Shamanism is experiencing phenomenal popularity in our culture today. Perhaps ten years ago shamanic practice was viewed as unusual or rare, but many thousands of people are now learning how to work with classic shamanic techniques each year.
Why? What does shamanism offer the contemporary American who has no real roots in shamanic culture or tradition? There are many reasons why shamanism is experiencing such great renown at this time; here are just a few:
1) The methods used in shamanism are time-tested.
2) Shamanism is a complementary modality that can safely be practiced to heal the spiritual root cause of illness and discomfort.
3) Shamanism is empirical. When done correctly, it works and usually has observable effects in this world.
4) Shamanism is a direct link to Spirit.
5) Shamanism honors the spirit of every animate and inanimate being or object on this Earth and in all other worlds. It is inherently ecological.
6) Shamanism is an ecstatic practice that ultimately teaches that one is being held and cherished by the Divine.
What Is Shamanism?
The aim of shamanism is to help facilitate spiritual healing, and to help people to answer important questions about their lives. Shamanism is a spiritual practice, not a religion. It has been practiced throughout the world in indigenous cultures for forty thousand years.
It is based on the philosophy of animism, which states that everything — animate and inanimate, living and dead — has a spirit. Shamanically, it is believed that illness and misfortune are caused by the loss of power. It is the shaman's privilege to return clients' power to them through working with compassionate and helping spirits.
While shamanic healings do not always result in physical healings, they sometimes do. I am a dramatic example of this: in September 1998, my ten-year battle with chronic fatigue syndrome ended when I took a shamanic journey to work with my illness.
The journey is the classic shamanic process of leaving the body and walking in worlds that exist in nonordinary reality. (You are, presumably, in ordinary reality right now as you read this article. Shamans are practiced at altering their consciousness to leave ordinary reality and enter nonordinary reality to effect healing for their clients.)
To walk in these worlds, the shamanic practitioner enters an altered state of consciousness. While plant derivatives are used in many indigenous cultures to alter consciousness, drums or rattles are also used in shamanism to accomplish that task. Many of the practitioners who are working in our community today rely on drums and rattles as their primary tools to alter their consciousness so that they can leave the world of ordinary reality.
It is in the nonordinary worlds that the powerful and compassionate teachers, power animals, and nature Intelligences (TPNs) live. These are the true healers, and the true keepers of wisdom and deep knowledge. In these worlds of beauty, power, and splendor, the shamanic practitioner walks in service for the client. Through the teachings and the actions of the TPNs who live in the other worlds, the client receives the healing needed, so the shaman is really not the person doing the healing work. The shaman is the liaison and facilitator between the client and the helping spirits who dwell in the worlds of nonordinary reality.
Different Types of Shamanic Healers
There are many different roles that shamanic healers can assume to work with their clients, but I'd like to focus on two of the most prevalent.
Shamanic practitioners are, as described above, people who leave their bodies by altering their state of consciousness and travel to the nonordinary worlds on their clients' behalf. Most typically, the client is with the shamanic practitioner during the journey. Throughout the journey, the client stays in ordinary reality in a relaxed and comfortable state. Depending upon the practitioner, the client might have the option of participating in some type of spiritual ritual before the journey begins.
There are many different techniques that the shamanic practitioner may use to help the client. One common method is power animal retrieval, in which the practitioner finds and returns to the client an animal spirit, which essentially acts as a powerful guardian spirit. The power animal can also perform many acts of power and service for the client. Each animal has its own attributes and offers its own unique — and most often very timely — gifts to the client. Other frequently used procedures are extraction, in which a foreign spirit is extracted from the client, and soul retrieval, in which a part of the spirit that has left the client is returned to her or him. These are just a few of the techniques that the practitioner may use to restore the client's power.
Not all shamanic counselors are trained the same way; some, but not all, teach clients how to use classic shamanic technique for their own empowerment and enlightenment. In the course of several sessions, clients can be taught how to alter consciousness; how to journey; how to ask very important questions about their lives; how to apply the answers; and how to develop unique, personal relationships with their own powerful TPNs.
How to Choose a Shamanic Practitioner or Counselor
The best way to find a shamanic healer is through recommendation. Ask people you know; you may be surprised to find out that you have friends, family, and acquaintances who have already seen a shamanic healer. If so, ask them how they liked working with the healer and if the work the healer performed resulted in any observable improvement in their lives. Remember: shamanism is empirical, and will usually have an observable effect on the physical, emotional, mental, and/or spiritual states of the client.
Progressive psychotherapists can also be a good source for finding shamanic practitioners or counselors. Also, other people in the complementary health modalities — aromatherapists, acupuncturists, naturopaths, etc. — may be excellent resources for you.
Whether you find the healer through referral or through advertisement, your first step is to call the shamanic healer and ask some questions:
1) Who did you study with? If the person has studied with the Foundation for Shamanic Studies, you can read The Way of the Shaman by Michael Harner to learn more about the some of the methodologies that a practitioner might use when working with you. If the practitioner has worked with or is an indigenous shaman, ask how you can find out more about the particular kind of shamanism that the person practices. If you are interested in counseling work, find out where the counselor received his or her training: was the training specifically focused on shamanic counseling, or has the practitioner developed a unique system based on his or her work as practitioner?
2) Could you describe the training you received? Most shamanic practitioners are highly ethical people who have received a lot of training and have a lot of experience before they open their practices. However, there is nothing illegal about opening a practice after taking just a weekend workshop. Clearly, more training and experience are desirable, if not crucial. If you are talking to a shamanic counselor, ask if she or he is registered with your state.
3) Could you tell me what shamanism is? The person you are speaking with should be able to clearly define shamanism and its basic practices. You want to work with someone who can communicate well. That ability is crucial in this field, because the shaman will often be recounting detailed information to you.
4) What are your ethics concerning shamanism? Do the answers you receive to this question jibe with your own ethics? Does the shaman state clearly that she or he will never perform any shamanic work for you without your permission? Is the person wedded to compassion and love? If the healer promises some kind of physical healing as a result of his or her work with you, find another practitioner.
5) Could you tell me a little about yourself? Practicing shamanism for another or teaching it to another is a profound honor, and is a very intimate experience for both healer and client. You will want to feel comfortable talking to the healer, and, should you decide to schedule an initial appointment, you will want to feel comfortable with the office space. If anything just doesn't "feel" right to you, find another practitioner. Trust your intuition.
6) Who does the healing during a shamanic session? The ethical shamanic practitioner/counselor knows that the true healing comes from the TPNs worked with. This is not a field in which pride is an asset; in fact, if you encounter shamanic practitioners or counselors that boast about their own abilities, continue your search.
7) What support can you offer me after you have finished the session? Shamanic work is powerful, and you should have access to the practitioner/counselor after your session(s) to answer questions.
8) Do you see a shamanic counselor/practitioner yourself? Only work with shamanic healers who "walk their talk" by working with a drumming group and/or who have their own shamanic practitioner.
By working with shamanism, you may find new and ecstatic ways to enhance your health and your life. It is my hope that this article will encourage you to explore shamanism as a practical and effective way to live a fuller, richer, and healthier life.
Lora Jansson is a shamanic practitioner, counselor, and aromatherapist. She discovered shamanism in 1997. When journeying in 1998, her illness — chronic fatigue syndrome — was healed and has not returned. She has received training in both Lakota Sioux practices and through the Foundation for Shamanic Studies. Her practice is in Monroe. For more information, call (360) 794-8595.
