Even better would be to say to understand the evolution of the brain, body and language as motivated by quantum mechanical processes and the development of a sense of intuition (or meaning).

We now only have a neurological/coding problem and not an ideological one.

(Of course as psychological problems are problems of meaning a good shaman would quite logically say if you try to analyse the psychological content of a message it will no longer work or make you sick.)

JUST DANCE!

Besides that, the original purpose of astronomy was to facilitate and improve astrology.  Modern pharmacology and surgery traditions arose out of European folk magic that hybridized Catholocism and paganism.  Agriculture goes a little further back but I’d be surprised if it wasn’t reified and ritualized at some point in prehistory.  Edit: How could I forget the origins of modern chemistry in the occult traditions of alchemy?

We got modern science because a lot of people were willing to be flexible about their interpretations of reality.  Maybe we’re not at some hyper-rational end point of intellectual history.  Maybe we can do even better if we keep our minds open.  Traditions like this survive because they embody wisdom.

Wicca is a made up system designed to provide structure of separate basic truths.  I don’t think it’s a “false looking backwards”, so much as a coherent retelling of universal mythology and spiritual tools. While there is a certain amount of romanticizing the past (but seriously, show me a culture where there isn’t), the overwhelming majority are quite up front about the fact that we’re generally trying to incorporate the lessons of the past into an evolving present.

(Yeah, I’m just trying to have fun but I did think in some minor way this was contributing to the thread..)

As far as I know, Mormons don’t do that.

Modern shamans do exist in most parts of the planet.
The bright ones use the tools of the current culture, including technology, to do their essential work.

In North America, for example, a shaman could use dance, music, artwork…or a computer and gaming as a method of teaching.
One such shaman is EJ Gold, sometimes known as “The High-Tech Shaman”.
Gold is a top game player in Diablo and Team Fortress, and creates games with the GODD gaming engine.

Gold is developing a non-shooter game called,”Prosperity” to help folks attain more abundance and a better life, and for learning about out-of-body experiences. For more on the Prosperity Path, go to http://www.urthgame.com/

“In addition to amazing life wins, you can learn to operate from outside your body–right through to another dimension.” – EJ Gold

Traditions can only survive if they evolve.

Les blancs pensent trop.

In the (often rather brutal) competition for adherents and resources between different flavors of ritualists, only the ones that get results last. In this case, the local shamanic tradition has been hanging on pretty stubbornly for some centuries, so I would very much expect them to have some good tricks.