A specific shamanic initiation allowed governing elite or medicine men to communicate with nature deities ; banned by the Catholic Church as a satanic witchcraft, the shamanic ritual became a secret cult or disappeared, briefly mentioned in chronicles unwilling to draw attention of the powerful Inquisition.

His predominance over pre-Columbian religion is now gradually admitted, along with such concepts as the animal Guardian Spirit (met through dreams or trances), the spiritual Travel experienced by the flying Shadow Soul, or the Vision Serpent Quetzalcoatl embodied by the Feathered Serpent guide.