Seeing Shamanism Everywhere

In the debut episode of Minds Over Matters, evolutionary anthropologist Dr. Manvir Singh joins host Ed Kiggins for a wide-ranging conversation about a phenomenon that continuously pops up across human cultures: shamanism. Why is this the case? Why does shamanism repeatedly develop across societies? Singh views shamanism as a potent mind technology, one that helps us deal with the uncertainty of everyday life and, more deeply, the uncertainty of existence. In this conversation, Singh guides Ed through the history of shamanism, its current iterations in modern-day foraging societies, and its echoes and analogs in modern Western society. Is shamanism a force for good? And just how relevant is it in your life today? The answers may surprise you.  Bio: Dr. Manvir Singh is an evolutionary anthropologist and writer studying the origins of human behavior and societies. Seeking to make the “strange familiar and the familiar strange,” his research focuses on the cognitive foundations and cross-cultural patterns of music, storytelling, justice, and religion. A contributing writer to The New Yorker, Singh recently published his first book Shamanism: The Timeless Religion, which explores the origin and persistence of shamanism through human time and cultures, from Ice Age hunters to modern-day foraging societies and the offices of CEOs and hedge fund managers.  Publications:Shamanism: The Timeless Religion (new book) Manvir Singh’s archive with The New YorkerFull list of academic publications available at Google Scholar