In This Chapter
■The origins of shamanism and the personal
journey of the shaman
■The shamanic healing process
■Finding a guide for your own shamanic
experience.21 Shamanism
Shaman (pronounced SHAH-min) is a word from the Tungus people of
Siberia. This term has been adopted widely by anthropologists to refer
to those known in the West as “medicine men,” “witch doctors,”
“witches,” “magicians,” and “seers.” Not every kind of medicine per-
son or witch doctor, however, is a shaman. A shamanis a woman or
man who enters an altered state of consciousness, at will, to contact
and utilize another type of reality to acquire knowledge and power to
help other people. Shamans use ancient techniques to achieve and
maintain well-being and healing for themselves and members of their
communities, serving as a link between the worlds of matter and spirit.
Shamanism is not a belief system. Rather, it is a broad umbrella cover-
ing ancient, indigenous, and holistic healing practices worldwide. For
further information on Native American healers, see Chapter 5.