What is Shamanism?
History
Shamanism is the oldest and most widespread healing method and spiritual
practice that we know of today. It dates back at least 40.000 years and we find
shamanic cultures in all five continents, which includes the Pictish people of
the Scottish Highlands.
Today shamanic knowledge survives primarily among people who, until recently,
had primitive cultures. This indigenous wisdom was acquired over hundreds of
generations. The ancestors of these people painstakingly learned and used this
knowledge in their efforts to maintain health and strength, to cope with serious
illness, and to deal with the threat and trauma of death. These custodians of
the ancient methods are very important to us, for almost none of their cultures
have written records. Thus it is only from their remaining representatives that
we can learn the shamanic principles.
Throughout thousands of years, the basic shamanic knowledge worldwide did not
seem to change significantly. Why was this? It was obviously not due to lack of
imagination on the part of tribal communities, for there is great contrast and
variation in their social systems, art, economics, and many other aspects of
their cultures. The answer most probably is, simply, because it works. Over all
those years, through trial and error, people in diverse ecological and cultural
situations nonetheless came to the same conclusions as to the basic principles
and methods of shamanic power and healing.
The term ‘Shaman’ originates in Eastern Siberia amongst the ‘Tungues tribe’ and
literally translates into ‘the one who sees in the dark’.
The revival of Shamanism in the Western world mainly occurred in the 1960’s
through two individuals: Michael Harner and Carlos Castaneda. The time was right
during the 60’s revolution where many people in Western culture tried to find
new ways of living. A calling for spiritual democracy arose, people were seeking
direct revelations and experiences with the divine. Many were looking for an act
of personal empowerment, rather than the hierarchy of doctrinal religion.
Shamanism provides it all and the interest in these ancient ways continues to
grow to the present day.
What is Shamanism?
Unlike religion and science, Shamanism does not offer a framework through which
we must see the world. There are no gurus, spiritual masters, or spiritual
leaders. It rather demands that everyone learn to see with his/her own eyes. It
is a path of self-empowerment based on individual experience and the
interpretation of those experiences lies within the individual and his immediate
community.
Shamanism can be used simply as a spiritual practice. It also is a philosophy, a
way of life, and a method for healing.
Shamanism is dynamic and moves with time, it can be adjusted to any life style
and belief system. It can be used as a spiritual practice or method of healing
on its own, or merged with other existing practices.
Three basic core-principals in Shamanism:
 | Shamanism is a spiritual practice that honours the earth as a living conscious
being and everything that exists upon it. This does not only include our fellow
human beings, animals, and the plant kingdom, but everything that exists: the
mountains and rivers, the oceans and the winds, the stones and the clouds, the
star nations. Everything is permeated by a life force, the sacred energy of
creation that gives consciousness to all that exists. Therefore it is possible
to communicate with everything and shamanism provides methods that allow this
communication to take place.
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| This physical reality that we are living in is often referred to as the
‘ordinary reality’. Within and around this ordinary reality we find the
so-called ‘non-ordinary reality’, also referred to as the ‘parallel universe’,
which are the spiritual realms. This non-ordinary reality is populated with
beings and we are able to communicate with them through shamanic methods.
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| The classic feature of the Shaman is the ‘shamanic journey’, a cross-cultural
core-shamanic method that identifies the Shaman, shamanic cultures, and the
shamanic practitioner. |
What is the ‘shamanic journey’?
The shamanic journey is a remarkable visionary method employed by mankind to
access other realms. Shamanic journeys are used for healing purposes, problem
solving and general well-being – either for the self, another individual, the
community, or the land and its inhabitants.
The Shaman enters an ‘altered state of consciousness’ to contact ‘non-ordinary
reality’, where he/she has access to helping spirits that appear in different
forms such as animals or ancestral spirits. The role of the spirits is to give
the Shaman the necessary information to perform any kind of healing work. It is
important to note that the Shaman only acts as an intermediary in the healing,
as all instruction is given by spirit helpers. The Shaman works outside the
personal identity, effectively working as a conduit to allow the healing process
to manifest.
There are no limitations on how we can use this method. For example many people
are drawn to explore shamanic journeying as a means to reconnect with nature. In
our culture we have largely removed ourselves from the natural world. In the
journeys we meet animals or perhaps the spirits of plants and trees, we are
reminded of our connection with the natural world and a sense of being part of
the whole.
The shamanic journey helps us to realise that we can take back our own spiritual
authority. It is an opportunity for the individual to come forward with his/her
own spiritual wisdom and to remember our spiritual connections within the web of
life.
Looking at illness from a shamanic point of view
In shamanic cultures the cause for illness and indeed for healing is
fundamentally spiritual. The root of shamanic healing is to ‘retrieve power’ in
order to help restore balance and aid recovery.
Shamanic healing is not restricted to individual human beings, but can be used
for communities, for animals, and for the land itself.
Amongst a wide variety of shamanic healing methods, the most common ones are
‘Soul Retrieval’ and ‘Extraction Medicine’.
Soul Retrieval
Most people suffer from ‘soul loss’ through traumatic experiences at some point
in their lives. Through this loss we may feel incomplete, fragmented, or
disassociated from life and relationships with other people. Many illnesses and
self-destructive patterns can be caused by soul loss. In order to help a person
that has suffered soul loss, the Shaman undertakes a shamanic journey in order
to retrieve lost soul parts to the client and allow healing to take place.
Extraction Medicine
This area of shamanic healing deals with the removal of ‘localised spiritual
illness’. Through the shamanic journey the Shaman ‘sees’ any misplaced energy in
a client’s body that does not belong and, with the support of his/her helping
spirits, extracts those ‘intrusions’ to restore balance and well-being in the
client’s body and energy field.
For any further information on Shamansim, please contact Twobirds at Anam Cara.
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