Understanding Shamanism (Livestream)

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What are the origins of shamanism, and what is its future? Do shamans believe in their powers? What can we learn from Indigenous healing practices? Join Harvard-trained anthropologist and author Manvir Singh for a conversation exploring the spiritual practice of shamanism, one of the most mysterious religious traditions.

Fundamentally, shamans are specialists who use altered states to engage with unseen realms and provide services like healing and divination. Manvir shares his research experience traveling from Indonesia to the Colombian Amazon, living with shamans and observing music, the use of state altering substances and Indigenous curing ceremonies. Sharing insights from his latest book, Shamanism: The Timeless Religion, Manvir explains that shamanism’s appeal stems from its psychological resonance. Its essence is spiritual transformation: a specialist uses initiations, deprivation, and non-ordinary states to seemingly become a different kind of human, one possessed of powers to cure, provide prophesies, and otherwise tame life’s uncertainties.

Manvir argues that biomedicine can learn from shamanic practices and that psychedelic enthusiasts completely misrepresent history. He also discusses how shamanic traditions will forever re-emerge—and that by contemplating humanity’s oldest spiritual practice, we come to better understand ourselves, our history, and our future.

Manvir invites you to explore the complexities and vicissitudes of a timeless, always relevant, and ubiquitous phenomenon.
 

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Manvir Singh is an Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the University of California, Davis. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Brown University and a Ph.D. in human evolutionary biology from Harvard University. He is a regular contributor to The New Yorker, and his writings have also appeared in Wired, Vice, Aeon, and The Guardian, as well as in leading academic journals, including Science, Nature Human Behaviour, and Behavioral and Brain Sciences. He has studied the use of psychedelics in the rain forests of Colombia and, since 2014, has conducted ethnographic fieldwork with Mentawai communities on Siberut Island, Indonesia, focusing on shamanism and justice. He lives with his wife, Nina, and daughter, Zora, in Davis, California.

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Marcus Books is the nation’s oldest Black-owned independent bookstore celebrating its 60th year. Marcus Books’ mission is to provide opportunities for Black folks and their allies to celebrate and learn about Black people everywhere. Learn more about Marcus Books.

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Recording Policy

Ticket holders will have access to an ad-free replay of the event for one week after the live event. A replay with ads will be released on our YouTube channel one week after the livestream. Portions of the audio will also be released on our podcast. Only registered ticket holders who choose to watch live can participate in the chat and Q&A.

Refunding Policy

All tickets and donations for this event are nonrefundable.