The Shaman

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.