, nebo realita? Dlouhodobé změny v kategorizaci zkušeností u praktikujících neo-šamanů

• Authors: Kateřina Horská

Title variants

EN

Fantasy or reality? Long-term shifts in experience categorization among practicing neo-shamans

• Languages of publication: CS

Abstracts

EN

This study explores neo-shamanism within the contemporary alternative spirituality landscape. Drawing on extensive qualitative research conducted in the Czech Republic, employing methodologies such as participant observation and semi-structured interviews, it delves into the experiential aspect of this phenomenon. The primary objective of the study is to investigate how practitioners categorize their neo-shamanic experiences and perceptions, examining where they position them along the spectrum of real and imaginary. Furthermore, the study seeks to elucidate the shifts in categorization that occur over time with sustained practice. The findings reveal that neo-shamanic teachings challenge the conventional boundaries between fantasy and reality. In the practice of neo-shamanism, what are initially regarded as mere fantasies, particularly the experiences of shamanic journeys by novices, gradually transform into perceived realities for seasoned practitioners. Conversely, events from everyday life begin to take on symbolic significance, viewed primarily assigns. Consequently, the spiritual engagement of neo-shamans becomes closely interwoven with their mundane reality, potentially exerting a significant influence therein.

Keywords

EN

neo-shamanism; imagination; fantasy; ethnography; consciousness; spirituality; transformation

Discipline

• PSYCHOLOGY: PSYCHOLOGY

• Publisher: Institute of Psychology, Czech Academy of Sciences
• Journal: Československá psychologie (Czechoslovak Psychology)
• Year: 2025
• Volume: 69
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 154-167
• Document type: ARTICLE

Contributors

author

Kateřina Horská

• Československá psychologie, redakce, Psychologický ústav AV ČR, v.v.i., Politických vězňů 7, 110 00 Praha 1, Czech Republic