What is a Shaman?

Modern day shamanic practitioners stand in the shadows of ancient shamen world-wide, experiencing the timeless travel of Spirit and accessing higher awareness by transcending OR (ORDINARY REALITY) into SSC (Shamanic State of Consciousness). SSC can be reached through a variety of means--drumming, singing, breath work, movement, aroma, travel to sacred places, meditation, hallucinagins, and many others. The practiced shaman, sometimes referred to as "a hollow bone", can reach states of SSC at will. At this point the shaman becomes an extremely powerful healer, transformer of events, and revered by others.

For more than 30,000 years shamans have been practicing this ancient form of Spiritual contact to assist in the healing of their tribes. From Iceland to South America, from Australia to the American Southwest, the shaman has transcended time and space to travel a scared journey on behalf of those seeking help.

But just what, or who is a shaman?

The shaman was the original artist, dancer, musician, singer, dramatist, intellectual, poet, bard, ambassador, advisor of chiefs and kings, entertainer, actor and clown, healer, stage magician, juggler, folksinger, weatherman, culture hero and trickster-transformer. Add scientist to this list of talents, as much of the medical knowledge represented in modern pharmaceuticals results from the work of these ancient herbalists and innovators.

What is the difference between a shaman and a medicine man?

A medicine man (or woman) can be a shaman, but only those individuals who are able to access alternate states of consciousness at will, can be considered a shaman. Although our society has separated the shaman's role into many professions, it is this ability to access alternate states of consciousness that sets the ancient and the contemporary shaman apart from all others. While the ancient shaman may have assisted tribal members with every nature of illness, or in locating wandering herds of bison for a hunting party, the modern shaman's journey is not much different. Our needs may have changed somewhat, but the methods used to transcend space and time, have not.

It is important to mention at this point that the shaman does not "own" the power that comes through him or her. A shaman merely acts as a hollow bone to allow the power of Great Mystery-our Creator-to come through the body and manifest in this reality. By working with allies, spirit guides and teachers, and with the help of Great Mystery, the shaman brings healing energies from the Spirit World through space and time, to heal real problems in this world.

Today's shamanic practitioner will assist those who have lost personal power, or those with illness, by helping them regain their personal strength through a variety of methods including (but not limited to) power animal retrieval, soul retrieval, or extraction. The shaman will look for a spiritual cause behind an illness or problem and with the assistance of spirit helpers, determine the best course of action to affect a cure. For those nearing death, or with a great fear of deathh, the shamanic practitioner can assist them in their passage, providing great comfort to the client and their family. Shamanic practitioners are even called in to perform psycho-pomp work in homes or other locations where spirits who have passed still linger.

How do you become a shaman?

An ancient shaman once said that "you become a shaman once you are given one thousand songs"…these songs come from those that we contact on our journeys. For most, this is a calling of sort; there are many individual and cultural variations on the path to becoming a shaman. Perhaps from a vision quest or as a climax to a serious illness, or a near-death experience; any of these may have led to an altered state of consciousness. Such a radically profound and revelatory experience often encourages the individual to take up the path of shaman. Throughout time the shaman has been known as the wounded healer due to life-changing experiences that bring visions of change.

Accessing the Spirit World:

Around the world many methods are used to access the Spirit World through an altered state of consciousness. Some cultures use hallucinogenic herbs such as Peyote or Ayahuasca, while others might utilize days of fasting and purification ceremonies to induce the trance-like state, yet all retain one common feature-the repetitive sound of a rattle or drum. The age-old tradition of using the drum or rattle to enter a shamanic consciousness is the basic method of transcending normal waking consciousness, or Ordinary Reality (OR) and entering an Altered State of Reality, also known as the Shamanic State of Consciousness (SSC). While some tribal cultures still utilize mind-altering drugs or hallucinogenic herbs, this is not a necessary element of shamanism, but the sound of the drum (or rattle) is NOT optional. Siberian and other shamans sometimes refer to their drum as a Horse or Canoe that transports them into the Lower world or Upper world. The steady, monotonous beat of the drum acts like a carrier wave, first to help the shaman enter the SSC, and then to sustain him on his Journey.

Drumming:

Laboratory research has demonstrated that drumming produces changes in the central nervous system. The rhythmic stimulation affects the electrical activity in many sensory and motor areas of the brain not normally affected through their connections with the sensory area being stimulated. The drumbeat moves the brain to a theta wave EEG frequency range. The theta state is the most effective in producing a trance-like state, or SSC. While in this SSC the shamanic practitioner will meet with spirit guides and power animals during the journey on behalf of the seeker.

What is a journey?

A journey is a method of moving from OR into a SSC via the drumbeat and a tunnel or hole in the ground, as seen through the mind's eye. The Shaman goes through the hole, traveling through the tunnel until emerging on the other side. This might be in the Lower, Middle or Upper World depending on who the shaman desires to encounter. The shaman will journey on behalf of a client to seek a cure for almost any ailment of body, mind, or spirit. Once the shaman has met with spirit(s) guides and been given information, the shaman will return to OR and present the cure in some physical way.

How is the shamanic journey used in today's world?

As mentioned earlier, the shaman looks for the spiritual problem behind the client's problem in OR. The shaman will journey for a client to determine the course of action. The client could be experiencing the feeling of hopelessness and despair, or just feeling of total loss of power or energy. In this case the shaman might go on a journey in search of the client's power animal to restore power and balance in the client's life. Once the shaman brings the spirit of the power animal back, the client is charged with learning about the animal's ways. By working with the animal's spirit, the client begins to take on the healing aspects of the animal.

The problem could be soul loss, requiring soul retrieval. A good example of soul loss is this: suppose you are driving down the street and you are about ready to slam head-on into a brick building. You would not want to be fully present at that moment, so a part of your soul might break away and go to a "safe place" in another reality. Another example might begin with a relationship split. Your partner doesn't want to let you go, and "steals" a part of your soul. Perhaps you have a child with physical or emotional problems. As a mother you want always to be with your child to protect her, so you "give a part of yourself" to the child. These are just a few of the ways soul loss can occur. Over a lifetime a person can become so fragmented that they just don't have the energy to go on with life. These people can be considered walking zombies, just moving through life without purpose or direction. During a soul retrieval the shaman will journey with Spirit helpers to find the lost soul part(s) and return with them from the SSC to OR and "blow" the parts back into the client. Often the shaman is shown why the soul part left, or who took it. During the Shaman's journey, the client prepares himself to receive back these lost soul parts. Some may have been missing for many years, or left due to the client's self-destructive actions. In these cases the client may be given ceremony or a ritual to help make the soul part feel more comfortable and want to stay "home".

Perhaps the client feels he is doing something not of his nature, and the shaman's journey shows a need for an extraction. This could be the loving spirit of a person close to the client who has passed on, or a spirit the client has encountered in some other way, but regardless of who it is, the spirit should not be cohabitating the same body as the client and an extraction is necessary. The shaman aides the "lost spirit" by removing it from the "host" and sending it on th the Spirit World-thus bringing peace and healing to both the client and the lost spirit.

Another potential client for the modern day shaman is someone who is nearing death or who has a great fear of death. The shaman might lead the client on a journey to show the client what life after death might be like for him. After several journeys the client begins to become familiar with the ideal of death and has a better idea of what to expect, thus relieving many fears.

Many shamanic practitioners are working with the spirits of nature to help restore balance to Mother Earth. By learning how to transform personal and environmental pollution, and through the transmutation of negative beliefs, attitudes and energy, the earth can be restored to balance. On May 8, 2004 a world-wide medicine wheel ceremony was held with this purpose in mind. People gathered in medicine wheel ceremonies around the world to drum and sing spirit songs to help restore balance to our Mother Earth.

Working within a drumming circle, shamanic practitioners multiply their power to heal. Many drumming circles are in place around the world. They are working toward the common goal of creating peace and harmony among all people. Some work on a local level, some regional or international depending on the scope of their circle.