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After three years the body is reassembled by the spirits and covered with flesh. This means that in effect the ordinary man is now, through the process of initiation and dismemberment, resurrected as a shaman who has the capability to communicate with the spiritual world and who can acquire the knowledge to help and heal numerous illnesses. As the research by Achterberg notes, he now has the ability to, "…read inside his head…" (Achterberg 22) In other words, he now has the ability to see in a mystical sense without the use of his ordinary vision. (Achterberg 22) The initiation process also refers to the view that the shaman acts and perceives in a way that is different to ordinary human beings.
The world of the shaman is impressive for a number of reasons. There are many aspects that make a study of this subject intriguing. One could mention the fact that the shaman is reported to be capable of is communicating with the spirits or that he or she can participate in magical flight and ascend and descend to different dimensions of reality. There are many other strange and mysterious qualities relating to shamanism; for example, the fact that he can undergo "…magical transformation into animals" and have "…prophetic dreams and interaction with the souls of the dead." (What is shamanism)
There are also many modern theories abut the reality of shamanism and the shamanic experience. An expert in this field, Joan Halifax, believes the encounter with illness, suffering, and death "…not only opens the world of the gods to the shaman, it also provides an experiential ground for the work of social, personal, and environmental healing that the shaman will later be doing." (Halifax 54) She and many other commentators relate the initiation of the shaman and his abilities to types of psychological transformation.
However,...
I believe that while our modern technological societies have many advantages, we have to a great extent lost the ability to experience nature and the world around us in a full and intensive way. It is this ability that I find in studies of shamanism and shamanic cultures. The world of the shaman is one that considers all the earth to be alive and sacred and also suggests that there are many other levels and dimensions to reality that we are not normally aware of or cannot see. The initiation process of the shaman is also instructive in that it shows that in order to help and care for others in a true and genuine way one first has to experience and endure suffering; so that one can acquire the sensitivity and skill to help others. Therefore, in conclusion, I would suggest that the inhabitants of the industrialized modern word can learn a great deal from the views and experiences of the shaman and indigenous cultures. There are many aspects of shamanism, especially the desire to heal and the relationship between healing, the earth and the spirit world, that can be useful in a modern world where the connections between man and nature have been disrupted.
Works Cited
Achterberg J. Imagery in Healing: Shamanism and Modern Medicine. London:
Shambala Press. 1985.
Berlo J. And Phillips R. Native North American Art. New York: Oxfors University
Press. 1998.
Finney D. On Shamans. http://www.greatdreams.com/shamans.htm
Halifax, Joan. "The Shaman's Initiation." Re-vision 13.2 (1990): 53-58. Questia. 29
Apr. 2009 .
What is shamanism? April 28, 2009.
Works Cited
Achterberg J. Imagery in Healing: Shamanism and Modern Medicine. London:
Shambala Press. 1985.
Berlo J. And Phillips R. Native North American Art. New York: Oxfors University
Press. 1998.
Finney D. On Shamans. http://www.greatdreams.com/shamans.htm
Apr. 2009 <http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=95142789>.
<http://www.breakingopenthehead.com/what_is_shaminism.htm>
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