WHAT IS A MODERN SHAMAN?
Some Thoughts
sha·man
(shä'mən, shā'-)
n. A member of certain tribal societies who acts as a medium
between the visible world and an invisible spirit world and who practices magic
or sorcery for purposes of healing, divination, and control over natural
events.
Especially among certain tribal peoples, a person who acts as intermediary
between the natural and supernatural worlds, using magic to cure illness,
foretell the future, control spiritual forces, etc.
Note: Shamanism is not a religion as such. I am a Christian Shaman with eclectic tendencies. That is, I was baptized in the Church of England, and adhere to Christian principles, but I am not averse to borrowing from any and every other belief system if it helps heal. From Native American Medicine to Scientology, there are some very effective techniques we can borrow without accepting their systems lock, stock and barrel, (or hook, line and sinker if you prefer it). After all, they did not invent this stuff; God did. They borrowed it from the Great Spirit. Simply, the Greek Eclectics had a good idea. If it works use it no matter what the source. (From E-Workshop)
The
term Shaman is actually of Russian origin. I first came across the concept
reading a book about the “mobile center of consciousness”, although the name of
the book escapes me now. It was about
the various methods Shaman of different cultures used to get free of their
bodies and travel in alternate dimensions.
They might dance wildly like the Siberian Shaman or the Indian Whirling
Dervishes, or they might use herbs like Mescaline or Peyote, etc. They might use the hypnotic beat of drums or
the mesmerizing ring of Tibetan bowls to help achieve their effect. I was
impressed at that time with the way a Siberian trainee had to use his body heat
to dry several wet sheets thrown over his naked body while he sat otherwise naked on the ice or
snow all alone. Shaman, apparently,
could do some amazing feats.
This
particular method focused on in the book was Psilocybin or the Amanita Muscaria
mushroom, which can be very poisoness if taken incorrectly. I was young and impressionable and wanted to
find out how to do this. Since I had no access to this mushroom at that time,
B.B. (before the Beatles), I had to look elsewhere into Yoga, Zen, and other
more natural approaches. This was a
blessing since I never got heavily into drugs like many of my
contemporaries. It was not until much
later that I heard of Don Juan series
of books about the Native American approach. By then, I had found my own
way. I leaned more toward the East
Indian natural way of Meditation, although traditionally, drugs have played
more than a small part in Shamanic ceremonies, e.g. the use of a small amount
of vodka by the Siberian Shaman to help along with dancing himself into a
trance state or the use of boiled down hashish drunken by the Dervishes of
India.
I
believe the standard definition of Shaman is too limited. According to Sandra
Ingerman, in her book Shamanic Journeying;
“SHAMANISM
IS THE EARLIEST spiritual practice known to humankind, dating back tens of
thousands of years…..Shamans have taken on
many roles in tribal communities. They have acted as healers, doctors,
priests, psychotherapist, mystics and storytellers.”
Well
gosh, that narrows it down. Actually, I
prefer to subsume myself in the category of healer. This saves me from having to perform marriages and other odd
ceremonies that may not be mentionable.
Incidentally, I prefer not to be paid in goats or chickens.
Let’s
just say that the role of Shaman in various cultures has taken on
characteristics peculiar to the culture, needs and mores of that society. In America, the Indian medicine man, in
China the wandering mendicant etc.,
Even in South America, the healer wears many hats depending on the needs
of the tribe.
There are obviously
many opportunities for pretenders and charlatans in this field as there are in
most religions and cults of various types.
It is not without trepidation that one assumes the role of even the humblest
of Shaman, since much may be expected.
Suffice it to say, my role is mostly informational since that is the
inherent nature of Reality. As the
author and physician Deepak Chopra always
points out in his series, Body,
Mind and Soul : The Magic and the Mystery, energy is intelligent. All matter is merely frozen energy and all energy is information
in the Universal Mind. If you know how
it works you can fix it!
But, you don’t have to
believe it for it to work. Faith can
work miracles, and I use this avenue when all else is blocked, but I prefer to
work with techniques that are based in science, albeit a science that may be
beyond the present human conception.
Whereas ancient Shaman
were obligated to work with music and rhythm circumscribed by their times, like
primitive trumpets and drums, now we have electronic synthesizers and
computers. Many of the Shamanic
techniques can be adapted to a more modern approach, thus magnifying the
potential effectiveness and efficiency.
For example, instead of trying to obtain a certain chord or series of
sound frequencies with curative powers, using singing or musical instruments,
my technique involves utilizing an instrument that produces these sounds
automatically in just the right way.
You can say that
modern Shaman can capture lightning in a bottle using science. We can use
technology to reproduce the energies of the sunlight using manmade
paraphernalia. But we also must be
careful or we can go the way of the mythic Atlanteans who misused their mighty
technology to challenge the Power of God---and lost.
This may not be very
satisfying as an explanation but it may have to do. A physicist P.W.
Bridgeman, once wrote that we must
define our terms “operationally” if we intend to understand and
communicate. I think he meant that we
tend to define words using other words until we reach a point where we realize
we don’t really know what a word means.
The dictionary only gives us more words. To understand a concept, we
must do it operationally, i.e. we have to taste an apple, examine the redness,
etc. before we know an apple. If apple
is all we know, then our concept of the term “fruit” will be very limited
indeed. In fact, the more various types
of fruits we have tried and enjoyed the richer will be our concept of the term
“fruit”. So, the only way to really know something is to
experience it to some degree. By going
with me through some of the articles and information on this site, perhaps I
can relay a deeper and richer “definition” of what a Shaman truly is.
Alfred Korzyski was
another great thinker who realized we depend far too much on the dictionary
meaning of things. We lose track of the
real world and adopt a sort of mirage like verbal construct or matrix. We don’t even realise this until somehow we
are freed of this illusion and begin to see the Realtiy around us. It is like we are asleep and dreaming, a
shared dream. A Good Shaman is one who
sees past or through this dream like matrix and helps us to see our real
potential and Higher Selves. In so
doing, a healing it just an effect. Not
all Shaman are equal though, so do be careful.
Ever Upward,
Shaman Jim (Little Big Star)