Final answer:
Shamanism is a form of religious practice that involves direct communication with supernatural forces and the ability to transcend normal reality. It is valued for its healing and intuitive abilities, such as locating wild animals and addressing sources of illness. Shamanism is classified as animism, a worldview that assigns spiritual agency to all things.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term shaman has been used for hundreds of years to refer to a part-time religious practitioner who carries out rituals and participates in the normal work of the community. Shamans have the ability to engage in direct communication with the spirits or supernatural realm and can transcend normal reality to manipulate supernatural forces. For example, among the Shipibo people of Peru, ayahuasca, a hallucinogenic drink, is thought to allow shamans to leave their bodies and retrieve lost souls. Shamanism is an important force for healing and prophecy in indigenous cultures and is valued for its intuitive way of locating wild animals and addressing sources of illness. It is classified as a form of animism, a worldview where spiritual agency is attributed to all things.