Anna Smolyak and the mystery of the shamanic trance

Anna Smolyak (1920-2003) is rightly seen by russian and foreign scholars as a major specialist in the history and ethnography of the indigenous peoples of the lower Amur and Sakhalin. For more than half a century she has been engaged in field and theoretical studies of their ethnogenesis, ethnic history, social organization, material culture and economy, trades, beliefs, and rituals. regarding all aspects of the culture of these ethnic groups, Anna Smolyak expressed her original views, which often caused scientific discussions. One of such controversial issues is the problem of shamanic trance, the existence of which was not confirmed by numerous informants on the Amur with which Smolyak worked during her field research. This article is an attempt to offer a possible solution to this mystery.