Novye Issledovaniâ Tuvy (Dec 2018)
Tuvan (neo) shamanism as a religious and healing practice in contemporary world
Abstract
The article examines present-day cultural and religious situation of the Tuvans in the republic of Tuva, as well as its implications in different countries. The study is based on the field and laboratory materials collected between 2000 and 2018, on multiple publications in mass-media, TV footage and video recordings from that period. Some aspects of religious work and healing by those describing their practice as (neo) shamanic have been analyzed here, and some examples of practices of individual Tuvan (neo) shamans and their disciples from different Russian regions are described. The author looks at the transformations and significant modernization shamanism has experienced in the post-Soviet period. Cultural globalisation has led to a flow of Russian and foreign tourists in Tuva, seeking shamanic experience or wishing to become a shaman. The researchers of shamanism also go there. Tuvan (neo) shamans, in their turn, visit cities of Russia and foreign countries, where they present to their listeners the Tuvan sacred culture, devotional rituals, healing and medical practices. In making these foreign spaces their own, they even construct sanctuaries, known as ovaa, and leave them for further use by the local residents. The transformation of modern Tuvan “shamanism” is mandated by changes in legislation on religions (shamanism is the official religion of the republic of Tuva), by social and economic challenges, as well as problems with health care. Other important factors include the national and cultural revival with its focus on rebirth of ritual culture and shamanism; an enduring interest in certain aspects of psychology, the transcendent, esotericism and studying previously forbidden knowledge and experience. The practice of shamanism is changing, and so does the contingent of its practitioners.
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