The present work examines the controversies inherent to the issues on shamanic practices, by comparing the different outlooks of the scholars and their methodological approaches, Then, applying to the case of Japan, it will give a theoretical systematization of trance and possession going through the figures of the ascetic and that of the medium to demonstrate that none of them can be associated to the Eliade's Siberian type of shaman, with the former experiencing a different kind of "state of mind", and the latter lacking the ability to master the spirits. Contents: The term "shamanism" The case of shamanism in Japan The gyōja The miko Dai and yuta The character "fu" 巫