This work introduces a new genre: the shamanic story. Based on or inspired by shamanic journeys, these stories are often used for healing. Within this genre exists a sub-genre dealing with divination, analyzed here to identify their shared attributes.
Michael Berman
Author's books
Soul Loss and the Shamanic Story
Stories from across cultures deal with shamanic soul loss—the detachment of the psyche from trauma. This book argues for a new genre, the shamanic story, and its sub-genre of soul-loss tales, analysing examples to support this hypothesis.
The Nature of Shamanism and the Shamanic Story
This book introduces a new genre: the shamanic story. Analyzing tales from different cultures—including the Book of Jonah and Georgian and Korean folklore—it reveals the pervasive, universal influence of shamanism on storytelling.
The Shamanic Themes in Armenian Folktales
Soviet repressions and a nationalist focus on Christian roots have made researching shamanism in Armenia no easy business. This study confronts this impasse, helping to set in motion the process of uncovering these ancient and suppressed practices.
The Shamanic Themes in Chechen Folktales
The roots of Chechnya lie in shamanism. The rich stories of the Nokhchii people have survived for thousands of years through oral traditions, providing virtually the only remaining evidence of their ancestors. This book contains these tales and commentaries on them.