Lux Ferre

Vizenor, Gerald (1934– ) – Enrolled member of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, White Earth Reservation, a prolific poet and author of academic and imaginative works, and professor of ethnic studies at the

Viveiros de Castro, Eduardo – Brazilian anthropologist at the Museu Nacional of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and director of the Núcleo de Transformações Indígenas research group. Viveiros de Castro has held important

Vitebsky, Piers – Anthropologist and head of social sciences at the Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Great Britain. Vitebsky has written a detailed ethnography of the Sora of India and

Visualization – The use of intense visual concentration in order to focus on a guided meditation through an imaginative narrative is popular among many New Agers, Pagans, and neo-shamans. The experient is

Vision Quests – For many Native Americans, traditional initiation rituals, especially those celebrated at puberty, are marked by a vision quest, in which a person goes to a remote and possibly sacred

Vision – Shamans are often required to be visionaries, sometimes aided by powerful otherworld or other-than-human persons or by plants such as ayahuasca. The ability to alter perspective is a vital skill

Vegetalistas – Shamans of the upper Amazon who are inspired and helped by ayahuasca and chakruna, plants that are considered to be shamanic persons in their own right (see Animism). Although the

Upper Worlds – Among the other worlds of many shamanic cosmologies, the existence of realms above the earth are significant. Shamanic initiations and journeys may entail a visit to these places. Among

Underworlds – Among the other worlds of many shamanic cosmologies, the existence of realms under the earth are significant. Shamanic initiations and journeys may entail a visit to these places. Piers Vitebsky

Umbanda – Religious movement originating in Brazil in the early 20th century creatively bringing together themes from Christianity, African (especially Angolan and Yoruba-derived), and indigenous Amazonian religions along with Kardecist Spiritism. Other-thanhuman