What is a Shaman?

Shaman (plural shamans). Now there's a word guaranteed to raise the curiosity hairs on the top of your head. Mystical, strange, out-of-this-world, mysterious, powerful, charismatic, master of trance, primitive, removed. All of these and more.

We hear or read of the word Shaman more frequently now. But, there is still a whole lot of confusion running loose as to who or what is a Shaman.

Generally aligned with a medicine-man or an herbal healer, a Shaman is similar, yet, quite different. However, a medicine-man or Curandera (herbal healer) is not necessarily a Shaman.

Shamanism is the most widely practiced medicine and healing process in the world. The mind boggling fact is that in every known culture (including Greek, Oriental, Roman and Egyptian) the practice or process of Shamanism is amazingly similar. And it goes back to the gray dawn of time over 20,000 years ago.

Shamanism is not a religion or a belief. It is a healing and living practice developed by ancient man through trial and error. That accounts for its world wide use. Shamanism didn't spread. It is tucked away into every corner of the world, because it works. It works because each group, experimenting individually found the mental key and then discovered what does work and what doesn't.

Researcher, Roger Walsh, identifies 5 processes universally used by Shamans. A Shaman is:

1. One who enters and leaves altered states of consciousness at will.

2. While in such an altered mind state, journeys to various places on the inner worlds.

3. This journeying is done for the sole purpose of helping and healing others and to gain power and knowledge.

4. While on such journeys the person interacts with power animals, spirit teachers, demonic intrusions and spirits of the dead.

5. These journeys can be accomplished with or without hallucinogenic plants, but all journeys involve the powerful use of imagination and will.

Mediums and their current counterparts, called channelers, enter altered states but do not journey. And their interaction with spirits is more likely to result in possession. 

Medicine people do not journey, and herbal healers are not noted for altered states of consciousness. A medicine person or herbal healer is not necessarily a Shaman. A Shaman is not necessarily a medicine person or herbal healer.

Shamans are universally attuned to nature and the cycles of earth, sky and peoples. They see and feel a web of connectedness between all living things. And a connectedness with all things.

All Shamans see the universe as made from vibrations and believe that all things are connected by these vibrations. They are truly the precursors of quantum and theoretical physics. In fact, some of the most insightful material written today on Shamanism is written by a few bold theoretical physicists.

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Journeying -- What It Is and, Other Worlds

There is a geography or map of inner space. By the use of imagery and will the Shaman "journeys" to what appear as other worlds. The entrance or beginning part of a Journey appears as a cave, hole in the earth, a hollow log, a spring, river even climbing down the roots of a special tree.

This brings the Shaman or apprentice to a downward sloping tunnel. Movement in the tunnel is like astral travel in that one feels like they are floating or flying. This part of the Journey ends at a stair or door. Upward movement takes place and you come into a scene of beautiful nature. Often there is a bridge to cross taking you into a pastoral environment.

Advanced Shamans shortcut parts of this process and move instantly into some pre-willed part of the other worlds. Highly focused will is the mode of transportation. You can, and do, journey anywhere, even backwards in time.

Normally, upon entering the other world the Shaman is joined by one or more power animals. These animals, truly aspects, symbols or facets of the higher self, can provide guidance, knowledge, healing or further Journeying to yet other worlds or to meet additional spirit animals.

Ultimately the Shaman achieves an entire council of power animals and from time to time council meetings take place with group guidance that is astonishingly accurate and insightful.

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Other Spirit Guides

Depending on culture and training a Shaman can Journey to further worlds. In some worlds one can meet ancestors or spirit entities.

Most times the spirit entities are the spirit of a plant or a specific kind of rock. Imaginative gifts are exchanged and often such gifts hold deep meanings.

The other worlds are not all sunshine and roses. Each Shaman has their own particular demons (as do all of us) that are frequently encountered during journeying. Without training and developing will power these can become indeed awesome.

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Soul Retrieval and Healing

A shaman becomes a master at "seeing" in the other worlds, as well as moving in and out of other worlds at will. The shaman is also skilled in visualization and maintaining a level of consciousness while in other worlds.

Healing or Counseling is accomplished in one of three ways:

1. The shaman "sees" an etheric attachment to the person being worked with and proceeds to remove it through methods involving the other world. Sometimes this is called extraction. 

2. The shaman "sees" a disturbed part of the luminous fibers (aura) and proceeds to balance them out by a variety of techniques. 

3. The shaman "sees" part of the entity is fragmented or lost. The shaman then proceeds with a soul retrieval to reunite with the lost part. Most often this lost or fragmented part takes the form of an animal which is then united with the host in a special ceremony.

Healing can either be physical or mental. Frequently both, as our thoughts rule who and what we are and emotions generated by our thoughts work directly on the etheric or luminous body.

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Current Interest in
Shamanism

As more interest in healing methods have become mainstream and as researchers have discovered the universality and remarkable results of shamans, there has become a widening interest in living, healing and working on the Shamanic path.

This interest has been furthered as the laws now being expounded by theoretical physicists are completely matching the shaman's understanding of reality and the other worlds. Ancient sages of both Eastern and Western discipline have utilized the major part of Shamanic processes.

Time and space do not exist in other worlds. We have access to problem solving, guidance, healing and vast knowledge by journeying through the inner self to other worlds.

We are all one in a magnificent web of love and creative energies. The shaman is a warrior in healing people, the planet and uniting all with the vibrations and cycles of nature.

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