Shamanism itself is a generic term encompassing the oldest form of wellness, psycho-spiritual and energetic practices, and sophisticated consciousness technology known to humankind. Archaeological and anthropological evidence suggests that the practice of Shamanism dates back 40,000 years and more.
“Because it is not an organised religion as such, but rather a spiritual practice, Shamanism cuts across all faiths and creeds, reaching deep levels of ancestral memory. As a primal belief system, which precedes established religion, it has its own symbolism and cosmology, inhabited by beings, gods, and totems, who display similar characteristics although they appear in various forms, depending upon their places of origin.”
~John Matthews, The Celtic Shaman
Shamanism is not related to any culture, but experts say the term “shaman” originated from the Tungus tribe in Siberia. The noun is formed from the verb ša, which means “to know,” so the term “shaman” literally translates to “one who knows.”
A shamanic understanding of life and existence offers an interconnected ecological, cosmological, and evolutionary perspective of our sense of Self, our embodied current moment sensory and sensual awareness of being.
What is the practice of the Shamans?
According to our interview with Dr.Emre and Dr.Pablo, shamans combine practices in one ceremony/gathering that includes natural medicine to knock down the walls separating the patient from his spirituality and then boost his mental/physical wellness.
Then the ceremony starts with a musical ritual that helps ease the patient’s sense of time and sets a particular frequency to guide them throughout the healing journey.
Some shamans perform some spiritual dancing and use specific incense/tobacco smoke that can be added to alter the place’s previous energy.
- Natural medicine: this can be either plant, mushroom, herbs, or even just breathing techniques and meditation, depending on the patient’s needs and the shaman’s intentions.
Dr. Emre says: The purpose of most shamanic medicines is to open us to our Self, to get us out of our comfort zone, and when we do, we start to shake, our whole life begins to shake, breaking down our illusions, and then we do walk with them, into the new adaptation, assisting with the process and the integrations after.
Our 1st edition (body, mind, and spirit program) mainly had breathing techniques in two separate ceremonies from two different shamans and one workshop from our breathing coach. It was very effective. Each of them works in different ways, the shamans focused on breaking down our walls of ego and anxieties with breathing techniques, and our breathing coach aimed to heal weak chakras. As I have experienced different types of plant-based medicine before, I can say this is just as effective and even more accurate when seeking specific issues like traumas or energy cleansing.
- Music rituals: The music rituals include many authentic instruments and the selection of devices depending on the ceremony and shaman intentions and origins. In many ceremonies, the shaman also performs a dance that sets the energy of the place, kicks all negative energy and spirits away, and sometimes in practice, summon specific energy or enthusiasm. During our ceremony, our shamans did call on the soul of Anubis. Of course, you cannot say that a soul has been solicited or not, but when it’s the main focus at least once or twice, it will come in your visions and assist in your healing.
- Guidance and integrations
So first, the shaman has to balance everything from the place set up to medicine dosage to ritual energy and frequency, then connect to his higher Self for the guidance to be accurate and beneficial to patients.
Dr. Emre says: the shaman sometimes has to drop his ego totally, and sometimes he should wear it like a mask when the patient needs a higher ego to guide him; in doing so, it can be dangerous to the shaman to let his ego take power instead of his higher Self and when a shaman higher Self is in control, the shaman goes into a state of trance, in which, everything he says or does is outside of his ego or consciousness.
Then Dr.Emre explains integrations as :