Digital trance: neo-shamanism in the Russian Internet

The paper deals with representation of neo-shamanism in today's media. The topicality of the study is justified by transformation of neo-shamanic practices in the context of digital culture, which is manifested, among other things, in resorting to opportunities offered by the new media in marketing one's services. The study material were web sites in the Russian Internet and web pages in Russian social networks related to shamanism. The goal of the study is to reveal how neo-shamanism is shaped and structured in the Internet. For our analysis of the content of the web pages we relied on structural and semiotic methods, statistical methods were drawn upon for the study of Internet communities' audience. There are several types of neo-shaman web sites: pages of shaman centres and religious ogranisations; personal web pagers of neoshamans; web sites about magic and para-psychology. The standard format of Internet marketing and usability requirements gives rise to unification of neo-shamanism representations through structuring them by sample entries whose content is eclectic but easily identifiable by users. Analysis of the statistics of neo-shaman pages in the Russian Internet and in the social network "Vkontakte" has shown that users of 25 - 45 y/o have more interest in shamanism and neo-shamans' services, regardless of sex difference. The content of neo-shaman web pages comprises texts, images and sound. Text messages deal with instructing users in shamanism, promoting neo-shamans' services and offering motivators in the form of citations. The latter occupy a prominent place in news feeds. The visual content includes images on the subject of shamanism, psychedelic paintings and visionary art. The style of the visual content we define as a synthesis of ethnographic, environmental and psychedelic elements. The sound content of the web sites contains music reflecting ethnic shamanic traditions (Siberia, Northen Europe, the Americas), neofolk and ritual ambient. The resulting conclusion of the study is that surfing neo-shaman web sites and pages in social networks is in itself a "lightweight", postmodern version of shamanic trance with its virtual symbols: motivating spells, psychedelic images and meditative ritual music.