Finding Your Friendly Neighborhood Shaman
Albert Schweitzer reportedly once observed, “The witch doctor succeeds for the same
reason all the rest of us [doctors] succeed. Each patient carries his own doctor inside
him. They come to us not knowing this truth. We are at our best when we give the
doctor who resides within each patient a chance to go to work.” This belief is almost
identical to Florence Nightingale’s basic premise that healing is a function of nature
that comes from within the individual.
A current example of a combination of the techniques of shamanism with biomedi-
cine is the well-known work of Dr. O. Carl Simonton and Stephanie Matthews-
Simonton in treating people with cancer. As part of their treatment, patients are
taught to relax and visualize themselves on a walking journey until they meet an
“inner guide,” which is a person or animal. The patient then asks the guide for help
in getting well. The process is similar to a shamanic journey and the meeting of a
power animal.
Contemporary shamans work with today’s Native American and other indigenous
cultures. Their repertoire of curative powers now includes some modern and biomed-
ical practices, and they may collaborate with conventional health care practitioners.
Today, many shamans share their knowledge about healing with others, which has
contributed to a recent renewal of interest in this oldest of healing therapies.
Lectures, retreats, and weekend meetings, where shamans teach the principles of liv-
ing in balance with nature, are now available to the general public.
Shamanism offers a chance for contemplation. Guides offer more in the way of
introspection and insight than physical cure. A shamanic journey may increase your
self-understanding, provide guidance for living, and foster a spiritual rejuvenation,
all of which are important for the healing process.
Finding the Beat of Your Healing
In the old cultures, shamans would do the journeying while an apprentice or helper
drummed. In today’s world, it is more appropriate for each of us to learn to journey
for ourselves and restore our own power. Personal power is believed to be basic to
health and well-being. You may wish to meet in drumming circles every one or two
weeks or you may prefer to work alone. Drumming tapes have been designed and
produced for shamanic journeying. As in any other field of learning, it may be more
effective to work firsthand with a professional during a workshop or retreat.
The shamanic journey begins with the drum. Among all the instruments used in
healing, the drum produces some of the most powerful effects. Drumming has been
used in organizations ranging from therapy groups and twelve-step programs to
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