Michael Harner's neo-shamanism: A study of the transformations classical shamanism

Over the past half-century, religion, like all other areas of human activity, has undergone several significant changes. During this period, the considerable decline in institutionalised religious practice has been accompanied by the emergence of a multitude of new forms of spirituality seeking to meet the religious needs of Westerners. Among the many manifestations of this kind, one finds a distinct form of spirituality, known as neo-shamanism or urban shamanism, which brings together numerous contemporary practices that define themselves as shamanic. In this study, we have focused on the neo-shamanic phenomenon developed by Michael Harner, a former professor and head of the Department of Anthropology at the Graduate Faculty of the New School for Social Research in New York, and founder of the Foundation for Shamanic Studies. The aim of this research is to analyse Harner's neo-shamanism and to define its place amongst new forms of religiosity.