Shamanism for Dummies

While the vast majority of members and subscribers of Mind Key, the concept of Shamans and Shamanism may be very familiar, there are those of us out here who are clueless. So, I decided to do a little research.

According to Wikipedia…

Shamanism: A practice that involves a practitioner reaching altered states

of consciousness in order to perceive and interact with a spirit world and channel

these transcendental energies into this world. A shaman is a person regarded as

having access to, and influence in, the world of benevolent and malevolent

spirits, who typically enters into a trance state during a ritual and practices

divination and healing.

Ecuadorian Shaman

Now, when I think of a shaman, the first image that comes to my head is an old, Native American man, grizzled and peaceful, sitting cross-legged next to a fire and encouraging people to go on a mental journey with peyote in his peace pipe to find their own answers in the smoke. Interestingly enough, when you look up images of Shaman, that’s what comes up first, so I guess I’ve been spoon-fed the concept by the media.

Instead of the origin being with Native American people, the concept of Shamanism actually began in the Upper Paleolithic Era (30,000 years BC) in what is now the Czech Republic. The Evenk word "shaman" would more accurately be translated as "priest" and was used in the indigenous regions of Siberia and neighboring parts of Asia.

The Way of the Shaman by Michael Harner

Shamans by many names are known to practice and guide all over the world. There are hundreds if not thousands of regional variations. Among the Hmong people of ancient and modern day China, respectful animal sacrifice is a large piece of the healing process, exchanging the animal spirit for the spirit of the sick person. In Scandinavian Shamanic practices, the De Kloka (Wise Ones) acted as naturopathic doctors and midwives as well as using “magic rhymes or songs” to heal the sick in their community.

Contemporary Western Shamanism centers on the teachings of Michael Harner and the use of ritual drumming and dance and has been criticized as a “watered down” form of ancient practices. While the practice may seem “less”, it can be very powerful in the lives of all people who choose to follow the path and learn the teachings.

Thursday, October 1, 2015