S H A M A N I S M

Shamanism

In October 2005, an International Conference on Ethnotherapies took place in Munich. Several Shamans and more than ten speakers touching on the topic of " Shamanism" were present. The most diverse therapies from ecstatic dance to possible healing and preventive methods were discussed and demonstrated in workshops. Some of them were on the verge of superstition, others of spiritism. The representatives of Shamanism called for special attention. For nowadays, certain psychotherapists try to adopt Shamanic practices, which would have met with great rejection just a few years ago.

Shamans already existed in ancient times among various peoples. The Shaman is to act as a mediator between this world and the world of spirits. Through different methods he enters into trance under the rhythm of his drum. Then he leaves his body to travel to the otherworld. In some Shamanistic traditions, the great Shaman leaves behind his animal in the body as protection! Ecstasy techniques are so much connected with Shamanism that they are understood as its minimal definition.
The word "Shaman" goes back to the word šaman, which belongs to the Evenk vocabulary. The Evenks (Tungus) are a hunter people belonging to the Tungusic-Manchurian language group. They are spread over large parts of Eastern and Central Siberia. Shamanism played an essential role in the religious life of these peoples. Other peoples, such as the Eskimos, various Native American tribes, and Turkic-speaking ethnies, have other names for this phenomenon which characterises the Shaman.

The task of a Shaman was to intervene wherever the normal course of life of his tribe or an individual of his tribe appeared to be disturbed by the intervention of transcendent powers, or when it was necessary to prevent threatening disturbances. Everything concerning the soul or its destiny, be it in this world or in the hereafter, was the exclusive domain of the Shaman. He is ascribed the ability to be the only one who can travel to the other world and come back again. Thus, it was his task to safely deliver offerings to the Gods of the Upper World, as well as the Underworld. He accompanied the deceased to the afterlife, or in case of illness, fetched a soul back to the body. The ancient Shamans knew an Upper, Lower and Middle World. The Middle World is the dwelling place of the people. Since Shamanism developed in the hunter cultures, it is no surprise that the Shaman was considered the guardian not only of human souls, but also of animal souls. Thus, animals also played an important role in the Shaman's activities.

There is the animal sacrifice, in which the meat must be brought to the Gods in the afterlife, the blood of a reindeer, for example, was used by some tribes as a lure to draw the disease-causing demon out of the bowels of the sick person, then it was quickly licked up by the Shaman and spat out into a carved out icon of the idol, in which it was sealed so that it could not invade the sick person again. In some peoples, a goose is used to suck the pathogen out of the sick person's stomach with its beak. Animals are thus also practically involved in the healing process.
Each animal species is assigned a "Lord of the Animals", which means a Spirit-Animal. In the following we will talk about these Spirit-Animals.
When the Shaman is summoned (either the Shamanic power is inherited or it is a spontaneous vocation), he has to undergo a rite of transition (Initation), in which he symbolically dies and is reborn. With some peoples he thereby encounters "his" animal, which accompanies and supports him in the future; this special animal is often called "Mother Animal".
Certain animals help to find a soul in the afterlife. These are the auxiliary spirits of the Shaman. Among some peoples there is the concept of a personal "Power Animal" of each person, in the absence of which illness may occur.

The traditional activity of the Shaman is to provide answers in socio-economic situations and, if necessary, to obtain benevolence from the spirits and Gods. In his ecstasy, the Shaman transcends the boundaries of the profane world to contact transcendent powers. He would seek them either in their realms of being, the Upper World, the Underworld or the Realm of the Dead, or he would summon these powers to allow them to enter his body. The Shaman is always at the service of a social group when he interacts with the spirits and communicates his experiences to the people who surround him. He conveyed these contents according to the customs and religious beliefs of his community.
His main function is magical healing. For the autochthonous peoples, illness meant the loss of a part of the soul or even a soul; often it was believed that they possess up to seven of them. During his flights to the other world, he consults the spirits about the cause as well as the treatment of the disease. He went in search of the lost soul in the Upper or Lower World, often after spending a strict period of preparation in solitude, avoiding certain foods.
For the journey to the other world, he needed a certain equipment, which was quite different among different peoples; the most widespread and important tool was the drum for the initiation of ecstasy and as a "vehicle" for the journey. Among different ethnic tribes there were different views on whether the Shaman himself is transformed into "his" animal or whether his animal only acts as an auxiliary spirit or guardian animal. Also, the understanding of his equipment and drum was often more than symbolism; thus, a change in identity occurred with the putting on of the robe. Among some peoples, a "high" Shaman left an animal in his body as a guardian before he began his afterlife journey. Thus, in ancient travel descriptions, it is reported that a Shaman behaved like a possessed person in his ecstasy.

It is an important fact that there were high-ranking and low-ranking Shamans. Only higher ones could travel to the otherworld and come back. Lower Shamans, often also women, were used for divination and finding animals and objects.
Some Shamans had their own spirit guide. In this, they resemble the Western "faith healer," who very often has a special spirit as his guide.

In the case of modern Western Shamans one can read about encounters with animals as a symbol of the healing path, but nothing about surrendering the body to an animal. In the case of modern Shamanistic psychotherapists, it seems that they are in trance searching for a part of the patient's soul. For example, a person experiences a trauma at the age of three and therefore cannot cope with life at his present age; as a result, the searching psychotherapist sets out to find the piece of the lost childhood soul (soul catcher). When he brings it back and it is accepted by the patient, healing takes place. So far, I have not found any evidence that this kind of healing lasts and what are the possible spiritual consequences of such a therapy.
The fact that the treated person feels better may be a purely psychological consequence (placebo effect). Now that he has pinned his faith on this method, he will, for a time, see his negative circumstances through these "rose-coloured glasses" and believe that he has got rid of his problem. This "relief syndrome" is a well-known psychological fact that usually does not last more than 18 to 24 months; after that, the original mental disorder returns.

Hints for the Christian

For a Christian it should be noted that this is spiritism, which is not permitted to a Christian.
Here, the gates to occult powers are opened. Occult means "invisible," indicating that we are dealing with invisible forces or powers. In other words, it is the world of the spirits. New Age speaks of "energies." In this regard, Christian theology says that there is no neutral level in the spiritual world. Spiritual beings belong to the side of God or to the side of his adversary. This separation can only be understood in the sign of the Cross of Christ.
Spiritism as well as New Age speak of good and evil spiritual beings, but they do not know the decisive factor of distinction among those beings: the Cross of Jesus Christ. It separated and still separates the good spiritual beings from the evil ones. Therefore, deliverance from evil spiritual beings can only take place in the name of Jesus Christ.

From the Christian point of view, man cannot lose any part of his soul. After a trauma, it often happens that certain emotional experiences are shifted into the subconscious mind. In Inner Healing through prayer, the Holy Spirit can bring back into consciousness the experiences that are important for healing. One must then help this person - again through prayer - to forgive and ask for forgiveness and, if it is a Catholic, to make use of the Sacrament of Confession. This could be called "bringing back a part of the soul." But it can only be obtained from God through Jesus, man himself is not able to heal the root of the spiritual evil.