...The Seidhr - Shaman Mirror Dennis Myers XXXXX September 1, 2013 XXXXXX The Seidhr - Shaman Mirror An opinion exists proclaiming that ancient religious practices known as seidhr and shamanism are inherently different. These alleged differences lie within a minimizing interpretation of numinous flight, lack of interaction with the dead, and concentration in the use of divinatory practices that relegates seidhr to common magical practice, (Eliade, 2004. p. 386-7). Careful study of the practices indicates that additional criteria be employed to make an accurate evaluation. Seidhr and shamanism display a primal system of shared beliefs, determined by cultural necessity, evidencing no discernible distinction. To begin to understand seidhr and shamanism it is necessary to uncover and appreciate the equivalency of mythic initiation rituals. In the Poetic Edda Oðinn, the prototypical male practitioner of seidhr performs self-sacrifice to gain wisdom. A Vanic goddess known as Freyja taught Oðinn the art of seidhr, (Davidson, 1988). He is hung on the world-tree, Yggdrasil, (Oðinn’s Steed), and receives a spear wound resulting in death, and the retrieval of mysteries, or runes (knowledge), (Hollander, 1990. p. 36, ST 138-41). Here, Oðinn sheds a prior understanding and undergoes passage into a new existence where the spirit and mundane worlds become one. In Siberian shamanic oral tradition, there appears to be no defined ritual, but as Eliade (2004), asserts: “-admission to some...
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...1. Characteristics of shamans The word shaman comes from the Siberian Tungus tribe and means “he or she who knows” (ancient-wisdom.com). Shamans are individuals who are in charge of specialized, sacred knowledge which they pass from generation to generation. The purpose of their lives is to understand the sacred world and to maintain a balance between the People and the natural world (The Sacred, 96). Often Native American shamans are individuals who have been exposed to difficult circumstances in their lives. Shamans share a few main characteristics: 1). They are able to deliberately induce altered states of consciousness, called “ecstasy” or “trance”. Shamans only do this when required to perform certain tasks, such as seeing the future or seeing into illnesses. They are able to enter and leave the state of ecstasy at will (Journal of Analytical Psychology). There are a few ways in which shamans enter a state of ecstasy: • Fasting • Drumming • Dancing • Using psychedelic drugs (ancient-wisdom.com) 2.) Shamans are masters of spirits. When they enter an alternative state of mind, shamans can communicate with spirits. The purpose is to control the spirits and to make them perform a specific task for the shaman. Examples of such tasks are healing an individual, or making enemies ill (Journal of Analytical Psychology). Each shaman has their own spirit helpers which they can control (The Sacred, 100). 3.) Shamans are able to go on “shamanic journeys” when...
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...The first image is a photograph of the Lamassu statue found in the Palace of Assyrnipal II in Nimrud, Iraq. This is from the Assyrian Empire and was created in the 9th century BCE. The Lamassu was a protective deity in Assyrian culture with anthropomorphic and zoomorphic features. The Lamassu is made up of the wings of an eagle, the body/legs of a bull, and the head of a man. Continuing with traditions of ancient Mesopotamia, the man’s head wears a long rectangular beard similar to previous votive figures. In addition, the Lamassu wears a hat made out of stacked horns, a hat that sun god Eshnuna in Babylonian culture has also been portrayed wearing. Similar to other Assyrian works such as Assyrnipal II Killing Lions; fine attention to detail and a focus on the muscular anatomy of the bull or lion is present. Also similar to Assyrnipal II Killing Lions, the use of shallow perspective is used as the Lamassu’s four legs are portrayed from the side, creating 5 legs when seen at certain angles. The second image is a photograph of a prehistoric Paleolithic work known as the lion man statue. Another zoomorphic work, this statue combines a man’s body with the head of a lion. This work dates back roughly to 40,000 BCE, belonging to a hunter-gatherer society. Some archeologists have speculated that this work may reflect practices of ancient medicine men or shaman. Clearly a prehistoric work, no form of writing can be seen anywhere on the statue. The lion-man is clearly worn by time as...
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...Used mainly for Spiritual proposes throw history hallucinogens have fond superficial use in the last hundred years. But I never read about drugs like acid being taken by knights in the dark ages. Although that might explain the dragon. But they did have peace pipes, bath houses and Medicine men. Medicine men and women are traditional healers and spiritual leaders. Much like barefoot doctors, herbalists, and witch doctors they believe in herbal medicine. Herbal medicine is healing throw nature and the things in it. But if hallucinogens have been used throughout time than why are they manly illegal today? Vary simple those in power wish to subdue the mass population by feeling their heads with propaganda and ideas. By using media and religion to manipulate actions and ideals. They are telling you what to think what to do had how to feel. If there is divan intervention shouldn't we all find the same path on our own? Dimethltryptanine (DMT) is commonly known as the sprit molecule and for good reason. It is found in in all living beans. This includes plants and humans in small amounts, DMT projects you into your inner self and fades the line between the physical and Spiritual world. The feeling of fifteen thousand years have passed in fifteen minutes allowing for self-searching from within. But DMT is a new drug. This statement could not be farther from the truth. Like peyote being used by Native Americans ayahuasca, which contains DMT has been used...
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...material and immaterial worlds of man and spirit. He performs his practices by various means and methods. In Peru, like Eduardo, San Pedro shamans use sound healing ceremonies to change the energies of their patients into a new and more positive alignment. Categorizing healing approaches into various groups and specialties is a more modern interest. Traditional Shamans worked with aromatherapy, massage, herbalism, etc. doing whatever was necessary to provide the right treatment for their patients or clients. Today what we are accepting as the inventions/discoveries of modern science are also to be found in much more ancient shamanic belief systems and they are embedded in healing traditions from thousands of years ago. Typically with shamanism, the curanderos’ knowledge of healing is passed down from relatives. So I did some research on Eduardo’s family. When Eduardo was a healer, his daughter hadn’t paid much attention to his work. After his passing, she spontaneously received the don of healing and knew how to cure. She became a well known healer in Las Delicias. It seems to me that curanderism in Peru is usually the first point of call for anyone suffering from any sickness or issue. It has proven effective for people for thousands of years but there is still some idea of orthodox medicine. This is because it’s doctors refuse to treat the while person or to acknowledge the possible existence of God/spirit and the human soul. Eduardo was sought by people to treat a wide...
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...levels of the unconscious as well as engendering purpose and enhancing creativity and spirituality. Ayahuasca, and other entheogens (e.g., psilocybin, LSD, salvia divinorum, etc.) may serve as psycho-enrichment technologies (PETs) that enhance cognition, boost creativity and spirituality, and create harmonious relationships with others. The use of ayahuasca in a ritual setting has been found to stimulate optimal living through the integration of mythological, alchemical, and archetypal motifs into daily life. Ritual use of ayahuasca may include a shamanic ritual (healer-patient) or an organized religious group, such as the Santo Daime church, the Barquina, or the União do Vegetal (UDV), the latter 3 of which represent a type of collective shamanism. Based on my extensive interviews with multiple seasoned Santo Daime church members, and my 5 years of experience with Daime rituals, I propose that...
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..."MUMBAKI" In the world we live in, each kind of people has their own kind of culture, each one differing one from another. The people under the same culture shares their own set of beliefs, practices, rituals, goals and values. Though there may be some that members that may go astray from the others. Anyway from the movie Mumbaki we can see the culture of the Ifugao wherein their belief in their so-called 'baki' or gods is so strong that they would even forgo the medicine putting their whole trust in the mumbaki, fearing that if ever they would not follow him their pagan god would bring them diseases and plagues. In the movie also we saw here how that in just a small argument a war might erupt just like the dispute of the Alimit and the Lidum tribe. From there it can also be said that revenge always happen once again because their god might bring them incurable sicknesses and even death thus when the epidemic diseases already experienced by some has transferred to many refusing the medicine given by their attending physician. For my own personal standpoint I must say they are all idiots, I have been to Banaue been born there and had my childhood there and in there I have seen adults carrying pigs in bamboo stalks even in the early morning or late at night, they always perform this ritual whenever they need the guidance of their pagan gods such as looking for a lost person in the forest, an offering to their gods for a newlywed but the most common time you see it is in the...
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...Huaorani Joe Seamans, is a writer of the story in this virtual field trip. He shared his experience when he visited the Huaorani in a place called El Oriente, which is located in the Amazon. The Huaorani call themselves the most courageous indigenous people in the Amazon. They are outstanding hunters and warriors who dwell in the forest and struggle hard to defend their land and have revealed no kindness to unwelcome intruders. They hunt in a party or group that moves silently through their rain-forest, hunting for monkeys using a blowgun and their poison tip arrows. These hunters possess knowledge to the world of nature. They can distinguish animals out of sight in the forest by their scent; they also can call them and converse to them. Rocio Alarcon, a native to Ecuador and also an ethnobotanist, knows more about indigenous populations than anyone in Ecuador. She has observed the changes of El Oriente for the duration of her visit. She witnessed the transformation of new roads, wells, pipelines, and continued dislodgment of indigenous people. Alarcon greets Mengatoi, who is the shaman. A shaman is a mystery to most people. They are often called many names such as doctor, priest artist, visionary, master of ecstasy. In the past they were known as sorcerers, witch doctors, charlatans, and voodoo priests. After making the acquaintance of to the shaman, she observed the families gathering together with their children to eat and unwind. The children play hunting games using toy blowguns...
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...HRM582 The Body Ritual Among the Nacirema The Body Ritual Among the Nacirema As an individual coming to investigate American civilization through the observation of cultural activities, I find the ritual of medicine men and women (doctors, psychiatrists and pharmacists) very interesting. “Medicine man" or "medicine woman" are English terms used to describe traditional healers and spiritual leaders among Native American and other indigenous or aboriginal peoples (Unknown 2012 ¶2). Native Americans held the “medicine people” in very high regard. It was believed that the knowledge they possessed was privileged and linage was restricted to remain in particular families. The power bestowed upon and held by the “medicine people” made them mystical. They were viewed as having supernatural powers allowing them the ability to cure disease and control the spirits. This led to the term of “witch doctors”. Witch doctors were used to describe African traditional healers, as in Nacirema. The “witch doctors” were known for their connection to the spiritual world. Through their intimate relationship with the spirits they were often called on to heal disease or the psyche. They were believed to have the ability to bridge the natural world and spiritual world and provide inner harmony. These practices opened the door for herbalists, acupuncturist, and other alternative approaches to healing...
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...“Kelin” Kelin tells the tale of a young village woman torn between two suitors - story about womanhood and family in Kazakhstan. The roles women play in Kelin compose the themes of this film. Kelin’s future is in the hands of her father who will give here to the man with the most wealth regardless of her personal feelings. This decision then perpetuates the inciting incident as Kelin’s true lover (the lesser of the suitors) makes a blood oath to return and take Kelin as his wife. With no other witnesses, Kelin does her best to keep the evidence of the oath hidden as it has left a scar on her forearm. She leaves her father to begin her new life. Her husband is a family man, supporting his brother and shamanistic mother and Kelin soon develops feelings for him. She longs for her true lover but must find a way to live in peace or else pay the price of betrayal. But what makes this film special is the absence of dialogue. This film is a perfect example of showing, not telling. Rather than relying on speaking the camera shows landscape, and lighting to reinforce the actions of the characters. For instance the majestic landscape of the Altai Mountains is presented. We immediately get a sense for the bleak, lonely world these people live in. There is no any police or any form of help for that matter. These people are truly on their own living by their own laws. The feministic nature of the film is also a breath of fresh air. One would typically think that in nomadic tribes...
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...1 SAMPLE RESEARCH PAPER PROPOSAL Shamanism: An Exploration in the “Technique of Ecstasy” Introduction: The introduction provides a brief overview of shamanism as an ancient practice that is found throughout history and across cultures. This paper will examine traditional forms of shamanism, as well as neo-shamanism, the re-emergence of shamanic practices in contemporary Western culture. Ultimately, this paper argues that shamanistic practices are effective methods of healing developed and utilized as a spiritual path for thousands of years. Working Thesis: Despite the prevailing dismissive and often negative Western scientific attitude toward shamanism, this ancient method of healing is an effective practice that, through a transpersonal experience in which an individual undergoes a change in consciousness, the individual gains access to his or her archetypal, inner resources which results in healing, insight, and self-empowerment. Structure: I. Traditional Shamanism (the first part of this paper briefly answers the following questions concerning traditional shamanism): a. What is a shaman? This section discusses the definition (and issues of defining) the traditional concept of a shaman. It provides a brief overview of the origin and distribution of shamanic practices around the world throughout history. b. How does one become a shaman? This section discusses a shaman’s initiation process, training, and deathrebirth experience. c. What does a shaman do? 2 This section...
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...Nafisatou Cisse Little Blue Traveler Once upon a time there was a little boy named Assan from a village in West Africa. A very quiet little boy who was well known in their little village. Everyone knew the little boy by the little blue traveler being that his mother would send him every day to his sick aunt’s house to bring her lunch and dinner. The village people would see him going and coming every day with his blue sweater. Every one wondered where he was going back and forth. One warm afternoon his mother, prepared food for his sick aunt. “Son, go check on your aunt, bring her the food as well make sure she has taken her medication.” As he was told, little blue traveler picked up his blue sweater and the food for his aunt and went on his was to his aunt’s hut on the other side of the village. As he walked through the walk way he ran into a village women named Penda the witch who wanted to capture him for her witch craft; but something made her decide not to. Little blue traveler did not know that Penda was a witch because she was camouflage as a villager. Penda started talking to the quite little boy to see where he was heading. “And where are you going little blue Traveler.” “Mmhmh…… (He whispered quietly) “I cannot hear you little boy.” “I am going to my sick aunt’s house to bring her food” Penda the witch became very interested in where his sick aunt lived so that she can capture them both for her witch craft. “And where dose she live” said the Witch...
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...Danielle Haden Dr. Schenbeck Worlds of Music 1 March 2015 Ritual comparison between Enemyway and Spelman Commencement While the Navajo Enemyway and the Spelman College Commencement have different functions, I believe that they serve as a powerful instrument in the lives of their people, or the people involved. The Navajo Enemyway ceremony is a ritual used to cure someone who has been away from home for an extended period of time or if they have been “in the hands of a non-Navajo”. If the Navajo have been in a hospital full of other spirits: depression, bad dreams, and injuries, this Enemyway is used to purify and cure them and expel the negative energies and spirits. The Spelman College Commencement ceremony is not solely used to distribute...
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...practices (Purnell & Paulanka, 2008). The philosophy of healing, including the spiritual perspective and critical components of healing in the Shamanism, Hinduism, and Confucianism faiths differ vastly from the Christian philosophy. Since the majority of the population in the United States is Christian, an important tool in development of cultural sensitivity is a comparison of Christian healing beliefs with these others. Diversity 3 Health Care Provider and Faith Diversity The United States used to be called the “Melting Pot” because immigrants would acculturate and become “American”. This is no longer the case as more and more immigrants are holding on to their culture and beliefs. This often includes their philosophies on healing and spirituality. In order to compare other “faiths” with the Christian faith, a distinction needs to be drawn between religion and faith. The Free Online Dictionary defines religion as “a belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe” and faith as “a confident belief in the trustworthiness of a person, idea or thing” (The Free Dictionary). Shamanism Shamanism is the belief that all things possess spirits (Purnell & Paulanka, 2008). It is not a religion, but rather a faith; believed to have originated in Siberia, Shamanism has been practiced extensively by Native Americans and Celtics as well. Spiritual Perspective on Healing The most...
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...Shamanism as a Healing Process Pre-20th Century: The history of Shamanism and its role in both religion and medicine Briana K. Strickland Texas A&M University October 7, 2014 Shamanism Healing involves the physical and psychological process of restoring health and has been a part of human existence since prehistoric times. Religion has also been a part of the human experience for centuries, giving people something to believe and trust in. Shamanism is one of the oldest forms of both a healing process and a religion, tracing back to ancient Siberia as early as 800 CE. This magico-religion believes in preserving a strong connection with nature and in the power of shamans who act as mediators between our world and the world of spirits. Despite negative scientific attitudes toward Shamanism today, this primeval restorative technique is an effective practice that is still used today. An Ancient Practice According to Edson, Tibet converted to Buddhism in 800 CE, following suit with the rest of central Asia. While it was not referred to as Shamanism, Tibet Buddhism involved putting spells on lamas under which they would predict the future, corresponding with the magico-religious practice. When Mongols converted to Tibetan Buddhism as well, that faith spread into Siberia, which was inhabited at the time by various groups of nomads (Edson, 2009, p 5). These wanderers at the time presumably introduced the religion to other civilizations, and it was soon practiced...
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