ABSTRACT
What is Shamanism in Tibet? There is already an extensive literature on the problem of the definition of shamanism in general (e.g. Hultkrantz 1978; Waida 1983; Lewis 1986; Heinze 1989), including several contributions relating specifically to the Himalayas (e.g. Jones 1976; Reinhard 1976; Sagant 1979). I shall not discuss this issue at length here since I have dealt with it elsewhere and the solution to the problem ultimately seems to be a matter of arbitrary decision. However, I shall state and justify my own choice in relation to three major dimensions of disagreement (cf. Samuel 1990: 106-7).
