What visions or experiences can be part of a shaman’s calling?

A shaman’s calling is typically initiated by supernatural beings rather than personal choice. During adolescence, spirits may cause the candidate to experience symptoms such as hysterics, repeated fainting, or visions, which can persist for extended periods.1

The calling often involves the following experiences:

• Spiritual Torment: If a candidate resists the vocation, spirits may torment them—a state known as "shaman illness"—for months or years until they accept the role.1
• The Long Sleep: Upon accepting the calling, the candidate often falls into a deep sleep lasting several days. During this time, they believe they are dismembered by spirits who count their bones to verify their shamanic status.1
• Initiatory Death and Resurrection: Common in many traditions, including those of Australian Aborigines, the candidate undergoes a symbolic death and resurrection to reach a superhuman condition. This may involve physical operations, such as the renewal of organs or the insertion of magical substances.2
• Revelations: Candidates receive their powers and knowledge of secret techniques through dreams, trances, or visions in which the spirits appear to announce their intentions.12