Abstract
This article deals with the concept of shamanic communication with the "Other World". It is stressed that the whole terminology of "shaman" and "shamanism" is to a great extent an academic construct.
The article briefly summarizes the legacy of the three biggest shamanovelists, namely Mircea Eliade, Carlos Castaneda and Michael Harner, with the emphasis on the persistence of their thoughts in the current shamanic practice, such as the concept of shamanic ecstasy, the tree-dimensional world or the nature of power animals. These concepts are compared with the practice of the contemporary shamans - my informants.
It is concluded that although many of the abovementioned ideas were initially only wishful thoughts of the shamanovelists, they gained their second life in contemporary shamanic spirituality and are constitutive for creating a shamanic worldview.