Indeed, shamanism occupies a special place in the system of religious beliefs and spiritual practices
In one form or another, it was present in almost all peoples and is much older than such ancient religions as Buddhism, Judaism, Zoroastrianism…
Shamanism is considered the oldest culture, the most mysterious religion that developed naturally
The word “shaman” exists in many languages and is a loanword from Russian. And in the Russian language it in turn came from the Evenki languages (Tungus-Manchurian family)
“shaman” = “one who knows what others do not know”.
but I heard another version that this word came from Sanskrit and means “one who listens” (not sure of the accuracy of this).
Shamanism existed as early as 30,000 years ago (paleolithic), and possibly much earlier. Shamanic practices are found in different parts of the Earth: in Siberia and the Far East, in Asia, in North and South America, Africa, Australia and Oceania
But still the birthplace of shamanism is called Russia, more precisely, the Siberian part of it. Interestingly, the oldest shamanic burial site is also in Russia, but not beyond the Urals. It is located on Deer Island (Lake Onega). The age of the burial is 6 thousand years
Some researchers do not consider shamanism to be a religion. They note that religion requires a common mythological basis. And shamanism is quite different in different parts of the world and cultures
Shamanism doesn’t have a founder like Buddha, Confucius, Christ, Mohammed. It was formed naturally. Probably, its ancestors were hunters and gatherers, who had a good sense of nature and the connection with it of every living thing
Some peoples practice shamanism in our time, especially in Siberia and the Far East. They are visited by tourists, explorers, people who want to achieve realization, enlightenment. Real shamans strive to preserve and pass on their practices and help people, as they did thousands of years ago.
Shamanism is based on the idea that every object of the universe (a person, a bird, a tree, a stone, a lake) has its own spirit and character. This means that they can influence the world around them
Further, Siberian shamans believe in the existence of parallel worlds or different layers of the universe. In most beliefs, the world appears three-layered. There is an upper world inhabited by gods, an earthly world in which we dwell, and a lower world inhabited by demons.
Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? 
Even before the world’s religions, shamans had already visualized the world in this way.
all three worlds are connected by the World Tree (another motif that would later appear in many religions, including Celtic and Scandinavian). The branches of the tree are the upper world, the trunk is the earthly world, and the roots are the lower world
The key figure in shamanism is the shaman himself. He is considered to be a chosen being, who is given with the help of special practices to establish communication with spirits and move along the tree between worlds.
Shamans are born, not made
To become a full-fledged shaman of the tribe, you need to pass something like an initiation, or initiation. The rite consists of three stages: internal torment and tests from the spirits, ritual death and then - the resurrection (birth of the shaman)
Through contact with good spirits and opposition to evil spirits, the shaman is able to help his people. He controls the natural elements, heals illnesses, promotes good luck in hunting and drives away disasters. He can find a lost soul and bring it back or help the soul of the deceased to find shelter. In short, there are many duties
by the way, the topic of shamanism is touched upon in the project Mental Health.
In addition to special clothing, the shaman has two attributes: these are musical instruments tambourine and wargan. With their help he establishes a connection with the beyond and brings himself into a special state. The tambourine in general is of great importance: the spirit lives in it too. That is why the shaman’s tambourine often has its own name
The process of communicating with spirits is called kamlanie. This ritual allows the shaman to catch the “wave”, open the inner eye and establish a connection with each object of the world around him
At the same time he enters a state of altered consciousness (some shamans use various stimulants and hallucinogens for this purpose, but not all and not always).
and one more thing, and the most important - I don’t know a lot of things myself, and I don’t want to know everything.
it just stops the progression.
There are many facets to each topic, and it’s always interesting and informative to hear from others
Luna has encountered shamanism on a practical level and her perspective and comments are very valuable