Shamanism is a term used to describe the rituals of many cultures around the world. In the West it is often used to describe more recent traditions that have borrowed some traits from different cultures or have invented practices on their own. Many people have felt fulfilled, gained knowledge or acquired the ability to help others through various types of shamanism, but bear in mind that traditional and non-traditional shamans do not all see it the same way.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Learn about the Various Types of Shamanism
Step 1. Learn the history of shamanism
The word "shaman" originates in the Evenk language of Siberia, where its exact meaning is unclear. From these obscure origins anthropologists have spread the term to describe those who adhered to spiritual practices in different cultures, and the term "shamanism" has been adopted by many groups. There is, however, an incredible variety in traditional shamanism practiced around the world.
Step 2. Get to know neo-shamanism in Western culture
In the 20th century, historian Mircea Eliade and anthropologist Michael Harner separately stated that various spiritual traditions from around the world could be defined as "shamanists", sharing fundamental principles underlying different practices and beliefs. From here new traditions were born, mostly in the West, defined as "core shamanism", and various types of "neo-shamanism" or shamanism that faded into new age originated.
Step 3. Know the controversial issue
Traditional shamanism, in its varied and multiple forms, is still alive today, and the people who practice it (but also religious scholars) have different reactions to the more recent shamanic traditions. There are various points of view in this controversy, and not all types of shamanism or individual shamans agree with each other, but it is better to understand how to start exploring the world of shamanism:
- While it is not uncommon for shamans to pay in exchange for services, some new "shaman business activities" are often considered disrespectful of the spiritual principles of shamanism.
- Most neo-shamans use the traditions of other cultures. This can be done with respect and knowledge, or in a misinformed or incorrect way that many find offensive.
- Western shamanism is often taught as a self-improvement technique or a focus on community help, while many ancient traditions involved "evil" or "gray zone" practices.
Step 4. Study Western Neo-Shamanism
If you want to know more about the modern shamanic tradition, you can find a lot of material on the Internet or in books aimed at a wider audience. Most of these are theories and practices developed by one person, but some of the resources listed below are examples of particularly influential voices. You can also read more about the general tendencies within these movements in the section on how to practice neo-shamanism.
- The Foundation for Shamanic Studies promotes "core shamanism", claiming to teach the fundamental principles that underlie shamanic traditions around the world.
- Cleargreen Incorporated practices a 20th century pseudo-Mexican shamanism called "Tensegrity".
- Terence McKenna was an influential proponent of shamanism in 199 linking it to many new age theories and psychedelic experimentation.
Step 5. Study traditional shamanism
The method of becoming a traditional shaman varies from culture to culture, but typically involves a sudden supernatural event, the circumstance in which one inherits the position of a shaman or a training path as an apprentice. If you don't belong to a shamanic tradition, you may need to visit an indigenous community to study under the guidance of a shaman or someone with a similar role. You can also learn more about these traditions by reading books written by anthropologists and people describing shamanic practices belonging to a specific culture:
- Read the interview and description of an Oroqen shaman in northeastern China.
- Tom Lowenstein's book Ancient Land, Sacred Whale describes the rites and myths of the whale hunters of Tikigaq, Alaska.
- This article describes the thriving shamanic traditions throughout Nepal and talks about their diversity compared to other ritual practices.
Part 2 of 2: Practicing Shamanism
Step 1. Induce the state of trance using the drum
Entering the spirit world or discovering another reality alongside one's own is one of the most common shamanic practices. One of the many ways to do this is to enter a trance state. Try blindfolding and beating a drum at a steady pace for several minutes or until you reach a different state of awareness.
Step 2. Meditate
Another way to reach the trance state or get in touch with your inner self is to practice meditation. Many people see it as the cornerstone for embarking on any spiritual path and as a source of healthful benefits corresponding to the message of shamanic traditions that promote self-improvement. There are many schools of meditation, but it all starts with closing your eyes and sitting in a quiet place.
Step 3. Listen to your dreams
Dreams are often important to people who practice shamanic rituals. They can hold great truths, make revelations, or offer some other spiritual meaning. Keep a dream journal so that when you wake up you can write or sketch some pictures.
Drawn images can have some power. Use them with caution if you don't know what they represent
Step 4. Interact with spirits and other entities
There is no universal way to meet these entities, but in many traditions you cannot become a shaman without these encounters. When you are in a trance state, meditate or have a sudden and unexpected experience, you may encounter another being. It can be a natural, otherworldly spirit, or even an entity that some consider divine. There is no single pantheon or single worldview that can explain what you are going to encounter, but an experienced shaman can help you identify these entities and teach you how to behave, serve or dominate them, based on the tradition you follow.
Be aware that some of these entities can be malicious or difficult to deal with. Often rituals involving the use of drugs, sacrifices, or other expressions of power attract the potentially more dangerous ones
Step 5. Find a teacher
While you can go into shamanic practices on your own, almost everyone has a teacher to guide them or help from a traveling companion. It could be a figure who practices the traditional shamanism of his culture or a person who follows a "neo-shamanism" strand. This step is recommended before trying any of the suggestions below or in case you have a dangerous or terrifying encounter with the spirits.
Step 6. Be careful with drugs
Entheogens, or psychedelics that "have the divine in them", can powerfully interfere with the state of consciousness, but they are not always necessary. Learn how to improve your skills as a shaman before integrating them into your practices and learn to do so only with trusted people who watch over you.
Many legal substances are used in shamanic traditions, such as tobacco. In the United States, substances such as peyote and ayahuasca are legal or in a gray area of legality when used by people who can demonstrate that they fall within the rituals of their cultural tradition
Step 7. Practice the healing rituals
Healing is an important task for many experienced shamans. The exact ritual varies and is usually learned from a master. It can involve many techniques:
- Dancing, singing or playing instruments to attract spirits.
- Making offerings of food, drink, tobacco and other substances to spirits (sometimes the latter enter the body first).
- Drive the disease out of the body and make it enter an animal, object or symbol.
- Traveling to another reality to intercede with the spirits on behalf of the sick person.
Step 8. Practice divination
Many new age shamans use divination wands, séances, crystals, or other divination tools. Some try to see the future, while others use these tools to seek guidance in their life or to communicate with spirits from beyond.
