"What is Shamanism? And how can it help us with our spiritual problems?"
(The 3-minute Weekly Insight from Spirituality U.)
(The 3-minute Weekly Insight from Spirituality U.)
What is Shamanism? And how can it help us with our spiritual problems?
Shamanism has been practiced for as long as 100,000 years by indigenous peoples in places as far flung as Siberia, Asia, Europe, Africa, Australia, Greenland, and native North and South America. And though it may be the oldest continuously practiced form of spirituality, it still offers tools that can help us mend our spiritual and psychological wounds.
Shamanism does not focus spirituality on a creator God. Instead, according to longtime shamanism educator Sandra Ingerman, “Shamanism teaches us that everything that exists is alive and has a spirit. Everything on earth is interconnected and any belief that we are separate from other life forms including the earth, stars, wind, etc is purely an illusion. And it is the shaman’s role in the community to keep harmony and balance between humankind and the forces of nature.”
What is a shaman? Ingerman says that a shaman (male or female) “sees with the heart” and “…interacts directly with the spirits [inherent in all things] to address the spiritual aspect of illness and perform soul retrievals, retrieve lost power, as well as remove spiritual blockages.”
One of shamanism’s core beliefs is that when we fall ill or descend into depression, it is because some portion of our soul has been lost or wandered away, often as a result of trauma. Even though shamans perform a wide variety of functions and rituals, a key practice related to “soul retrieval” is shamanic journeying.
Shamanic journeying involves the use of rhythmic sound (e.g. drumming) to place us in a state in which we can undertake a type of creative visualization in which we connect with a power animal (serving as something like a guardian angel), or with a wise human being, both of whom can give us the advice we need.
Through conversation with these beings and through the posing and answering of questions related to our loss of soul, the power animal or wisdom figure can help us understand why part of our soul fled (usually as a protective measure) and what we need to do to restore our souls to wholeness. For many people this practice seems to be just as effective as month—or even year—of psychological counseling.
For more information about shamanism and shamanic journeying,
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