Transcript Shamanism
Shamanism Art of Ecstasy Table of content • • • • Shamanism The Archeological History of Shamanism The Anthrological History of Shamanism Practice and method Shamanism • There are several definitions • Elements in common : – Traditional beliefs and practices – Practitioner reaches altered state of consciousness – Shaman is mediator between the human world and the spirit worlds. • “Shaman” is an umbrella term( collection of practices and believes ) The Archeological History of Shamanism • Stone age (Palaeolithic era) 100,000-5000 BC • Iron age 1200 BC – 200 AD (tribal shaman) • The Rise of Christianity (300 AD- middle ages) – campaigns against witches – Missionaries call them “devil worshippers” Archaeologists have unearthed nearly 5,000-year-old shaman's stones in a rock shelter in Panama. The stone collection may be the earliest evidence of shamanic rituals in that region of Central America. Remains of Ancient Feast to Honor Dead Shaman Discovered In a cave above a creek in the Galilee region of northern Israel, scientists discovered the body of a petite, elderly, disabled woman, most probably a shaman, and also discovered seashells, beads, stone tools and bone tools Israel: Oldest Shaman Grave Found; Includes Foot, Animal Parts A 12,000-year-old burial site in Israel contains offerings that include 50 tortoise shells and a human foot, and appears to be one of the earliest known graves of a female shaman. The Anthrological History of Shamanism • Oldest religion – Is it a religion? • oldest way of healing • The term "shamanism" was first applied to the ancient religion of the Turks and Mongols • There is a strong shamanistic influence in the Bön religion of central Asia, and in Tibetan Buddhism Decline in modern society. • There are very small number of people who still practice Shamanism today. • Those that still do either feel rejected or ignored by there own communities. • Today, shamanism survives primarily among indigenous peoples. Ex: Jungles, tundras, deserts and shanty towns. • A unique approach to shamanism is that of Michael Harner, author of The Jivaro, Hallucinogens and Shamanism, and The Way of the Shaman. Dr. Harner is a former professor of anthropology at the New School for Social Research, and is currently acting as the director of the Center for Shamanic Studies. Sam-an ‘The One Who Sees’ 1785 Oshir 1905 2004 10 Practice and method • Shamans work with spirits • Spirits of nature ( rocks, plants, animals or ancestors ) • Shamanism is based on the premise that the visible world is pervaded by invisible forces or spirits which affect the lives of the living Reality (illness, questions) Ecstasy (cross Axis Mundi ) Extraordinary reality ( Spiritual level) The Shamanic Cosmos Upper World Middle World Lower World 13 What happens in underworld? • Spirits of plants (learn from plant) • Powerful animals • Totem items such as Rocks (rocks have special power and spirit ) • Gain knowledge and answers • Retrieve lost souls • Return lost parts of human soul A female shaman leading an initiation for novices outside Ulaanbaatar holds up the heart she has just removed from a sheep. She sees this sacrificial offering as a symbol of her power over life and death Paraphernalia • • • • • • • Drumming Singing Fasting Sweat lodge Vision quests /or vigils, Dancing or Spinning Games Power plants (Tobacco,Fly Agaric,San Pedro Cannabis or Opium ) animal spirit painted rock Drums References • • • • http://www.shamanicjourneys.com/articles http://scientificshamanism.org/wordpress http://www.shamanlinks.net/Relationship Shamanism: an encyclopedia of world beliefs, practices and culture. Vol. 1 • FOUNDATION FOR SHAMANIC STUDIES (Core shamanism as taught by Michael Harner)