Animism: The Manikin in the Mushroom
A prevalent aspect among many indigenous Siberian groups is their embrace of animistic beliefs, wherein many natural objects are believed to have souls of their own. The spirits found in the Amanita muscaria were commonly known as "Manikin" and occasionally as "Wapaq." During mushroom consumption, individuals would fall asleep and during their dreams they would pose questions to the spirit, most commonly through song or narrative, and allow it to take control of their body. It was believed that incorrectly conducting this ritual could place the consumer in danger, as these spirits were sometimes perceived as mischievous and prone to playing pranks on the user. However, when the ritual was performed accurately, the spirit would guide the user through various realms, times, and visions, facilitating the discovery of answers to their inquiries.
image shows an actual spirit emerging from the Amanita muscaria
Sources
- Saar, M. (1991). Ethnomycological data from Siberia and North-East Asia on the effect of Amanita muscaria. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 31(2), 157-173. https://doi.org/10.1016/0378-8741(91)90002-U
