What is shamanism and why is an understanding of it important?

Shamanism can be seen as a way of having a direct connection with life and all the forces of nature, both visible and invisible. Shamanic practices can be found at the roots of many cultures as they are one of the oldest way’s humans have used to understand their place in the web of life.

One of the key aspects of shamanic practice is that it requires the development of what is called the ‘second attention’ or an awareness of the imaginal realm. The first attention is our ordinary everyday perception of the world and events, the second attention focuses on the subtler aspects of our experience which includes body sensations, intuition, and awareness of the world as a communication feedback loop to bring information through unusual or non-ordinary observations.

As with Breathwork, Embodiment and Yoga there are many different forms and styles of what can be called shamanic practice. There are however many unifying principles that can be found in diversely different geographical locations and epochs. The term shamanism comes from the shamans of Siberia in Russia and has become a simple way of identifying similar practices and practitioners around the world although they may traditionally call themselves something different.

One of the fundamental aspects of shamanic awareness is the perception of and relationship to spirit. This is called many names including; Great Spirit, Wakan Tanka, God, Divine. Shamanic practice rests firmly on this ground of awareness and the development of the second attention which allows a shaman to be in direct relationship with that force, be informed by it, and understand how to work with it in tangible ways for the benefit of his or her community. It is a skill that everyone can develop, just like any vocation. However, in traditional cultures, it was often a vocation that only a few members of the community are called to follow.

Physical, mental, emotional and spiritual illnesses are literally at pandemic levels in our society and world, and we have very clear data to show that our present way of life and the direction we’re heading in, if we do not change our ways, is leading to the continued extinction of many species and possibly to the extinction of our own. Not to mention the devastation of the biosphere, issues of social justice, and economic collapse.

It is my belief and understanding, that in our modern age it is a calling that many are feeling, to remember and use these deeper ways of perceiving and living; in these ways, there is an ever more vital bridge to connect us back with our bodies, hearts, community and the land. 

Shamans can be seen as the master alchemists. They live in connection with their bodies, their community, and the world around them. They do the very real and earthy work by passing through their own initiatory experiences so that may support and guide others through their own.

We are in crisis on planet earth. It may not necessarily be that we need to witness the complete extinction of our own species. But that just as with the shaman, facing death can bring about a dissolution of the limiting and destructive aspects of the ego which is in the way of her or his service to the community, so too perhaps, this crisis point in the human family may be the initiation we need evolve in a way that can secure a bright future for the generations that follow.