During this trance the shaman's soul leaves his body and ascends to the sky or the underworld. The journey is undertaken to restore power or souls. They are so profiled and domineering that outsiders have mistaken shamanism for a religion. He observed that shamanism is really a belief system, incorporating a set of rules guiding everyday behavior. These sets of elements differ in every culture.
Shamanism speaks of beliefs, attitudes, convictions or ideological practices.
It does not constitute a religion which is a systematized set of beliefs. Shamanism presents an integrated worldview encompassing physical healing, psychological problem solving and the conscious exploration of spiritual or sacred realms. The definition of shamanism can be more easily understood when we look at the role of the shaman within the shamanic complex.