"Shamanic ecstasy is the real "Old Time Religion," of which modern churches are but pallid evocations. Shamanic, visionary ecstasy, the mysterium tremendum, the unio mystica, the eternally delightful experience of the universe as energy, is a sine qua non of religion, it is what religion is for! There is no need for faith, it is the ecstatic experience itself that gives one faith in the intrinsic unity and integrity of the universe, in ourselves as integral parts of the whole; that reveals to us the sublime majesty of our universe, and the fluctuant, scintillant, alchemical miracle that is quotidian consciousness. Any religion that requires faith and gives none, that defends against religious experiences, that promulgates the bizarre superstition that humankind is in some way separate, divorced from the rest of creation, that heals not the gaping wound between Body and Soul, but would tear them asunder... is no religion at all!" Jonathan Ott.

As Stanley Cribner says, “Shamanism is too good to be a religion…..it’s spiritual technology!”

What is Shamanism?

Over tens of thousands of years, our ancient ancestors all over the world discovered how to maximize human abilities of mind and spirit for healing and problem-solving. The remarkable system of methods they developed is today known as "shamanism," a term that comes from a Siberian tribal word for its practitioners: "shaman" (pronounced SHAH-mahn). Shamans are a type of medicine man or woman, especially distinguished by the use of journeys to hidden worlds; otherwise mainly known through myth, dream, and near-death experiences.

Further Reading: -

http://www.shamanism.org/
Foundation for Shamanic Studies
Founded by Michael Harner

http://deoxy.org/shaman.htm
Deoxy.org

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shamanism#Etymology
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://shamansdrum.org
Shaman’s Drum Magazine

http://www.sacredhoop.org
Sacred Hoop Magazine