What is the shamanic religion?

What is shamanism - the origin and history of shamanism - the beliefs and ethics of shamans - the journey of the Shamanic Soul to healing - soul retrieval

Various shamanic practices and rituals - the most famous shamans of modern times

What is the definition of shamanism?

Shamanism is a religion in which the practitioner believes that altered states of consciousness, such as trance, allow him to interact with the spiritual world. The goal is to heal the sick, communicate with the other world, and often accompany the souls of the dead to this world.

What is the meaning of the term shamanism?

The term shamanism comes from the Manchu Tungus and is a word that means know. From childhood to adulthood, women, men and transsexuals of all ages have been documented as shamans in historical ethnography.

The etymology of the word also refers to the religious systems and phenomena of such North Asian and Ural-Altai peoples as the Khanty, Mansi, Samoyeds, Tungus, Yukaghirs, Chukchi, and Koryaks.

Shamanism, on the other hand, is a broad word used to describe Indigenous communities in which the duties of healer, religious leader, and counselor are integrated.

The Koryak peoples of North Asia and the Ural-Altai are also mentioned. Shamanism, on the other hand, refers to traditional civilizations in which the functions of a healer, a religious leader, and a counselor are combined. Who is believed to have access and influence in the field of good and evil spirits, who generally enters a state of euphoria during the ceremony, and who performs divination and healing, according to the Oxford English Dictionary?

The term "shaman" may have originated in the Tungusic-Evenki language of northern Asia. According to ethnolinguist Juha Ganon, "the word has been verified in all Tungusic words," including Glendale, Lamut, odihi / Orochi, Nanai, ilcha, Uruk, Manchu, and Ulcha. The term came to the West after the Russian troops occupied the Kazan shamanic Khanate in 1552.

As they studied more religious traditions around the world, some Western anthropologists began to use the term in a broader sense. Because these rituals were considered similar, the term was used for unrelated magical religious traditions existing among the ethnic beliefs of diverse regions of Asia, Africa, Australia, and even completely unrelated sections of the Americas. While the names "shaman" and "shamanism" have been incorrectly applied to a variety of Indigenous spiritual traditions by cultural outsiders, they do not accurately represent the depth and complexity of Indigenous spirituality. Each nation and tribe has its own culture, as well as its language.

Origins and Development of Shamanism

Shamanism is a religion with a religious belief system. The idea that shamans, associated with the afterlife, can heal the sick, talk with spirits, and direct the souls of the dead to the afterlife, has long been associated with Indigenous and tribal cultures. Parts of North Asia.

Despite the structural effects of colonialism and imperialism that have hindered the ability of indigenous peoples to pursue traditional spirituality, many civilizations are experiencing a resurgence through self-determination and the restoration of dynamic traditions.

Other tribes, such as the Tufan nomads, were able to avoid some of these structural obstacles due to their isolation (an estimated 3,000 surviving people from this tribe). Tuva is one of the most isolated tribes in Russia due to its remote location, and the skill of shamanism has been transmitted to this day.

As a result, she managed to remove the influence of other major religions.

Shamanism was practiced by people who converted to other religions, such as the Finno-Ugrics who became Christians the Turkic peoples of Central Asia Minor who became Muslims, and the Mongols who became Muslims. Buddhists. tietäjä, as it is known among the Finns.

Covering the head with the horns of a shaman is still a popular belief among the Ottoman Turks of Asia Minor. Research into folklore and popular beliefs among cultures that have converted to Christianity, Islam, or any other religion around the world may indicate past shamanic activity.

One such example is the discovery of shamanism in the early Hungarian cultures. Shamanism, on the other hand, was forbidden among the Khalkha Mongolians, eastern Buryats who converted to Buddhism, Kazakhs, and Kyrgyz who converted to Islam, Massively Transformed and developed into a unique form by the Manchurians.

Shamanism can be found in a variety of forms across northern Asia. There is no such thing as a shaman as a special profession among Chukchi, Koryak, and Itelmen; instead, the role is filled by an eligible family member, usually an old lady. In other regions of the world, many shamans are transsexuals who have adopted feminine clothing and behavior.

Shamanism is one of the components of clan worship among the Yukaghirs of the Siberian Arctic, as well as the Ugric enclaves and all three Altaic peoples: Turkic, Mongol, and Manchu-Tungus. These organizations are all led by skilled shamans.

Some researchers have investigated trance behaviors that are not necessarily shamanic in the strict sense of the word.

S.P. Tokarev investigated similar events in Africa, while Mircea Eliade investigated them in North and South America, Southeast Asia, Oceania, Tibet, and China (see below shamans outside North Asia). According to some academics, shamanism reached the American continent with the first Asian immigrants, and the shamanic events in Shinto in Japan were blamed on the movement of nomadic populations from the region bordering North Korea.

Beliefs

While there are many distinct types of shamanism around the world, all types of shamanism share many beliefs. Eliade (1972) discovered the following common beliefs:

Shamans can communicate with the spirit world and play an important role in people's lives as well as in human society.

May the spirits be both good and terrible.

Shamans can heal diseases caused by evil spirits.

Shamans can use techniques such as hypnosis to achieve trance and vision duties.

The shaman's soul can leave the body and go to another supernatural world in search of answers. Shamans use animal images as spiritual guides, messengers, and message carriers.

Shamans also use shouting, throwing bones or Runes, and even predicting future events as forms of divination.

Shamanism is based on the concept that the visible world is ruled by invisible forces or spirits that affect people's lives. Even though the disease is caused by the spiritual world, which is driven by insidious spirits, spiritual and physical therapies are used.

The shaman enters the patient's body for treatment by removing the infectious spirit and fighting spiritual weakness.

Herbal remedies are usually recommended by shamans who are familiar with the medicinal herbs native to their region. Shamans learn directly from plants.

Using their healing abilities and properties after obtaining permission from dormant spirits or benefactors shamans and changes. In the Peruvian Amazon basin, they use healing songs called Icarus to evoke spirits, which shamans must first learn.

Allegedly, these customs go back centuries. Plato stated in his Phaedrus," the first prophecies were the sayings of an oak", and people of that time considered them pleasant enough" to listen to an oak or a stone, as long as it reveals the truth".

Many civilizations believe in witchcraft and sorcery, known as Progeria in Latin America. Other cultures believe that all shamans can cure and kill. Shamanic practitioners generally enjoy enormous authority and respect in society, however, they may also be viewed with suspicion or fear of harming others.

Shamans take great personal risks in their practice because the components of the shamanic plant may be toxic or fatal if misused. Spells are cast regularly in an attempt to protect against these dangers.

Concepts of the soul

In shamanism, the soul may explain a wide variety of seemingly unrelated events, such as:

Healing

The spiritual beliefs of the people he serves may have a strong influence on the healing powers of the shaman. It may entail the appearance of the patient as if he is regaining his lost breath.

The rarity of hunting game

The shortage of game hunting can be solved by "releasing" the souls of animals from their secret hiding places. Moreover, various taboos may control people's behavior towards the game, so that animal spirits are not angry or hurt, or even the ghost of the previously slaughtered prey warns other animals that are still alive.

Infertility in women

It is assumed that the treatment of female infertility is carried out through the reception of the soul of the hoped-for children's spirits.

Because spirits are invisible, only Shamans can see them. It is believed that they are individuals who can take on the appearance of a person or an animal.

It is believed that some animals, such as an eagle, a snake, a jaguar, and a rat, are spirits in their bodies. Spiritual thoughts can explain a wide variety of events. When the entire belief system is considered, the value of telling stories or working as a singer can be understood, for example, a person who can remember long stanzas or songs or play a musical instrument can be considered as a channel of spiritual communication (like the Khanty people).

Clothes and tools

Shamans usually wear emblems in the form of an animal, such as a deer, a bird, or a bear. It may have a horned or lace headdress with holes from bird feathers.

Symbolic footwear includes Iron deer hooves, bird claws, and bear paws. The shamans of the tubular (karagasi), suet, and Darat tribes wear clothes with representations of human bones such as rib, arm, and finger bones. The Goldie ODI shaman wears unique clothes and performs the ceremony in a front and back yard decorated with snakes, lizards, frogs, and other animal symbols.

The drum, which always has only one membrane, is considered an essential tool for shamans. Most often they are Oval, but sometimes they can be round. The outer and inner part of the membrane, as well as among some people, is decorated with works of art; for example, the Abakan Tatars mark the membrane with images of the above and lower worlds.

The lute is made of wood or animal horns and has a surface covered with fur.

Spirits travel to the shaman - inside it or in the drum - or the shaman's soul travels to the spirit world during a trance caused by the sound of a drum. The shaman flies on the drum while riding an animal, and the stick symbolizes his eyelids. The shaman sometimes goes on river trips, using the drum as his boat and the drumstick as his paddle.

The shaman's song reveals all this. In addition to the roller, the Buryat shaman sometimes travels with sticks that end in the horse's head. The shaman of the Tungus people walks on a pole with a reindeer's head at the end. Some people wear a metal disc known as a shaman's Mirror, which is worn by shamans.

Practices

In general, shamans bypass the axis of the world and enter the "spirit world" by inducing a transformation of consciousness, such as trance, either spontaneously or by using anthogens or ceremonial offerings. The methods used are diverse and are usually mixed.

Entheogen is a psychoactive substance that is used in a religious, shamanic or spiritual environment ("divine generation"). Entheogens have been used in ceremonies for thousands of years, and anthropological and modern data support their religious significance.

Traditional types of anthobiotes include psilocybin, Amanita muscaria (fly agaric mushroom), unfermented tobacco, hemp, ayahuasca, Salvia divinorum, Iboga, and Mexican Morning Glory.

Some shamans are associated with specific dietary or ethical foundations. These restrictions are not only cultural. Before participating in the ayahuasca ceremony, shamans and their trainees consume, for example, meals high in tryptophan (a vital form of serotonin) while avoiding foods high in tyramine.

When used with an MAO inhibitor, it is likely to cause a hypertensive crisis. He drinks ayahuasca, for example, as well as not drinking alcohol or having sex.

The commodification of Enteogen has a long history, especially in the field of spiritual tourism.

For example, since the late sixties, when the psychedelic period began, countries such as Brazil and Peru have experienced an influx of tourists, culminating in the emergence of "ayahuasca tourism".

Music and songs

Onomatopoeia is commonly used in shamanic songs to imitate natural noise.

Onomatopoeia may have other functions in diverse cultures that are not necessarily related to shamanism: whether for utilitarian purposes, such as attracting wildlife to hunters, or for pleasure, throat singing by Inuit.

Getting started and learning

Shamans who are just starting usually claim that they were summoned through dreams or pointers. However, some believe that their skills are inherited. Traditional cultures vary in the length of shamanic training, but it generally takes years.

Turner and his colleagues reported a phenomenon known as the "shamanic initiation crisis", a rite of passage for aspiring shamans that typically includes physical illness or psychological suffering. The case study of Chuonnasuan demonstrates the importance of basic diseases in the invocation of a shaman, one of the last shamans of the Tungus peoples of northern China.

The archetype of the wounded healer is a shamanic journey and an archetype of experience. This is a critical stage for young shamans.

They contracted a disease that led to their death. It is believed that this happens for two reasons:

- The Shaman is located in the depths of the abyss. This happens so that the shaman delves into it and returns important information to the patients and the tribe.

- The shaman must become ill to understand the disease. When shamans triumph over their illness, they feel that they will be able to find a cure for any other sick person.

Items of spiritual significance

Shamans from many cultures may use a variety of objects in their spiritual practices.

Drums-the drum is used by many peoples of Siberian shamanism. Drums enter the shaman into an altered state of consciousness or wander between supernatural worlds.

People's interest was aroused by the importance of drum acoustics in shamans. In shaman drums, the animal's skin is generally stretched over a wooden collar bent with a handle across the collar.

Roles

Scientists have differed in universal categories that portrayed indigenous civilizations as ancient primitives. On the other hand, it is believed that Shamans can gain wisdom and strength for healing at the earthly or spiritual levels.

The majority of shamans have visions or dreams in which they receive messages. Shamans may claim that they have or have had a large number of spiritual guides who they believe will help them on their spiritual journeys. Although some claim to meet them only when the Shaman is in a trance state, these spirit guides are considered to be present inside the shaman at all times.

The spirit guide activates the shamans and allows them to enter the spiritual world. Shamans claim that they can heal in both the physical and spiritual spheres by reconnecting the missing parts of the human soul. Shamans also claim that they can cleanse the soul of excess negative energy, which is considered confusing or polluting it.

Shamans act as cultural bridge builders. Shamans claim that they can communicate with spirits on behalf of society, even people who have died. Shamans believe that they can communicate with both the living and the dead to give gifts to spirits and alleviate discontent and unresolved problems.

Shamanic healing and soul renewal

When a soul is taken, an effort must be made to restore it. According to shamanism, all experiences have an impact on your soul, and every healing comes from the soul, and a person is first of all a soul experiencing a human experience.

Shamanism is a healing art that dates back at least 40 thousand years. It was used by the majority of the indigenous cultures of the world.

It is a healing approach that sees that all events in life have an impact on your soul and that every healing comes from the soul.

In shamanic communities, caring for the soul is very important. It is, in fact, the most important aspect of rehabilitation. According to shamanic thought, a person is, first of all, a soul experiencing a human experience, and not vice versa.

Other treatments may appear in an individual's mental, emotional, and physical bodies if the soul is adequately cared for or healed through a soul retrieval process.

In our culture, we have doctors who specialize in everything except the soul, in my opinion, spiritual food, is the missing piece in recovery.

First of all, the soul needs food. Fortunately, this is becoming more and more commonly accepted in Western society, and an increasing number of individuals are seeking individual treatment from shamans. In shamanic terms, everything is energy.

The movement or change of energy is included in the healing of the soul, which is essentially energy. The shaman removes unwanted energy from a person and replaces it with divine energy, which is the center of the true soul of that person, during healing.

Soul retrieval is based on the idea that when a person experiences harsh or painful experiences, his soul is lost.

As a result of personal circumstances, most notably trauma, a person loses a part of himself. In shamanic terminology, this is referred to as the "loss of the soul". This is referred to in psychology as "dissociation". It is simply a mechanism for dealing with the stress of the situation. What psychology fails to address is the question of where the missing component is and how to replace it.

According to shamanic practice, when a piece of soul or energy leaves, it goes to another world and is no longer part of the individual. After that, there is an emptiness in the soul of that person. Consider the soul a giant puzzle. When you are surprised, part of the puzzle disappears, leaving an empty place in the puzzle.

And the holes created by the death of the soul can already be filled with non-spiritual energy. According to shamanic belief, the soul is whole and divine, and life should reflect this.

If a person does not look happy, or if he has obvious physical, emotional, or mental difficulties, there is evidence not only of a loss of spirit but also of intrusive negative energy. Healing the soul promotes a feeling of fullness and pleasure by eliminating negative energy and repairing the soul.

The Aborigines realized the need to restore the soul when a person stops singing. Having restored the perfection of the soul, the individual sings again.

Caring for one's soul is an essential part of the shamanic culture.

This, I think, is the reason why these civilizations are happy, satisfied, and free from crime. People who feel perfect or satisfied with themselves cope well with the vicissitudes of life. People who are afraid or life-hating react in completely different ways than those who are full of confidence and hope.

In our culture, we have limited experience in maintaining confidence and optimism. Our cultural framework is subject to a win-lose hierarchy. Someone is always the victor, the other is always the loser. In shamanic cultures, this profit/loss situation is perceived as stealing the soul or stealing someone's power.

Many people deliberately take personal strength from others. This type of theft can occur at any stage of a person's life, but it is more common among young people, especially those who grew up with authoritarian, controlling, or dependent parents. Parents deprive their children of power.

A power imbalance arises when a person is abused in any way, whether emotionally, physically, sexually, or cognitively. The attacker controls the Conqueror. Children are easily manipulated and are prone to stealing lives.

The resulting loss of the soul fills the void with negative energy (usually feelings of unworthiness), which the individual carries for the rest of his or her life, or until the Lost Soul parts are restored. If the cultural system does not include the care of the soul, the result is a damaged society.

Feelings of unworthiness can lead to several harmful behaviors and attitudes that are widespread in today's culture. It can take decades to overcome feelings of inadequacy, but once patterns are discovered, steps can be taken to recover. In my study, I noticed that the primary concern of the majority of people when seeking advice is a feeling of unworthiness.

People need unconditional love as well as attachment to a higher power. When a soul is taken, it must be sought to restore it.

In the pursuit of affection or acceptance, people also lose their strength. Women were taught to give up control over their bodies to the masculine sex.

As a result, socially reinforced losses of personal power are replaced by a false sense of social order. A Western country song," Stand By Your Man", is an example of a gender-based control system that supports" appropriate " power roles in couples.

Other examples of this belief system can be found in the articles on computer technology in our culture, but true love and acceptance do not entail the sacrifice of the soul. The emptiness created by engaging in this behavior is likely to be very harmful.

Today, shamanism is still practiced

According to Filoldo, modern shamans are still alive and well, and the Four Winds Society has educated more than 10,000 students in the field of "shamanic energy medicine" over its 25-year history. He believes that today shamans are the new rulers of the nation.

While the concept of shamanism can be interpreted in many ways, filled emphasizes that the holistic shamanic approach to health is different.

"Western medicine, which I refer to as the disease care system, recognizes countless hundreds of diseases and cures, but shamanic energy medicine identifies only one disease," he continues.

Therapy is oneness, which restores inner calm and allows the healing of all diseases, regardless of their source.

Publishing research in the American Journal of Public Health in 2002, they believe that the empowerment of immigrants is crucial, there is a chance that behavior modification and restoration will be effective. Some people with physical, emotional, or psychological difficulties benefit from the cognitive restructuring advocated by some shamans.

However, since there is no single certification organization that certifies shamans, experts interested in shamanism who do not live in indigenous cultures are urged to conduct research and use accessible resources such as the Foundation for Shamanic Studies.

Historical origins

Shamanic practices are considered to have originated in the Paleolithic era, long before any organized religions and certainly before the Neolithic.

During the early period of the Upper Paleolithic, the oldest known undeniable shaman burial (and therefore the oldest undeniable evidence of shamans and shamanic rituals) was discovered in what is now the Czech Republic (about 30,000 years ago).

Among the interesting objects in the tomb were discovered50 tortoise shells, a human foot, and parts of the body of an animal such as a cow's tail, and the wings of an eagle. Among the other creatures discovered were a pig, a tiger, and two Martens.

Currently, shamanism is largely practiced by Indigenous Peoples.

Shamanic practices can still be found in the Arctic, forests, deserts, and other rural areas of the world, as well as cities, towns, suburbs, and shanty towns. This is especially true in Africa and South America, where "mestizo shamanism" is widely practiced.

The most famous shamans

Abegia - Abegia is the name given to the famous shamans of Mongolia.

Cryogenics-cryogenics are Spanish shamans and mystics.

Angacock-for an Inuit shaman, Angacock is the name of a wonderful shaman (Native American people living in the coldest regions of North America).

Ayahuasquero-Peruvian shamans who use the seasonal drink Ayahuasca are referred to as ayahuasquero.

Jewish shamans are referred to as Baal Shem.

Babalao - a Yoruba term for Shaman. It translates directly as"Father of spirits".

Babaylan, also known as Catalunan or Balayan in the pre-colonial Philippines, was a shaman.

Baqshi-shamans are known in Kazakhstan as Baqshi.