What is Shamanic Healing?

Shamanism is one of the oldest spiritual and healing practices known to man. Shaman training and healing has been in practice for more than 100,000 years and has been done worldwide before the current age of information and technology. 

So how come the practice of shamanic healing has become quite prominent worldwide? Surely there must be more to this practice. This article aims to shed more light on it by looking at what Shamanism entails, who a shaman is, categories of healers, how one can become a shaman, and more.  

What is Shamanism?

Shamanism practice is common among different cultures of the world. It is a religious practice that focuses on the shamans. These practices have been in existence over time across different systems of government, cultures and religious groups. 

It is believed that formal religions like Christianity and Buddhism originated from shamanic roots and still have shamanic threads of deep connections to the divine in all their doings. However, Shamanism itself is not a formal system of belief or ideology, but it is a group of experiences and activities common to shaman culture worldwide.

Who is A Shaman?

Shamans are magico-religious professionals assigned by the community to help alter peoples' consciousness to obtain information from the spirit world. The knowledge obtained is used to heal the community and its members.

Stanley Krippner tagged shamans as the first diagnosticians, magicians, physicians, physiotherapists, performing artists, storytellers, and religious functionaries. 

In the indigenous shamanic tradition, matured individuals are responsible for their relationship with the spiritual energies, including those of their environment, their ancestors, their inner spirit, and the spirit—the creator force. 

On the other hand, Shamans are unique because they not only travel into the spirit world but are also capable of using their relationship with the spirit world to create observable changes in the physical world for the healing of people in their community. 

The above definition differentiates shamans from other types of healing professionals. For instance, mediums can use altered states, but they cannot perform any action in those states. Also, sorcerers perform actions in altered states but do not necessarily heal.

Types of Healers

There are about three main categories of healers in the practice of Shamanism. They include; 

• Those originating from a shamanic tradition that is unbroken, which continue in their native culture
• Those originating from a shamanic tradition serve as a connecting force between the old tradition and the current western world. They do this via the addition of ceremonies and rituals previously not compulsory in the shamanic tradition. 
• Those who were called by the spirit to help their community were shamans but were culturally separated from their initial shamanic roots. 

How Can One Become a Shaman?

All the talk about the abilities of a shaman comes as a surprise to most people, making them ask the question: "can I become a Shaman?". Unfortunately, the answer to this question is not that straightforward because there have been different pathways over time through which people have joined the practice of Shamanism. 

Listed below are some ways a person can become a Shaman.

At Birth

In several tribes and cultures, it is believed that the spirit incarnates itself before childbirth. Meaning there's an incarnation of the shaman spirit in the mother's womb before the physical existence of the child. Usually, the elders of a tribe are in the position of recognizing if a child, either boy or girl, has the spirit of a shaman or not. 

It is also believed that the shamanic ability can be passed down from one generation to another. Once a child is recognized to have this ability at a young age, the child is guided and trained by an older shaman. 

Through Initiation

In some cultures, individuals must go through what is called shamanic initiation. The initiation occurs by courageous endurance of terrifying situations and facing fears by the prospective shaman. An elderly shaman performs healing and shows immense strength as part of the initiation process.

Shamanic initiations can also happen via other means. It can be through dreams, trance, or an out-of-body experience. During the non-physical experience, the prospective shaman will be made to undergo a "spiritual surgery" where their body will be dismembered and then put together, bone by bone.  

By Calling

In some instances, when a person is faced with a severe health problem and spirits usually believed to be the ghost of their ancestors visiting them, it is believed that such people have a shamanic calling. People with such experiences can become shamans simply because they are believed to have seen the god of death and conquered him. Therefore, they have the secret to life and death. 

Some cultures also translate some significant actions to mean a shaman calling. An example is the Greeks, who regard lightning strikes as a supreme calling. It is believed that lightning possesses the magical power of the sky. 

What Does the Practice of Shamanism Entail?

An individual can only be considered a shaman once they possess the following shamanic abilities:

• The power to create and maintain a balance between humankind, nature, and the spirit realm.
• The ability to mediate between two worlds. Meaning they must understand the needs and have the wisdom of the spiritual world and that of the physical world. These teachings and needs must be understood and facilitated by the community. 
• To be tagged a shaman, you must willingly enter altered states of consciousness and be in total control while moving in and out of the various states. 

If you are looking to learn more about Shamanism or get trained as a shaman, you should go through our website https://www.jaguarpath.com/medicine-wheel-training. Also, if you are looking to gain a deeper understanding of ancient spiritual practices, we have tons of resources for you to check through. 

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