Shamanism: definition, history and beliefs

The practice of shamanism is found worldwide in a variety of different cultures and involves the spirituality that often exists within an altered state of consciousness. A shaman typically has a respected position in his community and plays vital leadership roles.

Shamanism
"Shaman" is a generic term used by anthropologists to describe a vast collection of practices and beliefs, many of which have to do with divination, spiritual communication and magic.
One of the key beliefs found in shamanistic practice is that in the end everything - and everyone - is interconnected.
Evidence of shamanic practices has been found in Scandinavia, Siberia and other parts of Europe, as well as in Mongolia, Korea, Japan, China and Australia. The Inuit and First Nations tribes of North America used shamanic spirituality, as well as groups in South America, Mesoamerica and Africa.
History and anthropology
The word shaman itself is multifaceted. While many people hear the word shaman and immediately think of Native American medicine men, things are actually more complex than that.

"Shaman" is a generic term used by anthropologists to describe a vast collection of practices and beliefs, many of which have to do with divination, spiritual communication and magic. In most indigenous cultures, including but not limited to Native American tribes, the shaman is a highly qualified individual who has spent a lifetime following their calling. One does not simply declare himself a shaman; instead it is a title granted after many years of study.

Training and roles in the community
In some cultures, shamans were often individuals who had some sort of debilitating disease, physical handicap or deformity or some other unusual feature.

Among some Borneo tribes, hermaphrodites are selected for shamanic training. While many cultures seem to have preferred males as shamans, in others it was not unheard of for women to be trained as shamans and healers. The author Barbara Tedlock states in Woman in the Shaman's Body: Claiming the Female in Religion and Medicine that evidence was found that the first shamans found during the Paleolithic era in the Czech Republic were actually women.

In European tribes, women were likely to practice as shamans alongside or even in place of men. Many Norse sagas describe the oracular works of the volva, or female seer. In many of the sagas and edda, the descriptions of the prophecy begin with the line that a song came to his lips, indicating that the words that followed were those of the divine, sent through the volva as a messenger to the gods. Among the Celtic peoples, legend has it that nine priestesses lived on an island off the Breton coast were highly qualified in the arts of prophecy and carried out shamanic tasks.

In his work The Nature of Shamanism and the Shamanic Story, Michael Berman discusses many of the misconceptions surrounding shamanism, including the idea that the shaman is somehow possessed by the spirits he works with. Indeed, Berman argues that a shaman is always in complete control, because no indigenous tribe would accept a shaman who could not control the spirit world. He says,

"The intentionally induced state of the inspired can be regarded as characteristic of the state of both the shaman and the religious mystics whom Eliade calls prophets, while the involuntary state of possession is more like a psychotic state."

Evidence of shamanic practices has been found in Scandinavia, Siberia and other parts of Europe, as well as in Mongolia, Korea, Japan, China and Australia. The Inuit and First Nations tribes of North America used shamanic spirituality, as well as groups in South America, Mesoamerica and Africa. In other words, it has been found in much of the known world. It is interesting to note that there is no concrete and concrete evidence linking shamanism to the worlds of Celtic, Greek or Roman language.

Today there are a number of pagans who follow an eclectic sort of neo-shamanism. Often it involves working with totem or spiritual animals, dream travel and visual research, trance meditations and astral travel. It is important to note that much of what is currently marketed as "modern shamanism" is not the same as the shamanic practices of indigenous peoples. The reason for this is simple: an indigenous shaman, found in a small rural tribe of a distant culture, is immersed in that culture day by day, and his role as a shaman is defined by the complex cultural issues of that group.

Michael Harner is an archaeologist and founder of the Foundation for Shamanic Studies, a contemporary nonprofit group dedicated to preserving the shamanic practices and rich traditions of the world's many indigenous groups. Harner's work attempted to reinvent shamanism for the modern neo-pagan practitioner, while respecting original practices and belief systems. Harner's work promotes the use of rhythmic drums as the basic basis of basic shamanism and in 1980 publishes The Way of the Shaman: A Guide to Power and Healing. This book is considered by many to be a bridge between traditional indigenous shamanism and modern Neoshaman practices.

Beliefs and concepts

For the early shamans, beliefs and practices were formed as a response to the basic human need to find an explanation and exercise some control over natural events. For example, a hunter-gatherer company could make offerings to spirits that influenced the size of the herds or the generosity of the forests. Subsequent pastoral societies could rely on the gods and goddesses who controlled the climate, in order to have abundant harvests and healthy livestock. The community then became dependent on the shaman's work for their well-being.

One of the key beliefs found in shamanistic practice is that in the end everything - and everyone - is interconnected. From plants and trees to rocks and animals and caves, all things are part of a collective whole. Furthermore, everything is imbued with its own spirit, or soul, and can be connected on the nonphysical plane. This modeled thinking allows the shaman to travel between the worlds of our reality and the realm of other beings, acting as a connector.

Also, because of their ability to travel between our world and that of the greater spiritual universe, a shaman is typically someone who shares prophecies and oracular messages with those who may need to hear them. These messages may be something simple and individually focused, but more often than not, they are things that will impact an entire community. In some cultures, a shaman is consulted for their intuition and guidance before any important decisions are made by the elderly. A shaman will often use techniques that cause the trance to receive these visions and messages.

Finally, shamans often serve as healers. They can repair ailments in the physical body by treating imbalances or damage to the person's spirit. This can be done by means of simple prayers or elaborate rituals involving dance and song. Since the disease is believed to come from evil spirits, the shaman will work to drive negative entities out of the person's body and protect the individual from further harm.

It is important to note that shamanism is not in itself a religion; instead, it is a collection of rich spiritual practices that are influenced by the context of the culture in which it exists. Today many people practice shamans and each one does it in a unique and specific way for their own society and worldview. In many places, today's shamans are involved in political movements and have often taken key roles in activism, particularly those focused on environmental issues.