Shamans from all around the globe operate in and with altered states of consciousness, and they've been dubbed "masters of ecstasy".
- These shaman's working worlds are seen as reality, which may be accessed at whim, investigated and mastered via lengthy, arduous trainings, and then used for healing, divination, blessing, creating, and rebalancing .
- The shaman experiences and perceives the world within the rules of those worlds, which are based on linked and interconnected energies, fields, and essences and translated into spirit-beings, archetypal pictures, and mystical tales while in a 'ecstatic condition.'
- The shaman, unlike some of the spirit-possessed healers, has a "dual state of awareness".
- In modern words, the shaman is in control of all processes of fully awake consciousness, including as speech, memory, and knowledge of his surroundings, while also being in a profoundly altered condition.
When we consider the degree of state alteration that occurs, as I shall demonstrate later, this is far from a given. It takes several years to achieve the degree of expertise that traditional shamans have.
- The traditional shaman has gone on a long trip before he can call himself a shaman and use his abilities.
- He's battled demons, been to the underworld, explored death and rebirth, perfected his mind and body, and now he's ready to begin his job after this time of training, instruction, and initiation.
- Traditional, indigenous shamans may have been the first people we know of to go on what Campbell called the hero's journey, acquiring and developing all of the above-mentioned techniques and more throughout the many stages of the trip.
- Shamans continue their travels throughout their lives, healing themselves and others in the process, connecting with the energies that form the planet and all living creatures, and trying to restore balance and harmony for and within the tribe, as well as expanding their awareness.
The call, like the hero's quest, starts with the shaman's trip.
- A future shaman's call may come in the form of a vision, a dream, a life-changing event, or, in some instances, even before the shaman's birth.
- Whatever shape the call takes, it seems to be a terrifying moment, since it is often accompanied by an initiation crisis, which we would now refer to as a "spiritual emergency."
- Anthropologists who have studied shamanism in different cultures have vividly described the varied, severe mental and bodily abnormalities that occurred during the first crisis.
- Attacks, hallucinations, prophetic dreams, and significant changes in behavior, such as seeking isolation or being absent minded, may continue for weeks, months, or even years.
The training starts after the initiation crisis.
- The long training of a traditional shaman, which is frequently aided by an experienced instructor as well as spirit teachers, requires discipline and persistence.
- A period of isolation, fasting or a drastic change in food, and inquiring for visions are all part of the process.
- Overcoming fears and worries, as well as learning to regulate emotions, are important components.
- Some initiation rituals require overcoming one's natural survival instinct.
- The apprentice shaman learns to deal with dreams, visions, and the spirits who live in ‘All there is,' as well as the culture's mythology, rituals, teachings, and cosmology.
The shaman reaches severe altered states of consciousness throughout his training, dismembers and remembers, has out-of-body experiences, and nearly invariably experiences near death and is reincarnated.
- He gathers spirit assistants such as power animals, guides, ancestor spirits, and others, gets to know them well, and learns how to work with them.
Toughening the body, cultivating the mind, conquering cravings, facing fears, and cultivating capacities such as concentration and endurance are all necessary for the shaman to emerge from his training with awareness of his "essence," which we now call the "true self," as well as the essence of "All there is," in all of its infinite manifestations.
- He emerges with personal strength and freedom, including mastery over himself, control over spirits, and fearlessness, as well as awareness of 'this other reality,' the individual and communal psyche and consciousness, which we can only begin to fathom.
You may also want to read more about Shamanism here.
Be sure to check out my writings on religion here.
