Not all study of Moche civilization is limited to the ultra-violent manner in which they sacrificed their own. In fact, in order to begin to digest some of the extremely unsettling practices it is important to first have a basic understanding of Moche shamans and their role as well as Moche myth and ideology.

One idea central to understanding the role of the Moche religion and the role of shaman kings and curer shaman is that of conflicting forces. Whereas in Western religions, the focus is on total victory of Good over Evil, the Moche belief is quite different. The shaman or shaman king enters the supernatural world with the goal of mediating the warring dualistic forces and channeling the power generated by them to fulfil beneficial community goals. By communication with, and appeasement of, various ancestral and nature spirits, the shaman or shaman king can perform a variety of magic. By convincing these spirits to lend their power, he can heal, cast spells and counterspells, and to tell the future. He is able to create balance out of chaos and maintain harmony in the world - both the real world and the supernatural one as well. As such, the shaman king can use this supernatural power for the good of his people and possess the power of ritual on top of a sacred space - the temple platform or huaca.

The journey to the supernatural was facilitated by a combination of hallucinogens and the hypnotic effect of drums and other instruments. While a visiting the otherworld, personal mediums were often employed as guides and assistants. In South America these guides were often in the form of fox, feline, eagle or serpent spirits.

Moche myth as well served many purposes, from supporting, defining, and perpetuating the political system and governing structure, to establishing general rules of behavior. In addition to shaping social roles and responsibilities, myth served to tie the entire community to the supernatural by explaining where the people came from and how balance and harmony with a potentially hostile environment could be achieved and maintained. Just as with the shaman who helped to maintain balance, myth reinforced it.

The Moche commoner knew the importance of maintaining harmony and appeasing the spirits. The shaman knew even better, for it was his duty to go far beyond the right actions of mundane daily living. His charge was to enter the realm of the spirits and interact with them directly. The Moche leader, deemed a shaman king, was ultimately responsible for the well-being of his people and the proper manipulation of the world around them. Like any god-king, a Moche king was expected to control the forces of nature and balance the world. Bearing these things in mind, it is not difficult to understand how Moche ritual evolved into the slaughter and dismemberment of its own warriors. The forces of evil and chaos for the Moche were forces that could not be easily controlled.

The Moche peoples contended with violent earthquakes and annual tropical storms of tremendous destructive power - El Nino. People died annually, crops were often ruined. The spirits were obviously furious, and more extreme actions were needed to appease them. Still the spirits and gods reeked havoc on the Moche. The rituals evolved even further, eventually becoming the bloody, super-violent rituals for which the Moche are infamous.

Perhaps adding to the Moche mystique and contrasting sharply with their violent rituals of human sacrifice is Moche art, some of the most sophisticated found anywhere in the world.