This article considers the shaman's visionary encounters with spirit beings from the critical viewpoint of several innovative theories of shamanism: Richard Noll's cognitive approach and Michael Winkelman's neurophenomenological perspective. These distinct approaches are analyzed in light of Jung's central concepts of the archetypes, the collective unconscious, and the individuation process, which have had a huge formative influence upon the academic investigation of visions and spiritual experiences. The centrality of Jung's theoretical reasoning within these recent studies of shamanism strongly demonstrates the (...) continued importance of his analytical psychology and provides valuable insight into the historical and conceptual development of this expanding field of interest. (shrink)