This book can be characterized by the author’s words from the preface: “Shamanism is one of the archaic techniques of ecstasy and at the same time mysticism, magic and religion in the broad sense of the word. We tried to show shamanism in various historical and cultural aspects and even tried to sketch a brief history of it formation in Central and Northern Asia. However, we attach greater importance to the disclosure of the very phenomenon of shamanism, the analysis of its ideology, the discussion of its techniques, symbolism, mythology. We believe that such work can be of interest not only to specialists, but also to cultural people in general. to whom this book is primarily addressed."