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.(goddessvision.net)
