Viviane Stroede
Staff Writer
Ecstasy, myth, rituals, transcendence, ceremonial dance, contacting the spiritual world and the sound of drums and shakers- Shamanism is one of the oldest healing and spiritual practices dating back 50,000 years. It is based around the belief that shamans are messengers between the human world and the spiritual world.
The shaman uses ecstatic techniques to enter an altered state of consciousness at will and makes a conscious choice to travel to another reality which is out of space and time. In the beliefs the altered reality consists out of three layers: the lower world, the middle world and the upper world. The realities are inhabited by helping spirits which the Shaman contacts. With the help of these spirit guides the shaman brings back information and healing and is able to effect changes in ordinary reality.
Although one of the oldest practices a lot of people nowadays still incorporate it into their lives.
According to Brian Butler, a lay practitioner of shamanism, “to take a journey into an alternate reality and to come back with new found wisdom is fascinating to a lot of people”.
“A shaman is a mediator between the spiritual world and the real world. Anyone who is studying shamanism or is practicing shamanism in any way is searching to get in touch with their sub-conscious, their spiritual side, the spiritual side of the world. Anything that is going to be learned in a non-ordinary state of consciousness, while you are trying to communicate with the spiritual side of the world is going to be implemented in your day to day life, because it will have had such a huge impact on you, “Brian stated.
“You enter your own sub-conscious. Shamans believe everything is alive and everything has a spirit. In these sessions you are going and communicating with these spirits and your sub-conscious,“ he added.
Everybody has experiences with their sub-conscious. Brian explained that “when we practice shamanism we try to reach the theta state of our conscious. Theta is something we all briefly experience, the barely conscious state between being asleep and awake. It is the border between consciousness and sub consciousness. Most people are not able to become aware in the theta state, so shamanistic rituals try to wake this sub-conscious that is normally inaccessible in our waking state.”
During shamanic rituals people seek to communicate with their sub-consciousness. This can be achieved with the help of shamanic drums, rattles and shakes. According to Brian “the Tuvan Shamans believed that the spirits of nature create their own sound world and it is possible for Shamans to communicate with them through the sound of the drum.”
During those sessions people try “to be relaxed, to feel in a place of comfort and accept any mentor to be your spiritual guide and show you your way, “Brian added. Additionally he mentioned that “your mentor is supposed to tell you and show you things in the spiritual world which of course will apply in the real world as well”.
Shamanism gives people the possibility to achieve wisdom through keeping in touch with their own self-conscious, which gives them the opportunity to tackle their problems from a new perspective. With the help of those sessions people are encouraged to search for wisdom which can help them with their journey of self-discovery. Though according to Brian the practice is not going to give people a quick fix to all their problems but help to approach your life from a different angle.
Achieving states of non-ordinary consciousness through sessions of drumming can require a lot of time and patience. The practice of shamanism is a mystic journey to the inside of our minds and may not be understandable for everyone.
Shamanism can have mental benefits, though as many practices needs the person to be open minded and put all their scepticism aside.
