ABSTRACT
The shaman’s ascent into heaven and descent into the underworld play a central role in various rituals where the shaman makes contact with the world of the spirits. This world is often linked to the world’s centre, where the shaman draws off his or her magic powers. A central, cosmic axis, aptly defined as the axis mundi, connects the earth, heaven and the underworld according to a variety of religious visions, including very primitive ones. The axis mundi allows the different dimensions to contact each other and enables ‘chosen spirits’ such as shamans and mystics to move through the various planes of existence.
