Shamanism, Essay Example

In the original Tungus language that has an etiology in Siberia, the term “shaman” alludes to an individual who embarks on several journeys to non-ordinary reality in a different state of consciousness. Endorsing the term in western contexts was practical due to the fact that westerners did not comprehend exactly what the term meant. It has often been conflated with “sorcerer,” “wizard,” and/or “witch doctor,” all of which are imbued with their own preconceptions and connotations in certain circles. While the term emanated from Siberia, shamanism has been practiced across the globe in various cultures and societies. Shamans are usually terms as seers, or individuals who know within their respective tribes as a result of how embedded they are within various epistemologies in their own tribal lexicon predicated on empiricism. Rather than forming a belief system, shamanism is predicated on their personal endeavors to procure information, heal, and conduct several other relevant tasks. If shamans fail to get results, then they are rendered useless by their tribes. Indeed, people recognize shamans as those who go on journeys to other realms and/or perform miracles. Many people mistake shamanism as a religion, although this is fallacious because it simply refers to a methodology. Shamanism thus is able to coexist with other structured and established religions in various cultural contexts.

Shamans are actively involved in primarily animistic cultures, or rather cultures in which adherents believe in the spiritual. Shamans frequently collaborate with spirits in order to fulfill their healing purposes. Shamans converse with spirits rather than merely believe in them, which is important to discern because shamanism is not a structured faith system. In addition, shamanism is inclusive rather than being exclusionary, as shamans approach healing from a holistic approach. As such, the spiritual is deployed by the shaman to help an ill patient heal and get better rather than to prove that shamanism is real and functional.

References

McClenon, J. (2002). Wondrous healing: Shamanism, human evolution, and the origin of religion. DeKalb: Northern Illinois University Press.

Walker, M., & E. Fridean (eds.). (2004). Shamanism: An encyclopedia of world beliefs, practices, and culture. Santa Barbara: ABC Clio.