Shamans serve as

Shamans serve as

• A. Class of religious scholars
• B. Guides to the spirit world
• C. Priests of the temple
• D. Ritual dancers

Answer: (B)

Shamans function as intermediaries between people and the spirit world. They enter altered states to communicate with spirits, perform healing, guidance, and protective tasks for the community, and help determine the will or needs of the spirit realm. This makes the description of shamans as guides to the spirit world the best fit, because their primary role is to access and relay information from the spiritual realm for the welfare of the community. They aren’t simply scholars who study doctrine in a formal setting, nor are they priests serving in a temple hierarchy; and although ritual dance can be part of some shamanic practices, their defining function is guiding and interacting with spirits rather than performing as dancers.

Shamans function as intermediaries between people and the spirit world. They enter altered states to communicate with spirits, perform healing, guidance, and protective tasks for the community, and help determine the will or needs of the spirit realm. This makes the description of shamans as guides to the spirit world the best fit, because their primary role is to access and relay information from the spiritual realm for the welfare of the community. They aren’t simply scholars who study doctrine in a formal setting, nor are they priests serving in a temple hierarchy; and although ritual dance can be part of some shamanic practices, their defining function is guiding and interacting with spirits rather than performing as dancers.