The Shamanic Healer
A drum beats steadily.
Draped in the skins of animals, a man dances fiercely around a
fire. He chants and sings as his eyes
roll and body tremors. Adorned with bird
feathers and mystical objects to aid and protect him on his journey, he enters the realm of the spirits. His
trance is harrowing but upon his return, he will have gained the knowledge and wisdom
with which to heal. He is a magician as
well as a doctor. He is a Shaman.
The Shaman has been a staple figure in human culture since
prehistoric times. A Shaman can be generally
thought of as a healer and holy man who can communicate and interact with
invisible spirits. The word Shaman is of Siberian origin and the
umbrella term shamanism has been
extended to describe a variety of magico-religious traditions from around the
world. The most fascinating aspect of
the many traditions dubbed as shamanic
is the amazing similarity between spiritual systems which are separated by vast
distances. Whereas each culture has its
unique characteristics, many of the aspects seem to be universal. Regardless of the location of the shamanic
culture, the Shaman seems to be an intermediary between the physical world and
the unseen world of the spirits. In many
cultures the Shaman will enter a trance state, often aided by rhythmic sound or
psychotropic substances, and journey into the spirit realm for the purpose of
attaining insight, gaining wisdom or providing healing for him or herself or others.
Nearly every indigenous religious system can be designated
as Shamanic. The Celtic, European,
Native American, Inuit, Indo-Nepalese-Tibetan, Asian, African, South American
and Pacific Island aboriginal religious customs can easily fall into the
category of shamanism. Many of these
forms of spirituality share common traits despite having had little or no means
of communication between cultures. The
existence of spirits, the structure of the Three Realms and the Shamans use of
trance to the journeying and commune with spirits are concepts which are
generally shared by most religiously shamanic cultures.
Historically, the Shaman takes on many roles within the
community he or she serves. A Shaman may
be either a man or a woman depending on the culture but often the role is
designated to a specific gender. In
Korea the Shaman is always female, whereas in Native American cultures the
Shaman is typically male. In Nepal and
Tibet the shamanic healer can be a person of either gender who is initiated
into the way. The Shaman may act as a healer,
storyteller, counselor, herbalist, bone setter, ritual priest, historian,
philosopher and fortune teller. It was
often the job of the Shaman to ensure the spiritual and physical wellbeing of
the community. In some cultures, the
Shaman may also be a community leader or advisor to a tribal chief. In nearly every instance, the Shaman is
primarily a healer. Terms such as Witch Doctor and Medicine Man refer to the Shaman's role as a medicinal healer.
The Three Realms
Nearly every Shamanic tradition teaches the paradigm of the
Three Realms. Although there are
variation between cultures, some with ten realms and some with two, the Three
Realm concept seems to permeate most indigenous religious traditions. In the Celtic tradition these are known as
the Other Worlds and in Australian
Shamanism as The Dreamtime. From the point of view of this paradigm, our
existence is separated into three distinct sections: the realm of the spirits above, the realm of
the spirits below and our own visible world which lies in the center. These three realms are connected by a central
axis, sometimes refered to as the world
tree. The Shaman, by use of hypnotic
trance, can traverse between realms using the axis as a sort of spiritual super
highway.
Although, again, there are variations between cultures, the
upper realm tends to be described as an ethereal heaven of bright lights and
crystalline structures. Here the Shaman
may encounter angelic and human-like spirits.
The lower realm, sometimes called the Underworld, is generally a cave
like world consisting of gem and rock formations. In this world the Shaman may visit with
curious elemental spirits whose form is unknown to the visible world. The middle realm is our own world, however,
the Shaman can use the power of trance to enter an unseen aspect of it. In the
middle realm the Shaman can interact with animal and nature spirits, such as
the spirit of a lake or mountain, who inhabit it. In any one of the three realms the Shaman may
acquire spirit guides who can assist him or her in their many journeys.
Drums, Rattles and Feathers
The most iconic ritual item of the Shaman is the drum. The Shaman uses the constant, repetitive and droning
sound of drumming to induce the shamanic trance. Rattles are often used for a similar purpose,
creating a steady wave of sound which lures the mind into an extraordinary
state. As the Shaman is often reported
to fly between the seen and unseen world, feathers are often used to decorate
the costume of the healer.
In some cultures, such as the ancient healing traditions of
the Himalayas, a particular cadence in the drum beat will allow the Shaman
to achieve a corresponding form of trance and a journey into a particular realm or
a meeting with a specific entity. Drums,
rattles and feathers may be used for healing, removing unwanted spirits form a
patient’s body, calling forth helper spirits or simply to honor the spirit of a
natural formation such as a river or meadow.
Entheogens
Musical instruments and avian adornments are not the only
methods used to aid a Shaman in journeying through the unseen realms. Entheogens are often employed as well. The term entheogen
was coined by ethnobotanists in 1979 as a replacement for terms such as hallucinogen or psychedelic. It is a
contraction of the Greek words ἔνθεος (entheos) and γενέσθαι (genesthai). Used by the Greeks as praise for artists, the
word entheogen can be taken to mean “full of the Gods” or “possessed by the
Divine.” The term is used in relation to
Shamanism to describe the multitude of psychotropic chemicals found in plant,
fungi and animal sources used to induce or enhance the Shaman's journey into the
spiritual worlds.
Some traditional entheogens used by Shamans of various
cultures include: psilocybin mushrooms, peyote cactus, cannabis, tobacco, yage,
morning glory flower, salvia, iboga, fly agaric mushrooms and alcohol. The Shamans of Nepal are known to drink a
traditional beer which is often combined with a variety of herbs to enhance its
inebriating properties and use a specific method of cannabis planting that produces
naga-ganja or cannabis infused with
the venom of poisonous snakes.
The Shaman Reborn
Although there had been a steady decline in Shamanic
practices in modern times, Shamanism has again gained popularity. Modern religious systems which have a strong
emphasis on the spirituality of nature, such as contemporary Wicca, are often
described as being shamanic. Starting in the 1960’s, shamanic concepts
began to be seen as valuable to Psychologists and those practicing
psychotherapy. Although these sciences
view many of the aspect of Shamanism as allegorical expressions of the mind,
this type of psychological understanding of the practice sheds much light on
how and why shamanic healing may work.
Aspects of traditional shamanism from all over the world can also be
observed in the blended spirituality of the New Age movement.
In many cultures Shamanism never faded away but was instead
merged with the contemporary spiritual system introduced to the native
population. This can be seen in
traditions such as Haitian Voodoo and South American Santeria which combine
aspects of traditional shamanism with the Christian-Catholic spiritual
model. In cultures which have remained
guarded from the encroachment of the modern world the Shaman is still a central
figure who provides healing, medicine and guidance to those who seek the
ancient wisdom of the spirits.
