Shamanism

eye to eye by Drew Brayshaw

Shamanism

The practice and anthropological study of the shaman.

Some say the word shamanism is an academic construct and a sort of umbrella term applying to a wide range of phenomena.

It’s clear that different people use the term for distinct ideas and purposes.

In her forward to Shamanism, Jean Houston, for example, hopes that

[the book's] scope and depth…will cause us to rethink our tendency to label and pathologize that which may be one of the most valuable and courageous forms of our human condition (Shirley Nicholson ed., Shamanism, Wheaton, Il.: A Quest Book, 1988, p. xiii).

Meanwhile, Michael Harner, who at his web site now emphasizes the healing and creative aspects of shamanism, didn’t always do so. In the 1970’s Harner defined the shaman as

A man or woman who is in direct contact with the spirit world through a trance state and has one or more spirits at his command to carry out his bidding for good or evil (Michael Harner, Hallicinogens and Shamanism, 1973, cited in Michael C. Howard, Contemporary Cultural Anthropology, 2^nd ed., Toronto: Little, Brown and Co. , 1986, p. 448).

Terrence McKenna says that shamanic cosmologies surpass current scientific models which, like any hegemonic idea, almost dogmatically influence our culture and ways of thinking.

An excerpt from Food of the Gods: The Search for the Original Tree of Knowledge A Radical History of Plants, Drugs, and Human Evolution by Terence McKenna - originally uploaded by oceandesetoiles

The word shamanism, however, extends beyond the worlds of academia and book publishing.

Jim Morrison from the 1960s to early 70s rock group The Doors was interested in shamanism, at times envisioning himself as a kind of flower power shaman. The group wrote successful songs like “Shaman’s Blues,” “Break on Through” and “Celebration of the Lizard” that pointed to shamanic ideas.

Meanwhile, artists such as the Canadian Norval Morrisseau use the word shaman to describe themselves and promote their work.

Me at The Shamanism Centre by Heidi Reyes

And graphic artist Heidi Reyes puts an interesting twist on the idea of shamanism with her work “Me at The Shamanism Centre.”

This image (pictured right) seems to imply that shamanism can live in virtual reality without having to be grounded within any specific earthly location.

At Earthpages.org

• Shaman Elder Maggie Wahls’ 50th Anniversary Teaching
• Why Study Shamanism
• Alchemy, Egypt, and Shamanism
• Spirit Guides & Totems
• The Shaman’s Journey: Impeccability
• The Shaman’s Journey: Intent
• The Shaman’s Journey: The Value of Emotional Control

» Animism, Controlled Dreaming, Eliade (Mircea), Evil, Fasting, Soul Loss, Spiritual Attack, Witch

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