Shamanism. A shaman is a healer who changes world views in order to become more effective.

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1 Shamanism What is a Shaman? As a student on the shamanic path, the intent of my journey became a driving question for me. I seek to teach what I know, and if it is truly shamanic, what does the quest drive toward? To help answer this question I searched the web for websites that answered "What is a Shaman?". Their cyber-answers are listed below along with their URL for your own further explorations on these excellent websites. My contribution to this storehouse of knowledge is the answer: The shaman lives in the unity of the world The shaman serves the unity of the world All quotes are used with loving appreciation and full credit is given to their sources. Please contact me if there is a desire from the page owner to remove their link and quotation from this page. Namaste! Sean Culture: Native American Source: A shaman is a medicine man who possesses a great deal of knowledge, possesses a wide range of healing abilities and acts as: the tribe physician, psychiatrist, psychologist, family counselor, spiritual advisor Culture: Polynesia Source: A shaman is a healer who changes world views in order to become more effective. Culture: Anthropological Source: A practitioner who can will his or her spirit to leave the body and journey to upper or lower worlds. A combination of priest, doctor, social worker, and mystic. Since he or she must often deal with illness, malevolence, and death, the shaman is often concerned with matters that are dark and dangerous. Shamans have extraordinary insight into the cosmic processes governing health, food supply, and fertility. After painful initiations, a shaman is entrusted with looking over the edge of the abyss without falling in, and returning with help for the people of this world. Culture: Amazon Source: "The shaman and his community share a set of beliefs that form a collective world view that dominates the psychological and physical experience of each person. One difference between their view and ours is that we separate the physical and the spiritual world. They do not. In their minds there is no barrier between dream and reality, and they move easily between one and the other."

2 Culture: Native American Source: The shaman, female or male, is the community specialist in direct dealings with the Beyond underworld, upperworld, or inner world; a wielder of numinous power; a master of ecstasy (Mircea Eliade) who whether healing, warring, predicting, weather-making, cooking herbs, arranging hunts, making masks, accompanying dead souls, or locating lost ones, performs as master of the operations of the unconscious. Culture: Native American? - Path of the Feather Source: The shaman in tribal cultures is the person who sees into the sacred world and shares the visions with the people. The shaman brings their sacred visions out as art, music, dance, and storytelling. By this ritual art process, the shaman heals themselves, others, and the earth. By having visions of healing and doing sacred ritual the shaman makes the visions come true. This is ancient magic, ancient healing. The shaman manifests reality in the outer world, from the visionary world. That is the same way the world was created from God's vision. We are all her vision on earth, we are. Culture: The Institute for Shamanic Synthesis Source: Webster defines "Shaman" as simply a religious man. The word Shaman comes from eastern Siberia (the Tungus Tribe) an area where shamanism was the most prominent and where its origins may be found. Translated, shaman means "to heat up; to burn; to work with heat and fire." The essential characteristics of Shamans are mastery of energy and fire as a medium of transformation. Tribal peoples believed that the Shaman was a healer and keeper of tribal history (handed down through the oral tradition) and a "Walker Between Winds." The latter term refers to the Shaman's ability to send his spirit to walk with the ancestors between the winds. To walk between the winds one has to look around the edge of reality to the paths between space. There is where the spirits of the ancestors walk the trails of time. Culture: Modern Shaman Source: Although "shaman" is a word typically ascribed to Native American and other native belief systems, I feel that anyone who has begun that great seeking deep within, to find their place in the great circle of life, is a "modern shaman". Being a shaman does not confer great powers or great respect. Rather, it is a responsibility to ourselves and our world to heal and to teach ourselves and others to live in peace with all things.

3 Culture: African (Mufasa from The Lion King ) Source: "What is a shaman? He dreams like all men do But he remembers" (19/5) Culture: Buryatia Source: A shaman is a man or a woman that in a state of trance has the capacity to reach the supernatural world and bring the prayers, requests, needs of his people to the Spirits. The shaman is mainly an intermediary between our world and the spiritual world, the dimension of subtle energies. A shaman is a spiritual leader, a priest and a healer, but also a storyteller and a fortuneteller. Culture: General Source: The description that comes to most people's minds before any other is that of a medicine man. Others may call the shaman a sorcerer, a seer, a witch, or any of the countless other terms used. Yes, the shaman can be all this. Cultures all over the world have their own version of the shaman. A shaman could look like this, though not necessarily. It all depends on with culture he or she is from. When I think of a visual image of a shaman, what comes to mind usually is someone like don Juan, a Yaqui indian shaman who is the focus of Carlos Castaneda's books. Castaneda has written a series of what he calls autobigraphical pieces of work. They tell tales of his encounters with don Juan and the world of sorcery, his term for shamanism. Castaneda's books have had a considerable postive impact on my life. A shaman strives to find harmony with the earth. Everything is connected and must be appreciated equally. He learns the medicinal uses for all things found in nature to heal when needed. That's his medicine man part. However, what most people tend to ignore, or don't even know about, is the countless shamanic practices that go with seeking to experience another reality. Michael Harner, author of "The Way of the Shaman", calls it non-ordinary reality. Castaneda calls it a "separate reality". Culture: General Source: Shamans are women and men who are spiritually alive, and who experience different levels of existence from everyday reality. Shamans learn to work with cosmic forces, and the forces of nature which are in us and around us. A true definition of a 'shaman' is elusive, for the shaman exists in her actions, and it is more helpful to think of shamanism as

4 something one does, rather than 'being' a shaman - it is much more a dynamic, function than a precisely defined role. Culture: Inca Source: A shaman could be said to be one who talks with nature, with the spirits of everything - the earth mother herself, the trees, the animals, mountains, stars, clouds, storms. A shaman also heals, and is in service of the greater good. Shamans are those who walk two worlds: the one we all live in and see, the one available to the five senses, and the world that is at the core, under the surface of what we can all see. Culture: International Practice Source: Shamanic practices provide but one avenue to the direct spiritual experience we need so much. There is a progression to the purposeful use of shamanic technique. First, the shaman journeys in his spirit body to approach the experience of one-ness. Having established that experience, the shaman obtains information which is of benefit to the persons of his tribe, or to his world. The shaman s next task is to bring that information back into the world, give it birth, and put it to use. Particularly, put it to use. That s what I do. While in a spirit state, I ask for information helpful to a friend, deliver that information in such a way as to be sure it s understood, and then follow up with whatever is necessary to restore balance to the friend s system. Then, as much as possible I teach the friend how to maintain that balance. It s very satisfying work. Culture: Peruvian Source: Shamanism is really about is a journey of the soul. A shaman is primarily a "person of knowledge" and a "man or woman of vision", they are sought for answers and guide their charges with this knowledge. Shamans are the storytellers of their communities. They use these stories to impart wisdom or healing to others. Shamans are teachers. A primary function is to gather knowledge and thereby power. In many books of modern shamanism, people who have undergone the shamanistic ritual teachings can be found as professors in

5 Universities around the world -- especially in the fields of philosphy, religion, psychology and anthropology. Culture: General Source: A Shaman is a person who can enter an altered state of consciousness, induced usually by monotonous drumming. Shamans enter this state to make journeys to the Upper and Lower Worlds for a variety of purposes. Some of the purposes are: to help people die or help ease them into the afterlife once they have died, Shamans can also replace something that was missing from the body, such as the soul, or they can remove things that don't belong in the body such as illnesses. Culture: General Source: There are two paths of Shamanism. The first is known as the Way of the Warrior. The Way of the Warrior is based on danger, harsh self-discipline, the destruction of enemies, the practice of survivalskills, and an ethic of conquer or be conquered. The Warrior way is done mostly by the American Indian shamans. The second is the Way of the Adventurer. The Adventurer is adventurous, a goal-oriented selfdisciplined shaman, who practices exploring skills, with an ethic of love and be loved. Both of these paths have healing as a social purpose. But along with the similarity their differences have social and personal effects. Culture: General Source: Humbleness and humility are general characteristics of the true shaman. Culture: General Source: A Shaman lives within a community where he or she is in service to that community, and normally the title of Shaman (or whatever its cultural equivalent is) is bestowed upon the person, by the community. Culture: General

6 Source: Much shamanistic work emphasises the interconectedness of all beings - animals, humans, birds, plants, rocks, fish, etc. - and therefore you will become drawn to aiding others around you. Shamanism is all about responsibility, both for yourself and for others. There are rich rewards to be gleaned from this path, and for every frightending experience, the shamanic practicioner will also encounter one full of wonder and insight. The struggle for those of us practising within a modern, often urban, environment, is to find and establish our own communities, to honour the elements and Spirit as best we can, and to re-connect with the Earth and all the creatures living upon it. If this is your goal, than Shamanism is the perfect instrument by which to attain it. As Loren Cruden says in Coyote's Council Fire: Culture: General Community is the teacher. It stands in the North on the medicine wheel, the realm of wisdom. It is the mirror, the feedback, the context of realization. To eat, to cut firewood, to own a car, to overturn a stone is to participate in community, consciously or not. We are rearranging the universe. There is no standing apart even in death. Interconnection is the condition of this universe. Nothing is exempt. Source: (Siberia, UralAltaic, Irish/Scottish, Central Asia, Orient, Native American) A very highly respected profession wherein one serves his or her community as a spiritual leader. Providing guidance through psychic skills, healing abilities and communications with Divine spirit. Believed to be learned from a past incarnation and initiations, along with study and practice in the current embodiment. Shamanism is most often associated with Native American practices. But it has a long history in Anglo- European countries as well. Although given different labels in each culture, the practices of a Shaman or Shamanka are magikal. As such, in most pagan traditions, a person can not claim the title of Shaman (spiritual leader) without an initiation of some sort. You might associate this initiation with an Ordination of a minister or priest. Culture: Native American Source:

7 A Shaman will Change consciousness to do work in "Other realities or spirit worlds," and does it with self discipline and under will. He doesn't just let his mind wander off any old time it will. He also doesn't use it as a convenient excuse to: Not do something - get attention or be the center thereof - get rich - gain power over others. He uses the following ways to achieve a change of consciousness in himself and others - Drums, rattles, music, chanting or movement usually dancing, along with herbal teas, powders, and incense (I repeat HERBAL! not illegal drugs). A shaman does not support illegal activities. He will takes journeys of the spirit, moving outside of time, sometimes called "mythic reality", "dreamtime" or "astral" and he maps these areas he explores. He will act as a conductor of souls, working hand in hand with the powers of the universe. Working with totems, elementals, guardian spirits, etc. Believes in the KISS Principle (Keep It Simple, Silly) unlike a priest, He will make offerings of self but does NOT offer sacrifices or do elaborate mysterious rituals--shamanism is NOT priestcraft. It is more personal. A Shaman is primarily interested in serving others, and is not seeking "enlightenment" as a religious or spiritual goal the way Buddhists and Hindus do, as his focus is on serving others. He knows if he focuses on himself he will lose his power, which he needs to help others. This doesn not mean he doesn't work on improving self, But it is more of the attitude of the more spiritually base/advanced the shaman is, the better he can help others. "Use the Force, Luke!" It is interesting to note that shamans from assorted parts of the globe came up with similar or even identical techniques and beliefs, independent of each other. Shamanism is at the roots of such diverse practices as witchcraft, voodoo, Tibetan Buddhism and others, but pure shamanism is NOT a priestcraft as are some of the practices originally derived from shamanism. Culture: General Source: Shamanism is a view of the human condition which views all of life, and all of consciousness, as much more holistic than it

8 seems to those encapsulated in physicality, and it views communication and interaction between the quick and the dead, between non-physical and physical consciousness as a highly desirable reality. A Shaman~Shamanka is a person, representative of a class of people, who in and of themselves, consciously and willingly enters the perceived abyss between life and death, and between physicality and immateriality, and in so doing, completely destroys the duality based mis-conception of the abyss between the physical and spiritual levels of reality. Shamans are the dispellers of illusion. The definition of what I mean by this phrase is one of the most important facets of this essay. It is probably the most important definition in this work if the reader is to completely grasp the reality of the Shamanic state-of-being. A Shaman is a Shaman and performs their function as a gateway whether stark naked or in white tie and tails. To drive home the point that an educated and civilized person living in a major urban area can be a Shaman, and a very successful Shaman Culture: General Source: A shaman is a human who refuses to deny what his intuition is telling him, and thus communicates with entities he cannot see or hear or capture for exhibition, as in a cage. He communicates with the world of spirits, the dead, higher level entities that no longer need incarnate bodies, and as frequently as possible, he is having Out-Of-Body experiences. He may attempt to incarnate, briefly, into other humans, or animals of various types, but he seldom gets permission to do any of this. Imagination plays a great part in shamanism, but is bolstered by real experiences so the shaman's stories can be very compelling. All humans have the capacity to be shamans, but in the main lack the faith. They stop themselves. They feel insecure, not being grounded. They prefer to be a spectator. But the family of man, hearing the shaman weaving his spell, remember their tentative experiences along the same lines, and believe. A shaman's followers have gone to the edge with the

9 shaman, and when he describes what was beyond, they recall what they caught a glint of. Culture: General Source: A shaman is a religious or ritual specialist, man or woman, believed capable of communicating directly with divine powers, often while in altered states of consciousness. Shamans and shamanistic religion continue to be associated with Siberian and American Indian peoples, although closely related phenomena exist in other parts of Asia and in Oceania; the word shaman is derived from a Tungus word meaning "he who knows." The term medicine man is frequently used as a synonym for shaman with reference to American Indian cultures. Eskimo shamans are called angakok. Culture: General Source: A Shaman is a traveler. (DISCLAIMER: Since I am a female, I will use the feminine pronoun, but naturally a Shaman is not restricted by gender.) She travels (or Journeys) to the World of Spirit to gain wisdom and information, and to bring it back to the World of Form. This is the basic definition of a Shaman, but of course there is much more to it than that. A Shaman may travel to the Spirit Worlds for many reasons; all of them for the good. (A Shaman understands that it is very dangerous to ever harm another,therefore always strives to keep their intentions pure.) Some of these reasons include healings (sometimes called "Soul Retrieval"); to gain information from the past, present and future (reading the Akashic Record); and most importantly, to meet with Spirit Guides (or Totems, or Teachers) to gain greater personal soul-wisdom. Culture: General Source: A Shaman~Shamanka is the fully aware vehicle for communication and interaction between the quick and the dead, between physical consciousness and non-physical consciousness. Culture: General

10 Source: The shaman is the priest or priestess of the shamanic path. A shaman is: The supporter of a belief system/value system that legitimizes the cultural social structure and structure of power. The shaman acts as initiate, mystic, custodian of tribal lore, suffering savior, medium, physician, and psychotherapist. A three-way intermediary between the tribe, the inhabitants of the spirit world, and nature. In these roles, the shaman maintains the balance in society and the world. In pursuit of balance, the shaman insures a conduit is maintained between waking consciousness and the mythic underworld, the world of spirit. This empowers the shaman to apply inner spiritual wisdom to the circumstances that arise in daily life. As the shaman takes the role of psychotherapist, they can see things others can t. In our culture, this is a symptom regarded as a psychotic episode. Yet, the shaman is not psychotic. The shaman is a fully functional member of his local social order, and is amongst the most intelligent and creative people of the community. Shamans must also be a healthy individual to have the ability to maintain a high degree of concentration and physical stamina. Culture: General Source: Personal The shaman lives in the unity of the world The shaman serves the unity of the world An Introduction to Shamanism What is Shamanism? Traditionally shamanism is a complex system of beliefs which includes the knowledge and belief in the names of the helping spirits in the shamanic pantheon, the mem ory of certain texts, the rules for and the objects, tools and paraphernalia used by shamans. Shamanism is ultimately a method, not a religion with a fixed set of dogmas. People arrive at their own experience, deriving conclusions about what is going on in the universe, a place that is "just the way things are". Shamanism is a belief system on the threshold between religious and everyday ideas. What is a Shaman? The shaman is the priest or priestess of the shamanic path. A shaman is:

11 The supporter of a belief system/value system that legitimizes the cultural social structure and structure of power. The shaman acts as initiate, mystic, custodian of tribal lore, suffering savior, medium, physician, and psychotherapist. A three-way intermediary between the tribe, the inhabitants of the spirit world, and nature. In these roles, the shaman maintains the balance in society and the world. In pursuit of balance, the shaman insures a conduit is maintained between waking consciousness and the mythic underworld. This empowers the shaman to apply inner mythic wisdom to the circumstances that arise in daily life. As the shaman takes the role of psychotherapist, they can see things others can t. In our culture, this is a symptom regarded as a psychotic episode. Yet, the sh aman is not psychotic. He is a fully functional member of his local social order, and is amongst the most intelligent and creative people of the community. Shamans must also be a healthy individual to have the ability to maintain a high degree of concentration and physical stamina. What is the Calling to Shamanism? The shaman is the archetypal technician of the sacred, and his profession is precisely the relationship between mythic imagination and ordinary consciousness. Conventionally, there are two different ways to be called: Hereditary ancestors were shamans. A "lesser" shaman that is designated by the social community. Spontaneous "vocation" (call or election) and such a shaman is believed to be called by the spirits. A "greater" shaman designated by a supernatural order of power. The spontaneous vocation of the shaman may begin with the shaman becoming extremely nervous and withdrawn. The future shaman is called to cure themselves before they can cure others. In our modern world, the would-be shaman is called to cure themselves of the illusions and bonds that are given to us all. The curing may or may not be physical, but the sickness will be psychological, and energetic sickness can lead to physical sickness. Traditionally the initiation can be very harsh. The illness removes the past reveals the "data of human existence" while the ritual initiation (plunged into freezing water, slashed with quartz knives, left to fast alone) brings the shaman fact to face with death and beyond. The shaman must "attain to intimacy with the supernatural by visions of death". The old must die so the new can be reborn. The shaman must cure himself of initiatory sickness, and only afterwards can the shaman cure the other members of the community. There are some common themes to the spontaneous initiation of the shaman. Vertical movement of spirit. Visions of vertical caves, rainbows, and birds are often featured. Acquisition of "helping spirits" or supernatural beings shaman gains power over the spirits that came to eat his flesh or challenged him. The violence of the encounter is attached to the power gained. While the gaining of the spirits does not require violence, there is always an element that transcends the normal. Attainment of vision: seeing in darkness (3 rd eye) or seeing into hidden things, future or secrets of other men.

12 There are common elements of shamanic training. As apprentices, shamans are taught by both master shamans and spirit allies. The training can include: nomenclature, history, technology (ritual, music, dance), secret knowledge (power plants and power places), and dream interpretation. In our society the master shaman has been replaced by media resources and perhaps several teachers. The last training, mystical mythology, is the doorway through which the shaman relates the other nature and the spirit world to his tribe or cultural group. With this lacking, the practitioner is merely a sage, mage, or sorcerer. Altered Consciousness: Non -Ordinary Reality The shaman communicates with the spirit world in a state of altered consciousness. This altered consciousness has been referred to as "non-ordinary" reality by Carlos Castaneda. While the shaman is in a state of non-ordinary reality, the realness is identical to that of ordinary reality. The methods of achieving an altered consciousness are varied, with the shaman using the method(s) that are culturally accepted. These methods include: 1) Intensive temperature conditions. The shaman can not only withstand temperatures, he can also produce heat for healing and maintenance of the body under harsh conditions. 2) Physical or sensory deprivation. The shaman undergoes fasting, no sleep, and darkness. The focus of all of these is to remove the outward contemplation, turn thought inward toward another reality. 3) The use of sacred plants. Culturally accepted mind/mood altering plants are used for sacred reasons, not recreational. Often, when there is a mental narrowness that impedes the achieving of non-ordinary reality, the sacred plants open the door and provide a entry. Future entry can then be achieved through other means. 4) Auditory aids to altered states. Drums, chanting, and music serve the purpose of bypassing the logical, language side of the self. It is known that the auditory aids activate all br ain centers, opening states of consciousness suppressed in ordinary conditions. 5) Spirit Allies. These represent a combination of logic and intuition as man reaches for symbols of a unified order of things. The spirit allies can be part of ourselves, and also part of that universe outside of our brain. There are some common characteristics of altered consciousness. The shaman voluntarily enters and controls the duration of the altered state. During the altered state, the shaman may communicate with others. And finally, the shaman remembers the experiences at the conclusion of the altered state. Are You a Modern Shaman? Below is a checklist summarizing the inherent traits in the Shamanic tradition: 1. Have you energetically removed yourself from the restraints of the past? 2. Have you energetically faced death and are at ease with the reality of a world beyond the physical? 3. Have you learned the symbolic language of the mystical? 4. Can you achieve altered states of consciousness?

13 5. Do you travel between the spirit world and the physical world? 6. Do you use your skills in service to your community? Bibliography: "Shamanism", compiled by Shirley Nicholson The Shaman s Doorway: Opening Imagination to Power and Myth" by Stephen Larsen The Shaman Traditional and Modern Sean Green What is Shamanism? Traditionally shamanism is a complex system of beliefs which includes the knowledge and belief in the names of the helping spirits in the shamanic pantheon, the memory of certain texts, the rules for and the objects, tools and paraphernalia used by shamans. These rules and tools are not shamanism. Shamanism is ultimately a method, not a religion with a fixed set of dogmas. People arrive at their own experience, deriving conclusions about what is going on in the univers e, a place that is "just the way things are". Shamanism is a belief system on the threshold between religious and everyday ideas. What is a Shaman? The shaman is the priest or priestess of the shamanic path. A shaman is: The supporter of a belief system/value system that legitimizes the cultural social structure and structure of power. The shaman acts as initiate, mystic, custodian of tribal lore, suffering savior, medium, physician, and psychotherapist. A three-way intermediary between the tribe, the inhabitants of the spirit world, and nature. In these roles, the shaman maintains the balance in society and the world. In pursuit of balance, the shaman insures a conduit is maintained between waking consciousness and the mythic underworld, the world of spirit. This empowers the shaman to apply inner spiritual wisdom to the circumstances that arise in daily life. As the shaman takes the role of psychotherapist, they can see things others can t. In our culture, this is a symptom regarded as a psychotic episode. Yet, the shaman is not psychotic. The shaman is a fully functional member of his local social order, and is amongst the most intelligent and creative people of the community. Shamans must also be a healthy individual to have the ability to maintain a high degree of concentration and physical stamina. The World of the Shaman Shamanism works on the basis of two assumptions: the universe is all alive (animism) and the universe responds to our wishes (egocentricity). These themes are present in all of us durin g the early childhood years and they are kept alive by the shaman. In the Western world, the world divorced from the shamanic path, this spirit is repressed and surfaces through fantasy, entertainment and dreams when the rational consciousness is taking time off. The shaman lives in a world in which all events and all things encompass sacred beings and events. In this world the consciousness changes tracks from the Western "reality based" model. It

14 is no longer interested in labeling, categorizing or manipulating the universe. In this mind, the shaman stands in speechless contentment to behold the cosmic mystery. "In these things I behold naught save divine power" Navajo Indian Song of Sacred Awareness: In beauty I walk With beauty before me I walk With beauty behind me I walk With beauty above me I walk With beauty above and about me I walk It is finished in beauty It is finished in beauty Ramakrishna: "Whatever I saw I worshipped". The shaman lives in a world of an altered state of consciousness. The othe r seeing of the shaman can be is shared by through ritualized play. An example: a festival of masks and lights draws in a person, and then alters the person so they can experience the primary meaning. When the ritual mask is used, we know a person is behind it, but choose to experience the apparition of the mystical being. The shaman s world is always a festival of masks worn by mystical beings, because these mystical beings are real all the time to the shaman. In this wondrous realm assertions about the ultimate nature and outer reality are not made. Experiences are instead taken as a basis of a growing appreciation of man, nature, and spirit. When the mystical, magical, and supernatural are treated as normal, the shaman retains the ability to return to the world of "common sense and normal experiencing because it was never left. Tapping the Mythic Identity: Is the Shaman an Oracle or Schizophrenic? The function of religious experiences, meditation and inward questioning spring from an experience of mythic identity that that comes unasked. It may take its form from unconscious problems, fragments of systems and past history. Lacking a "symbolic musculature", the individual may become psychotic, as all parts of the unprepared psyche are "supercharged". When taping the primary level of mythic identity, the following states may be achieved based on acceptance by society: Orthodox acceptance: appointed local seer, oracle or saint. Unorthodox popular acceptance: prophet, evangelist, radical reformer. Unorthodox unpopular acceptance: madman ignored and locked up. The definition of mental disorder is made on the society level. An orthodox or popular unorthodox mythic identity carries a transpersonal message. The core of the mythic identity is valid for the individual and others. Some questions that may be asked to determine the "validity" of the mythic identity are: What does the particular belief mean for this particular individual? How does it function in the context of the rest of his life? Is what appears to be a transpersonal message good for everyone, or maybe only meant for the individual? When a mythic identity is personal instead of transpersonal, a state of personal mythic seizure occurs. A wonderful example is the story about Ram Dass (Richard Albert) vis iting his brother in a mental institution. The brother was a ward because of his belief that he was Jesus Christ. Ram Dass, dressed in full Hindu guru garb, was outwardly the odd-man. His brother looks at Ram Dass,

15 and in a moment of clarity, asks "and why am I the one that is locked up?" Consider that for the average person, their idea of God is coterminous with their private vision of perfection, and their conception of the Devil must always resemble their own personal fears and loathing. The more entangled with personal problems, the more subjective and purely private someone s mythology must be. Paranoid schizophrenia is most difficult to cure of all schizoid disorders: the paranoid projects their psychomythology on the outside world, entirely losing the ability to differentiate projection from actuality. Hence, the intensely personal mythic identity is more likely the institutionalization rather than messiahship. When one or more person believes, there becomes a religion. When a religion is formed, ideas previously thought fanciful are embraced. Some examples are:. earthly paradise is here, but located under the earth. last judgement will fall stars and open tombs. teenagers are world messiahs Possession Possession is a potentially controversial topic when examining the psychology of the shaman. In many cultures possession, the assumption of mind and body by a mystical entity, is an tribally accepted part of the shamanic expression. Ego is suspended. The very important mark of shamanic possession is that the possessing entity is recognized as personification appearing in local shamanic belief system. In the non-mystical culture where such entities are not accepted, schizophrenia becomes possession, and the answer is exorcism. Possession is a religious experience that may entail tests to confirm the sincerity of the individual (strong drink, walking on or handling blades). Religious possession is cultivated and ritualized, and may often be bound in an orthodox mystical tradition. One is "mad" in the servi ce of the community, with their ritualized approval. What is the Calling to Shamanism? The shaman is the archetypal technician of the sacred, and their profession is mediator between the mystical and ordinary consciousness. Conventionally, there are two different ways to be called: Hereditary ancestors were shamans. A "lesser" shaman that is designated by the social community. Spontaneous "vocation" (call or election) and such a shaman is believed to be called by the spirits. A "greater" shaman designated by a supernatural order of power. The spontaneous vocation of the shaman may begin with the shaman becoming extremely nervous and withdrawn. The future shaman is called to cure themselves before they can cure others. In our modern world, the would-be shaman is called to cure themselves of the illusions and bonds that are given to us all. The curing may or may not be physical, but the sickness will be psychological, and energetic sickness can lead to physical sickness. Traditionally the initiation can be very harsh. The illness removes the past reveals the "data of human existence" while the ritual initiation (plunged into freezing water, slashed with quartz knives, left to fast alone) brings the shaman fact to face with death and beyond. Suffering is a feature of the shamanic initiation. Suffering has several uses. The first is that it presents the future shaman as somebody who is willing to walk the path more then they wish to live and that everything they own, even themselves, is sacrificed and dedicated to the path. Suffering is a doorway to awareness. For the shaman, the experience of suffering is a sign of being unaware and not open to Spirit. Suffering is useful because it points to falsehoods and clashes with reality. Suffering is a path to the shaman s awareness. Suffering is a result of being disconnected from the unity of nature, and at the same time it is the guide to removing those things that keep the shaman from achieving the unity of physical and spirit that is their path.

16 Traditionally the shaman must "attain to intimacy with the supernatural by visions of death". The old must die so the new can be reborn. The shaman must cure himself of the initiatory suffering, and only afterwards can the shaman cure the other members of the community. Suffering is also a path for the modern shaman. Pleasant experiences make life delightful, but there is no change. This is not the shamanic path. Painful experiences lead to growth. This growth occurs through understanding. Understanding through awareness of pain will allow the modern shaman to break the attachment that causes the pain. Focused observation reaps the rewards of suffering. This breaking is not a separation, but instead it is the ceasing of the grasping of illusions the modern shaman must evoke and pursue. There are some common themes in shamanic initiation: Vertical movement of spirit. Visions of vertical caves, rainbows, and birds are often featured. Acquisition of "helping spirits" or supernatural beings shaman gains power over the spirits that came to eat his flesh or challenged him. The violence of the encounter is attached to the power gained. While the gaining of the spirits does not require violence, there is always an element that transcends the normal. Attainment of vision: seeing in darkness (3 rd eye) or seeing into hidden things, future or secrets of other men. Suffering due to physical pains (cold, heat, hunger) are lessened or removed as the shaman shifts their awareness into the spirit realm. There are also common elements of shamanic training. As apprentices, shamans are taught by both master shamans and spirit allies. The training can include: nomenclature, history, technology (ritual, music, dance), secret knowledge (power plants and power places), and dream interpretation. In our society the master shaman has been replaced by media resources and perhaps several teachers. Our tribe does not readily present master shaman from whom the called may be instructed. The last training, the connection of self to the unity of all things, is th e doorway through which the shaman relates the other nature and the spirit world to his tribe or cultural group. With this lacking, the practitioner is merely a sage, mage, or sorcerer. Shamanism and Dreaming The Iroquois have a relation to dreaming that is shared across the shamanic spectrum. Some philosophies that are shared are: The dream is recognized as the only available access or key to inner life, and this inner life is as real as waking consciousness. Dreams are recognized as possessing a meaning within the ordinary chaotic and incomprehensible surface one must go beyond the this appearance. The dream and inner life are symbolic of what "goes wrong" in man dreams are the key to therapy. Enactment of dreams is all-important as the therapeutic method. In the application of dreams to therapy, there are three types of illness: Problems caused by natural events Those caused by witchcraft/sorcery

17 Those that are psychic and caused by resentment of the inner self, whose basic needs are not being met. Dreams are used as the oracle for ritualizing the primary mythic identity. Black Elk s vision is a good example of the "big dream or vision". Black Elk was recognized for his calling after the dream of a ritual using horses came to him in a "dream". The shaman is the full-time specialist who ensures the doorway between the mythic imaginings and the daylight world is kept open. Altered Consciousness: Non-Ordinary Reality The shaman communicates with the spirit world in a state of altered consciousness. This al tered consciousness has been referred to as "non-ordinary" reality by Carlos Castaneda. While the shaman is in a state of non-ordinary reality, the realness is identical to that of ordinary reality. The methods of achieving an altered consciousness are varied, with the shaman using the method(s) that are culturally accepted. These methods include: 1) Intensive temperature conditions. The shaman can not only withstand temperatures, he can also produce heat for healing and maintenance of the body under harsh conditions. 2) Physical or sensory deprivation. The shaman undergoes fasting, no sleep, and darkness. The focus of all of these is to remove the outward contemplation, turn thought inward toward another reality. 3) The use of sacred plants. Culturally accepted mind/mood altering plants are used for sacred reasons, not recreational. Often, when there is a mental narrowness that impedes the achieving of non-ordinary reality, the sacred plants open the door and provide a entry. Future entry can then be achieved through other means. 4) Auditory aids to altered states. Drums, chanting, and music serve the purpose of bypassing the logical, language side of the self. It is known that the auditory aids activate all brain centers, opening states of consciousness suppressed in ordinary conditions. 5) Spirit Allies. These represent a combination of logic and intuition as man reaches for symbols of a unified order of things. The spirit allies can be part of ourselves, and also part of that universe outside of our brain. There are some common characteristics of altered consciousness. The shaman voluntarily enters and controls the duration of the altered state. During the altered state, the shaman may communicate with others. And finally, the shaman remembers the experi ences at the conclusion of the altered state. Tools of the Shaman I want to speak to the tools and rituals that are used by the shaman. Traditionally, and by practice, shamanism is a complex system of beliefs which includes the knowledge and belief in the names of the helping spirits in the shamanic pantheon, the memory of certain texts (sermons, shaman - songs, legends and myths), the rules for activities (rituals, sacrifices, the techniques of ecstasy) and the objects, tools and paraphernalia used by shamans (drum, stick, bow, mirror, costumes, etc.). The expression of all of these elements are determined by the tribe/group that the shaman operates in. The student of shamanism will be exposed and taught according to the tribe/group they instructed through. There is a trap here. When the tools and rituals of the shaman are seen as dogma, that is, a fixed set of rules, the shamanic path becomes a dead-end. This trap is laid by the teacher. Custom, tradition, and ceremony are just tools for a spiritual path. Onc e the basics are learned, a person must walk their own path. The teacher who holds a properly prepared student to fixed ways is holding them to a dead thing. Anyone who has the tools and follows the path of others will only meet a dead end and pain. There is a trap that the student sets for themselves. In this modern world everyone wants things too fast without taking their time to learn the tools before setting out on his or her journey. There is

18 a danger for those who do not learn the tools of their group fully and try to walk a spiritual path. They will be thrashing aimlessly in the dark and will eventually hurt themselves and others. Tools have power, and there is responsibility in their power. Teaching will follow a set pattern not because it is dogma, but instead because of consideration to the maturity of spirit and knowledge of the student. The trap of the teacher and the student are shared by all mystical schools. However, the teaching and learning of shamanism is more endangered because of the uniquely individual path and experience of the practicing shaman. In summary, shamanism is ultimately a method, not a religion with a fixed set of dogmas. People arrive at their own experience, deriving conclusions about what is going on in the universe, a plac e that is "just the way things are". There is the following writing from an ancient Chinese parable: "Seek not to follow in the footsteps of the men of old; seek instead what they sought." Conclusion This paper is presented as an introduction to the shamanic spirit and path. As the Native American peoples would say: there are many medicines and all are valid. Everything and everyone is a teacher. The shamanic existence honors the wisdom in all things, and bows in reverence to the reality of man, nature and spirit while simultaneously embracing the same reality as a brother and equal. The modern spiritual path holds man in too high esteem, and can neither bow nor embrace the expansive existence that is all around it. Bow and embrace as you seek what the men o f old sought. Are You a Modern Shaman? Below is a checklist summarizing the inherent traits in the Shamanic tradition: Have you energetically removed yourself from the restraints of the past? Have you energetically faced death and are at ease with the reality of a world beyond the physical? Has suffering provided a means to remove some attachments to the "real" relationships, mortgages, or generally what people think you should be doing? Have you properly learned the symbolic language of the mystical? Do you have your own tool and ceremonies that working tools on your spiritual path? Can you achieve altered states of consciousness? Do you travel between the spirit world and the physical world? Do you use your skills in service to your community? Bibliography: "Shamanism", compiled by Shirley Nicholson The Shaman s Doorway: Opening Imagination to Power and Myth" by Stephen Larsen "The Vision" by Tom Brown Jr. Mythology: Doorway of the Shaman

19 -= 02/06/99 Hazelthorne Discussion =- An examination of the role of the shaman begins with an understanding of the myth. Myth is the shaman s power base as it sustains the drive and power of the shaman s service to himself and others. Literal Functions of Myth Euhemerism: myth is successfully distorted of the real. Natural: explanation is earnest attempt to explain the mysterious. Wish Fulfillment: myth is not as the world is, but as we wish it to be. Social Emanation: structure is echo of the community social structure These theories are all alike in that they attempt to provide a complete explanation of myth s function. While they apply to a portion of the whole, it is difficult to accept only one of them as the sole function of myth. In their attempt to define all, they fulfill the role of the scientist. As we shall see later, this is a role that the shaman does not embrace. Joseph Campbell suggests a model that is much for flexible, allowing for multiple functions of myth: Mystical function: waken and maintain sense of awe and gratitude. Living mythology: offers image in accordance with the knowledge of the times. Validate, support and imprint norms of a given specific moral order. Guide the individual stage-by-stage in health, strength and harmony of spirit. The 2 nd and 3 rd functions are associated with orientation, while the 1 st and 4 th are associated with psychological guidance. Mythology, as its most basic level, works on two assumptions: the universe is all alive (animism) and the universe responds to our wishes (egocentricity). These themes are present in all of us during the early childhood years. The mythic identity is very strong at that time, but it is gradually replaced with rational processes. In the "primitive" or ritually oriented society, the mythic type of consciousness is engaged and brought into the social group. Mythic meaning and social meaning are brought together, as the community becomes "mythological instructed". In demythologized society, myth is repressed and surfaces through fantasy and dreams when the consciousness is taking time off. When the intelligent quota drops, we become more mythic creatures. Modes of the Mythic Experience: Primary Meaning: pre-analysis encompasses sacred beings and events Secondary Meaning: verbal definitions and logic applied to experience reality based things and events. Mythic imagination prefers presentations in form that touches inner primary meaning, and does not accurately reflect and describe reality. In the presence of primary meaning, consciousness changes tracks. It is no longer interested in labeling, categorizing or manipulating the universe. Instead it stands in speechless contentment to behold the cosmic mystery. In this role, the meaning of myth is to be experienced. This is representative of Campbell s first function of myth. "In these things I behold naught save divine power" Navajo Indian Song of Sacred Awareness: In beauty I walk With beauty before me I walk With beauty behind me I walk