Shaman in highly altered state of consciousness performing problem-solving ritual for villagers gathered in Hindu temple, Odisha, India, Asia

Shaman in altered state of consciousness with Shamanic drummer and cymbal, performing problem-solving ritual in Hindu temple, Kurkuri, Odisha, India, Asia

Folk medicine practitioner, Bomoh, Malaysia, Southeast Asia, Asia

Buryat shaman Valentin Khagdae with the hereditary shaman's genetic marker of a sixth finger thumb on his right hand, Lake Baikal, Irkutsk Oblast, Siberia, Russia, Eurasia

Hereditary Buryat shaman, Valentin Khagdaev with skin covered drum at Olkhon Island celebrating the spirit of Baikal on the ice, Lake Baikal, Irkutsk Oblast, Siberia, Russia, Eurasia

Buryat shaman Valentin Khagdaev Olkhon Island, with skin drum preparing for ceremony to celebrate the spirit of Baikal, Lake Baikal, Irkutsk Oblast, Siberia, Russia, Eurasia

Hereditary Buryat shaman, Valentin Khagdaev with skin covered drum at Olkhon Island celebrating the spirit of Baikal on the ice, Lake Baikal, Irkutsk Oblast, Siberia, Russia, Eurasia

Sacred shamanic tree on Lake Baikal, Siberia, Russia, Europe

Folk medicine practitioner, Bomoh, Malaysia, Southeast Asia, Asia

Painted stone used in shamanist rituals, Seoul, South Korea, Asia

Nepal. Sonam & boom praying at charnel grounds. Humla. Vajrayana is tantric mahasiddha, lives fearlessly in terrifying places like remote jungles charnel grounds. nyingma lamas perform ritual at cremation grounds. lama rattles damaru, a small ritual drum to have origins in - shamanism. damaru, used as a tantric device to summon gods ward evil spirits, once made from human skull bones dried human skin as a reminder of impermanence of body. other lama, boom blows a kangling, a human thigh-bone horn. kangling is used in exorcism is capable of gods demons. Traditionally, best bones a kangling come from brahmans, particularly sixteen-year- brahman girls-or from tigers

Nepal. Ritual, sonam/boom. Lobsangs cremation. Humla. traveler reached of journey! In freedom of infinite he is free from sorrow, fetters that bound thrown away, burning fever of life is no more,oesays dharmapada. Lobsang having spent whole life preparing moment of death, finds liberation on february 14, 1986. Extensive ritual follows cremation-traditionally a forty nine period, sonam lama rattles damaru. A small ritual drum to have origin in - shamanism. damaru, used as a tantric device to summon gods ward evil spirits, once made from human skull bone dreid human skin as a reminder of impermanence of body. Boom lama blows a kangling, a human thigh-bone horn. kangling is used in exorcism is capable of gods demons. Traditionally, best bones a kangling come from brahmans, particularly sixteen-year- brahman girls-or from tigers. On makeshift altar rest chhome, votive lamps filled with butter, cups of water, grains, tormas, holy food made of barley meal decorated with medallions of butter offered to gods. Alone, boom lama continues prayers of deceased

BOLIVIA Shamanist ceremony by Calixto Quispe performed at the Mission Institute of Cochabamba

These reindeer peoples' entire existence is based around their herds of reindeer, which provide milk, skins for clothes, horn for carving and medicine, transport and occasionally, meat. the tsaatan are part of the tuvan ethnic group, which inhabits the tuvan republic of russia. there are only about 200 tsaatan in total, spread over 100,000 sq km of northern mongolia. they are nomadic, often moving their small encampments every three to four weeks, searching for special types of grass and moss loved by the reindeer. the tsaatan are strong practitioners of shamanism. west taiga, northern mongolia

BOLIVIA Shamanist ceremony by Calixto Quispe performed at the Mission Institute of Cochabamba

BOLIVIA Shamanist ceremony by Calixto Quispe performed at the Mission Institute of Cochabamba

Whale bone marking the shaman's grave on Shishmaref, a tiny island between Alaska and Siberia in the Chukchi sea, home to around 600 Inuits (Eskimos, United States of America, North America

Shaman costume in the museum, Sultan's Palace, Foumban, Cameroon, Africa

A Shaman performs a ceremonial ritual on Olkhon Island, Siberia, Russia.

Uur River, Mongolia

San Juan Chamula church; San Juan Chamula, Chiapas, Mexico