What is Shamanic Healing?
What is a Shaman?
A person who offers shamanic healing services goes by many different names. The most common one, shaman, has become so greatly overused in the modern world that it can be difficult to recognize an authentic practitioner. While the precise origin of the word shaman is not known, it is said to come from the Siberian Tungusic Evenki language. Over the years, the word has expanded out from its Northeast Asian origins and found its way to all the corners of the earth.
Other names for someone who works in the shamanic way include medicine man or woman, healer, curandero/a, or simply shamanic practitioner, but there are many more depending on culture and location.
While a Western doctor spends many years in medical school and residency, a true shaman also spends many years apprenticing with a master who guides him or her along the subtle but difficult path to being a bridge between the worlds.
Perhaps one of the main differences between a Western doctor and a shamanic healer is that of where they operate from. To understand this more clearly it is necessary to give a brief description of how those of us who walk this path see the world.
The Shamanic Worldview
To most people, the world is as we see it. We walk upon solid ground, swim in the earth’s waters, feel the wind and the sun on our skin, and interact with those we encounter in our daily lives. If we can see it or touch it, it’s real.
In the shamanic worldview, the universe has multiple layers, most of which cannot be seen or felt with the ordinary physical senses. The universe multidimensional, so are we.
All throughout human history there have been reports of people hearing voices or seeing otherworldly beings. It is believed that many forms of non-corporeal beings inhabit the unseen worlds. The shaman seeks to form alliances with the higher level beings in order to receive advice and assistance in dealing with an earthly task such as healing.
Altered States
In a shamanic healing, the practitioner uses different methods to go into an altered state of consciousness where she consults with her divine guides and healing masters who give her knowledge about what is going on with the patient and how to help them.
There are many types of this altered consciousness varying from the very obvious to the imperceptible. An example of an obvious one might be someone who is using drumming or ecstatic dancing to achieve the trance state, or someone in an African-based practice such as voodoo where the healer takes on the persona of his helping spirits and his outward manner changes noticeably.
On the opposite end of the spectrum we have the healer who is able to expand his or her consciousness into the unseen worlds and communicate with the spirits while they are in the act of working on their patient. The healer is in the room with you, but their consciousness is split between the physical and spiritual dimensions. They may be speaking to you at the same time they are receiving information from a spirit healer.
What to Expect
Your shamanic healer will be working in multidimensional realms in order to find the most effective solutions to the issues that you have brought in. In additional to the physical dimension (things of the body and your environment), you may also be addressing the emotional, mental or spiritual states.
We like to use the analogy of peeling back onion layers when we talk about how energy healing works. Energetic healing work doesn’t just look at the main issue a person brings in, but instead is more holistic. Not only do we look at the person’s lifestyle, we will also connect with our divine advisors for information that lies in the deeper, hidden layers.
Shamanic healing is not a magic bullet or a one-time fix. It can take years, or even lifetimes, to accumulate the energetics that are causing us problems in this life, so one has to be patient and allow the process its due course.
Learn More about Shamanism
The Foundation for Shamanic Studies is an organization that provides high-quality information and trainings around the world. They also work to preserve the knowledge and practices of traditional shamans so they don’t die out and become lost forever. I wholeheartedly support the FSS, and can attest to their integrity and the quality of their work.
“Serendipity brought me to Judy after a decade of western medicine failed me. Her facilitated healing work, led me onto a path where three years later my chronic health issues are mostly resolved and I am able to see illness as a divine act and a spiritual course correction. As ancient healing modalities make a come back into the western hemisphere, it is hard to find a therapist with real depth. Judy is a true pioneer and of the highest integrity. One of her rare qualities is her ability to continue to stay open and evolve in her own journey and craft.
I am blessed to have her as a guide and friend. With gratitude! ”
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