by Michael Faulkner In the languages of the old ones, wisdom was defined by one word. In Tungus it was Saman; in Tocharian it was Samane; in Prakrit it was Samana; and in Sanskrit it was Sramanas. The word Shaman is a cognate to the word Saman, first used by a Tungus-speaking people, the Evenk, in Siberia. The role of the Shaman in his/her society is a vital one. They communicated with spirits and animals and saw visions of the future. Born from the reverence early humanity had for their surroundings and the eternal wonderment of the spirit world, a Shaman held a distinction as being different from that of a magician or healer in early society. For the Shaman would walk the pathway to the spirit world routinely. Through altered states of consciousness, induced with or without the aid of a catalyst, the Shaman would converse with the spirits. As a faith, Shamanism fits into many types of belief systems due to the fact that it is independent of dogmatic, institutionalized structure that hinders most organized religions. Shamanism is one of the oldest divinatory practices in the world to promote healing and spiritual wellness. From archaeological and anthropological evidence, it can be seen that the practice has existed for some 20,000 to 30,000 years. Evidence of Shamanism has been found globally in isolated regions of the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, regions of Europe and Australia. Shamanism is an important part of the identity of indigenous peoples, especially in the regions of the Republic of Tuva, Tibet, Siberia, Samiland, Central and South America and Australia, as well as several Native tribes of North America. All these cultures still practice this ancient religion. In these tribal cultures, the Shaman is a person who can enter an ecstatic state of altered consciousness. While in this state or trance they can communicate with their guardian spirit, who gives them information, power to heal the sick or divine sacred information. Usually the shaman who enters the trance is said to seek wisdom from another reality. While most westerners think of Shamanism in terms of a ritualistic technique, involving trance journeying and healing, most people in Shamanic practicing areas describe Shamanism as their religion and an expression of their inner faith. In particular, the practice of Shamanism is an essential part of both Siberian and Tibetan culture. Elder Shamans are respected as conveyors of traditional knowledge, and as powerful individuals possessing vision for the future, as well as knowledge of the past. In each area, there are strong traditions of Shamanic culture, including healing, ceremonials connected with the land and human concerns, divination, and in some cases, accompanying the souls of the dead to the next world. Shamans are highly respected members of both Siberian and Tibetan society. All over the world, there are literally thousands of documented cases of Shamans performing rituals and healing the sick, both the physically and mentally ill. Most believe that they must have a close connection with nature because their guardian spirit usually is that of a plant or animal. Many say the guardian spirit takes the shaman to the other reality where they are given their needed knowledge and power through a "hole in the world." The shaman may also seek information to help their people and village. In various cultures, trances are induced by repetitive chanting, dancing and drumming. Some cultures also use natural psychedelic stimulants to actuate trances. The Shamans relied on alliances with spirits for their magic. They were believed to have the power to foresee the future, heal the sick and bring success to the hunting or fishing expedition. The Shaman was also thought to control the weather and affect what it does. Because of the close contact with spirits they were feared and lived away from the villages in the forests. The Shaman was responsible for traditional myths of death, rebirth, the connection between human and animals, and the connection between the natural and supernatural. Shamanism in Europe was mainly derived from Celtic and Germanic cultures, rising out of the Indo-European tribes. Indo-European Shamanism was unfortunately almost all but wiped out on the western European mainland by the Church and the Inquisition. Traditional Shamans disappeared, but many Shamanic fragments remained in the belief of the common folk and their cultural folklore. Cultural anthropologists have, in the past, defined Shamanism as an initial stage in the development of institutionalized religious systems and the first pattern of organized human spiritual thought. Shamanism is considered the beginning steps toward human spiritual development. An individual who practices Druidism, Wicca or worships through another form of Paganism, such as the Temple of Isis, should find many areas of common ground with practitioners of Shamanism. You are the individual calling upon the god or goddess, tapping into the river of the sacred divine. You have your meditative prayers and rituals and you also have your sacred tools; be it prayer bowl, candle, rune stone or ritual dagger. The mode of spiritual expression is basically the same. You experience that same sense of ecstasy, the same sense of connecting with the sacred, as the shaman does when he or she goes into meditative walkabout. The Shaman also focuses on harnessing the forces of Kundalini that flow through a body. Personal Experience I have studied Shamanism, almost all methodologies, with an intense fervor. I have had the pleasure of traveling to Tuva, with a close associate of mine, who is of Mongolian/Tartar descent, and spend time studying with the Shamans of Tuva. I have stood before the Foundation Stone of Tuva in Kyzyl and chanted with tribal elders. Tuvan tradition is one of the best-preserved and culturally significant Shamanic practiciums still in existence. A few years ago, I traveled to Tibet with a group to witness first hand the spiritual beauty of the Shamanic aspects of Tibetan Green Tara prayer rituals. I have also studied the many Shamanic aspects of Salish, Samoyed, Yeniseic and Finno-Ugrian spiritual traditions. Every aspect of my journey, from the joys to the hardships, has been a deeply enriching experience. From the aspect of the psychological, I have also studied Jungian psychology, in particular the many aspects of the subconscious and the influences it has on the conscious. I wanted to know if what I was experiencing was some type of fabrication created from the recesses of my own mind or if these experiences were actually a spiritual experience. An implicit assumption in Shamanic practice is that there are two realities of cognition and that the perception of each is dependent of one's state of consciousness. People in the ordinary state of consciousness (OSG) perceive only ordinary reality (OR). Those in the Shamanic state of consciousness (SSC) are able to enter into and perceive non-ordinary reality (NOR). Both these states of consciousness are called realities because each is empirically encountered. Each state of consciousness is recognized to have its own forms of knowledge and relevance to human experience. Ordinary reality and non-ordinary reality are considered to be essentially the same modes of thought as the primal mind and the civilized mind. Native American writer, 'White Deer of Autumn' has written a wonderful book entitled, 'Contemplations of the Primal Mind', on the differences between the "primal mind" and the "civilized mind." Another assumption is that the individual beings (spirits, gods, demons et al) encountered in non-ordinary reality are themselves real. These encountered entities are considered real by Shamanic practitioners because they interact with them first hand. This interaction is measured by the direct perception of all the senses. Several university studies have shown that during meditative practices, Shaman that have been monitored, have exhibited an unusually high level of brain wave activity in the regions of the brain that respond to outside stimuli such as meeting people or conversation. Sometimes we get a sense that something is intrinsically a part of us. Out of the blue, something will arouse a certain unexplainable need or belonging. A certain location, such as the Highlands of Scotland, the fjords of Norway or the sands of Egypt can activate this need. A certain style of music or a certain smell can also cause this occurrence. These occurrences are what I call a 'spark in the background noise, or echoes in the white noise.' They are triggers that remind us of who we really are and where it is that we come from. The more triggers or sparks you experience, the closer you near awareness. Thus you stand on the path towards understanding of who it is you really are. These echoes from the Wheel of Dharma cause us to slowly gain awareness. It is indeed a path to understanding your true self, your ancient self, your past life self. It is the realization that much more exists than what you experience from day to day. It is this understanding that will set you on your path. Shamans tap into their intrinsic being and find the remnants of their past lives. In these kernels are found wisdom and enlightenment. A Shaman would never claim that they are better than another because of their faith. No one who practices Shamanism would commit such a negative action. Shamanism can be adapted to any faith existing today, including Deism, Judaism, (Kaballah is a form of shamanism), and Christianity. Sufism is an aspect of Shamanism. Sufism is a more ancient, Shamanic tribal faith practicium that Islam eventually absorbed into its own modus operandi. Shamanism gracefully coexists with the Buddhist faith, as witnessed by the vibrant spiritual traditions of both Tuvans and Tibetans. Just as Buddhism exists fluidly alongside Shinto in Japan, so can Shamanism exist alongside multiple faith paradigms. The indigenous Japanese tribes, known as the Ainu, practice an ancient form of Shamanism. Shamanism encourages openness, freedom of thought and the expression of individualism within spirituality. Shamanism also allows one to have a more personal, direct experience with the spiritual realm, just as the many Pagan faiths like Wicca or Hinduism do. Shamanism is the world's root religion. It was the first mode of faith expressed by humanity in the most remote and ancient of days. Contact For more information on Shamanism, contact the Foundation for Shamanic Studies at Shaman.org or write them at the address below.
The Foundation for Shamanic Studies Resources and Recommended Further Study
Harner, Michael
Harner, Michael
Drury, Nevill
Cowan, Thomas
Cowan, Thomas
Eliade, Mercea
Video Documentary: Drums of the Ancestors; Manchu and Mongol Shamanism
Video Documentary: Tuva: Shamans and Spirits
Mallory, J.P.
Various Authors
Barry, Raftery
Branch, Michael, Bosley, Keith, Senni, Timonen, and Honko, Laurie
Green, Miranda
Walker, Barbara G
Woodman, Marion and Elinor Dickson, eds. |
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