Capturing the attention of archaeologists and scientists, shamanism has attracted the Western public since the 1970s. Today, personal development brings this mystical practice back to life. Explanations.
For hundreds of years, the shaman has entered a trance to communicate with the other world. Both a healer and a sage, he or she practices rites that combine music, meditation and components of nature. The shamanic journey gives the opportunity to commune with the spirits, but also to discover oneself.
Considered one of the earliest forms of spirituality for humanity, shamanism has long been mistaken for a religion. Originally, it took place in most of the so-called archaic cultures. Interestingly, anthropologists have found that the shamanistic practices of different peoples, such as Native Americans or Celts, were ultimately very similar. It seems that the rites, although transmitted orally, are universal. The term shaman, from the word saman, appears in the 17th century through Russian colonizers: it can designate both a man and a woman.
What is shamanism?
The notion, which originated from the Siberian peoples, was not transmitted to Western Europe until a century later. Historically, the shaman has been considered a pillar of the community. Able to communicate with spirits, he is the bridge between the other world and reality and can convey messages from the dead or implore deities for favorable omens. He is also said to be a diviner. But the role of the shaman is not only mystical since it also plays a role of healer. His rites are sometimes accompanied by decoctions of healing plants, but are mainly focused on putting into a trance. Even today, the shaman enters a daze through music and sometimes certain herbs. During sessions of communion with the spirits, his soul is supposed to leave his body to join the other world, or else it is an entity that possesses it.
In any case, the shamanic trance can be impressive and accompanied by jumps, screams, convulsions or even total inertia. If, in the past, the goal of this practice was mainly to create a link with the other world in order to hear its messages, today, shamanism is as much a mystical practice as a way of living, in cohesion with the nature, spirits and with oneself.
What is shamanism for today?
Brought back to the forefront by ethnologist Mircea Eliade, shamanism became a trend in Western Europe in the 1970s. The hippie movement appropriated this traditional practice which made the link between nature, man and others. intangible worlds. The possibility of reconnecting to one’s inner being and to the natural elements also explains the craze of recent years for shamanism.
Its Amerindian version is particularly popular. His belief is based on the idea that every living being has a spirit and can therefore deliver a message. It advocates open-mindedness and great attention to what surrounds us. In our modern life where speed and the superfluous have become daily, the shamanic rite invites a return to basics and a meditative break. Trance can take you on a journey of soul-searching to find what is causing you trouble right now, physically, mentally, or emotionally. For the more seasoned, travel can be astral and transport you outside of yourself. The beneficiary of the rite then begins a shamanic journey which will allow him to find the answers to his questions, but also to reconnect with nature and the present.
Indeed, the practice of modern shamanism makes it possible to answer general or specific questions by addressing certain minds, but also and above all to refocus on oneself. This is why it is a very popular practice in personal development methods. It is readily associated with meditation or yoga sessions, in order to deepen your awareness of body and mind. In addition to its spiritual benefits, shamanic practice invites you to reconnect with nature. The practitioner must be attentive, during the sessions and in his daily life, to the living elements which surround him and which can transmit a message to him. The contemplative dimension of this practice joins the movements of naturopathy such as sylvotherapy, and advocates the importance of nature in our daily life.
Shamanism can therefore be beneficial to you if you wish to develop your awareness and your connection to the world or if you need to take stock of your personal situation.
What are the tools of a shamanic rite?
Anthropologists have found evidence indicating that shamans across the world share a similar form of practice of shamanism, including ascension into trance. Tied to the shaman’s unique connection with the spirit world, the rituals nevertheless have variations. Thus, if there are universal shamanic methods and tools, each shaman makes their own personal adaptation. Among the essential tools for trance: music. This gives rhythm to meditation and participates in the modification of the state of consciousness. Although certain instruments such as the harp or the bell are sometimes used in addition, it is the drum that sets the tempo. Struck with the flat of the hand or with a cotton stick, the drum makes it possible to summon the spirits and accompanies the trance in its progression.
On a spiritual journey, it helps not to get lost in the next world. Its central symbol as well as the incantations carried out by striking it can appeal to a protective spirit in particular. Often accompanied by sung incantations, the initial rhythm of the drum is slow and hypnotic. It accelerates with the rise of the shaman’s trance, which accompanies it with representative and symbolic dances. His costume can then be part of his tools. Formerly made up of skin and feathers, to identify more easily with nature, it is the symbol of the sought-after spiritual flight.
During a shamanic session, you may also have the option of using a medicine wheel. Based on the idea that everything is connected in a repeating cycle, shamanism uses this tool to connect us to the other world. According to beliefs, an imbalance in spirits can impact our reality. It is therefore a question of solving it and the wheel is there to promote connection. Cut into four dials, it represents the cardinal points, the seasons, the phases of life and the major elements. Being able to be carried out on the ground by a drawing, it is generally made up of natural elements found on the spot such as stones, flowers or branches. The shaman then invites us to position ourselves in the wheel according to the nature of our problem.
If you do not have a specific question, he will invite you to walk the circle to the rhythm of the drum, in order to reconnect with each phase of your life. Finally, to guide you in the spirit world, you will undoubtedly need the help of a totem animal. We discover it during a shamanic journey in the form of an impression or during dreams that follow the sessions. He is an ally spirit who guides in the next world, but can also appear to you in reality. It is not uncommon to see its silhouette in the contours of a shadow on the ground, among the shapes of clouds or even directly by one of its living representatives. Each animal is commonly associated with qualities and specificities that it can transmit to the shaman. For example, the owl would have a power of clairvoyance due to its nocturnal and mysterious nature, while the strength of the eagle would make it easier to take distance, to rise during the trance. The range of totems has grown over time. Today, any animal could turn out to be a guide spirit, which is why shamanism urges us to remain attentive to the nature around us.
Can we practice without a shaman?
Just because you are not a shaman yourself does not mean that you cannot practice this belief and its rituals. The interest of shamanism is that it allows introspection and the interior journey in order to better know oneself and to refocus on oneself and its relations with nature. It is therefore not necessary to practice daily trances to get results.
Shamans of some cultures communicate daily with nature to develop their links with the spirit world. To start the practice gently, you can start with meditative walks in natural places. By paying attention to your senses and the elements of your surroundings, you prepare your mind for a trance. This is also one of the main advantages of the shaman: he can, unlike a novice, enter a trance voluntarily. He also knows how to recognize and interpret the signs that run through his modified state of consciousness. If you want to practice with a real shaman, there are group sessions where you will be invited, depending on the situation, to rejuvenate yourself by reconnecting to your inner world or to summon your protective spirit.
For those who hesitate to take the plunge, fear not! The old tradition of oral education of shamans tends to disappear. We see more and more books blooming inviting the discovery of shamanic practice. Accompanied by videos where the voice of the shaman joins the sound of the drum, you can let yourself be guided for your first few times before practicing on your own.
The practice of shamanism can be complemented with the exercise of yoga and meditation to calm the mind and train to disconnect from daily worries. These exercises make it easier to switch into an intense meditative state to foster a connection with the spirits. The important thing is to be alert to repeating signs and to trust your instincts to listen to messages from this other invisible world.