What Is Shamanism?

Shamanism is an ancient spiritual path and one of the oldest known healing practices. It is not a religion, although it requires a belief in the spiritual realm. The origins of shamanism predate recorded civilization and go back many thousands of years to before the Stone Age. It is the oldest way that humans sought connection with the Creator.

All indigenous people, regardless of cultural differences and customs, share shamanic practices. These are rooted in the natural life cycles of the earth and the movement of the sun, moon, and stars through the sky. Indigenous cultures ritually marked the seasons of life such as birth, puberty, marriage, and death. The deep inner spiritual life was honored as they lived closely with the great archetypes of Earth, Sky, Center, and the four directions. Today shamanism still survives on all inhabited continents in spite of the human failures such as materialism, disrespectful treatment of the Earth, determination to control and contain Nature, and dogmatic religious practices. The word shaman itself comes from the language of the Tungus people of Russia. According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, its derivation is from the Tunguso-Manchurian word saman. Anthropologists researching healing practices the world over have applied the term shaman to many indigenous tribal healers and medicine people.