Decoding Shamanism: Psychedelics, Power, and the Architecture of Ritual
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Episode 311
Manvir Singh
In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin speaks with anthropologist and author Dr. Manvir Singh about his new book Shamanism: The Timeless Religion. Together, they explore the cultural evolution of shamanism, its psychological universality, and how this ancient tradition continues to shape—and be shaped by—modern societies.
Manvir shares insights from his fieldwork with the Mentawai people of Indonesia and Amazonian Yopo shamans, unpacking the role of performance, belief, and uncertainty in spiritual healing. The conversation also investigates the archaeological evidence behind ancient psychedelic use and debunks popular narratives around psychedelics in early Christianity.
Whether you’re a practitioner, researcher, or simply curious, this episode offers a grounded, nuanced, and expansive perspective on shamanism’s place in the modern psychedelic movement.
Podcast Highlights
- Shamanism as a psychological technology
- Performance, otherness, and credibility in healing
- Yopo, bufotenine, and entheogenic archaeology
- Why ancient psychedelic use is hard to verify
- The tension between tradition and neo-shamanism
- What happens when ceremony loses its context
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