Shamanism is the world's oldest spiritual discipline and practice.
It is a dynamic tradition, like all organically formed systems:
- It has assumed a variety of shapes in many civilizations at various periods. It is, nevertheless, a universal route, with striking parallels throughout the world and across time.
- The Americas, Russia, Africa, Asia, the Far East, and China, as well as Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, all have remnants of shamanism.
- In Spain and France, we have cave paintings that are 30–40,000 years old.
- In Australia's outback, we have cave paintings dating back approximately 28,000 years.
- The rock art of Niger, Africa, goes back 30,000 years, while a female shaman skeleton discovered in Israel is about 12,000 years old.
- Our understanding of shamanism is further enriched by ancient myths, tales, and traditional rituals.
- The creation tales of the Americas, Australia, and Africa, as well as the rituals, symbols, and beliefs of Buddhism, Taoism, and Shintoism, all include strong aspects of shamanic spirituality.
The old spiritual path's continuity has been interrupted, fractured, and repressed many times, mostly by invaders, missionaries, and political actions, but it has never been completely eliminated.
Shaman lineages have maintained the practice alive over the centuries in isolated places;
In other parts of the globe, it has been driven underground, only to resurface when repressing forces have withdrawn or relaxed their hold.
- This may be seen in South America, particularly in the Amazon and the High Andes, where shamanism thrives despite Spanish conquerors and missionaries' efforts to eradicate it.
- Similarly, despite colonial and ecclesiastical attempts, tribal shamanic traditions were never completely eliminated in Africa and Australia.
- The rebirth of North American indigenous traditions, as well as the robust post-Soviet comeback of shamanism in Siberia and Mongolia, which I saw with awe on a recent trip, demonstrate the long-term viability of this old spiritual discipline.
- Most sources claim that the term "shaman" comes from the Evenki language of the Tungus tribe of Siberia, since it is closely similar to their word "saman," which means "one who knows" or "one who is aroused, moved, or elevated."
Even if they have various titles in different cultures, such as medicine man or woman in North America and Canada, healer in Africa, or kupua in Hawaii, the gender-neutral word "shaman" is now used in general for individuals who are engaged in the practice.
You may also want to read more about Shamanism here.
Be sure to check out my writings on religion here.
