Shaman (Evenki šamán; Tungus-Manchu šaman — "the knower", "the excited one") is the intermediary between the worlds of the visible and the invisible.

Etymology. The term is of Evenki origin, introduced into scientific usage via Russian in the 17th century, becoming a universal designation for practitioners working with spirits through altered states of consciousness (T103).

The Three-Part Cosmology of Shamanism

• Upper World — the world of teachers, ancestors, "bright" spirits
• Middle World — the world of humans and nature spirits
• Lower World — the world of helper animals, "chthonic" forces

Tools of the Shaman

• The drum — the main vehicle: rhythmic sound at 4–4.5 beats per second induces ASC
• Song (icaros, "songs of power")
• Rattle
• Entheogens (ayahuasca, peyote, fly agaric — in certain traditions)

The Thai Analog

Maw Phi. In the Thai tradition (#36), the analog of the shaman is the Maw Phi (T021, หมอผี), working with Phi spirits (T019) through rituals.

Not a Psychotherapist

The autonomous reality of spirits. A shaman is not a psychotherapist: they operate in the autonomous reality of spirits, with its own geography, inhabitants and laws. This is a different ontological field.