What is Shamanism?

All over the world there are cultures of people who practice shamanism. The  word shaman originates from the Tungus people of Siberia. Even though there are many different shamanic traditions in the world with different ceremonies, they share many similar beliefs about the nature of reality. Shamanism has become a word commonly used to describe spiritual belief systems in which the practitioner believes that all things of nature have life and consciousness. Every rock and plant has wisdom and a purpose. The planets, the sun, and the moon are thought of as conscious beings with their own intelligence. Shamans believe that all things are intrinsically connected through the web of life.
There are Shamans and medicine men and women who are still practicing their traditional rites in indigenous cultures throughout the world including, but not limited to, the Americas, Norway, Siberia, Mongolia, Lapland, Indonesia, Australia, Hawaii, Tibet, Nepal, Korea, and Africa. Once upon a time, the traditional cultures of Europe also had many shamanic practitioners. However, when Christianity came along, much of what was called Shamanism began to be called Witchcraft and its practices banned. These days, there is a revival of European shamanic traditions, some of which are based on what small fragments still remain from ancestral culture and some of which have been re-created by observing the shamanic traditions that are still alive on the planet. In addition, some of the shamanic practices and knowledge that are coming into common usage are based in people’s firsthand experiences that have naturally arisen from personal experience of the three worlds and the wisdom inherent in nature.
A shaman is a person who can travel by means of their consciousness between ordinary and non-ordinary reality in order to receive wisdom and offer healing in service of their community. Ordinary reality is our everyday way of perceiving reality in our usual state of consciousness. Ordinary reality follows the laws of logic. Non-ordinary reality refers to a dimension or state of consciousness that the shaman travels into for healing and wisdom. Unlike ordinary reality, non-ordinary reality does not follow the rules of logic but is primarily based in the realm of symbol, metaphor and the cosmic relationship between all things.
Generally speaking, Shaman is a title that is given by a community and not a title that one self-proclaims. There are many people who practice shamanism, however, there are very few shamans. The title of shaman connotes a level of initiation and experience that goes beyond the average practitioner.
A common concept in the shamanic framework is the notion of the Three Worlds. These three worlds are three different dimensional realities. Each of these worlds contains different beings with whom the shaman can interact in order to facilitate healing and transformation.

Sylvia Brallier
Director of the Tantric Shamanism Institute
http://www.tantricshamanism.com