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George Sevy

Hlth 1240 Arndt


9/27/2014
Research Paper

For my topic I have decided to delve into the history behind shamanistic meditation.
This may be a relatively unknown practice when concerning western standards, but it certainly
holds its place in tradition of the ancient civilizations. The origins of the word shaman may be
derived from an ancient Indian word meaning to heal oneself or practice austerities or from
the Siberian Tungus tribe meaning to know. For thousands of years up to the present, the
position of the medicine man has been the esteemed doctor, a spiritual leader, and a singular
individual among his peers with the solidified intent to help and heal the community. A
shaman is a man or a woman who enters an altered state of consciousness at will to contact
and utilize an ordinarily hidden reality to acquire knowledge, power, and to help other
persons. (Harner p. 25) This is can be induced by ceremonial actions like drum circles or by
personal consumption of indigenous medicines that may not be conventionally associated with
meditation, but are still effective means to enter a certain state of awareness. The basic belief
behind this style of healing is that the answers can be found in the meditative state that can
illuminate not only the questions we have for ourselves, but in a shared environment the ability
to bring others to the same realization.
The first and foremost significance between shaman around the world is their physical
position on the planet. As you can guess there are many different traits that associate a wise
man in different cultures, such as the combination of shamanistic influence and Tibetan
Buddhism of the Bn religion of central Asia, to the solitary nature of an Inuit shaman, or a
healing ceremony of an Amazonian medicine man. Interestingly enough this has a direct
correlation to the types of ecosystems and creatures inhabiting it, this is due to the fact that the
singular purpose of a shamanistic meditation is to take direct connection with the forces of the
environment. There are many ancient tribal traditions that are built upon the belief that
humans and animals are not the only material objects imbued with life, but rather everything in
the earths creation from the plants and rocks to the soil and streams. This is a pivotal action
when assessing a potential set and setting in which to perform a meditation. Being as much of
the planet is being cleared for civilization many shaman find it necessary to physically travel to
remote locations untouched by human development, still retaining the integral connection to
nature. This creates subtle yet obvious barriers when attempting to enter the mindset towards
a shamanic journey. It is like the difference between trying to meditate with the noise pollution
of a heavily traveled roadway, as opposed to the noise pollution of the nestled birds in an
unaltered mountain meadow.
In this respect the senses are the most powerful tool the shaman has when accessing a
higher state of the conscious self. In particular sight and sound are extremely useful tools in the
interpretation of guided visions. As I mentioned earlier the most prolific way to enter a
physically sober yet altered state of conscious is the use of drumming ceremonies. To do this
requires at least on other individual in providing the higher tempo, repeating rhythm percussive
beats that seem to transport the individual from just a standard meditative state into an
almost trance like one which in my experience can be described as a lucid dream state.
So what happens when they do enter a trance? To an external observer the body is quite
inanimate which may come off as a lack of any experience whatsoever, but to the shaman this
is just a transition from the ordinary state of consciousness. From a physiological standpoint it
seems practical to assume that a constant electric impulse from the vibrations through the ear
drum gets sent to part of the brain that activates these visions. In fact there have been tests
that show meditations have the capability to send presently awake and aware individual into
the REM (rapid eye movement) sleep phase. This is for me the specific shift in state of being
that needs to be attained because goal is to lose all connection with all the distractions and
feelings of the physical body in transition to the mental or spiritual one. This is precisely why
the internal vision comes into place; it is the interpretation of the scenes they project that
allows for the growth and development of those involved. The shaman believes his visions to
be outsourced to him both through the physical energy present from earth itself, as well as
existential support from personal spirit guides.
For the most part the term spirit guide or spirit totem is a well-known concept. Many native
Indian tribes would name individuals based on traits associated with a specific animal force i.e.
Crazy Horse. The goal here is to form an intimate connection with animal guide that an
individual feels intrinsically linked to. This meditation is valuable for gaining a sense of self, as
well as a sense of purpose because the defining traits of your guide will also come to define
you. In my experience it is best to work with factors such as our astrological symbols, the
zodiac of both eastern and western culture, as well as personal infatuation. It is best to feel like
your totem also chooses you, the point being to form powerful mental symbiotic relationship
that can be as beneficial as a physical connection like a man and his dog. My experience has
lead me to solidify my personal guide as the red hawk. From researching the symbolism behind
this animal there is an ingrained potential for clear vision work. It implies a desire for truth not
simply by experiencing it but through interpretation of others. Characteristics such as constant
observation, clear sightedness, and the ability to see the larger picture greatly assist in
assessment of my personal inquiries, while also using the foundation of several other protective
factors to ensure that I am searching for the correct answers.
All though these guides are very beneficial in finding the potential paths to take, animals
are far from being the highest influence on these ceremonies. In fact the use of plant based
holistic remedies can mean the difference in the outcome of a healing ceremony. Although
this primarily includes the use of non pharmacutial herbal medicine for physical disease, there
are traditionally several psychoactive plants used for the purpose of mental and spiritual
growth. The use of many of these substances is condemned in the United States, but still quite
legal in parts of South America. Perhaps the most interesting is the use of the Ayahuasca vine,
with is boiled down with chacruna and oco yag leaves catalyzes the hallucinogen
Dimethyltriptamine. The most interesting fact about this substance is it is present in small
amounts in all living organisms, and in certain Peruvian religious ceremonies is seen as a direct
connection to the earth and everything inhabiting it. Since gaining a large scale awareness of
the life altering effects of a guided shamanic experience thousands of Americans have made
the pilgrimage to the amazon in hopes of finding solace from previous life trauma and
depression. This has to be done under the direct supervision of an expert shaman, because in
the process of mental projection in these meditations to fight their personal demons face to
face for the sake of personal growth.
Whether or not these ceremonial visions are scientifically proven as a means of psychotherapy
is irrelevant. From what I have found in my research this that these ancient ceremonies have
the incomparable capability to bring out a positive life change in the face of despair that is the
heart of the shamanic journey. Whether it is on the physical or mental plane there has to be
the ability to overcome pain and suffering in order to allow growth for the future. What I have
experienced in this manner has surely turned around the anxiety and aggression in my life by
accepting and overcoming the fears that retain my potential. The truth is there is a reason why
the Shaman is such a solitary individual, it takes an extraordinary amount of courage, wisdom,
and insight just to go through these trials and come to terms not only with yourself but to also
find recognition in the unknown forces that brought you there. It is an adventure of the self in
which one can find experience from the misgivings of the past, and in turn use the lessons to
help provide similar enlightenment for the future of an entire community.







Works Cited
Harner, Micheal. The Way of The Shaman. New York: HarperCollins, 1980, Print
Phylameana lila Desy Native American Healing Practices Tools and Healing Practices,
About.com. Web. Oct 2, 2014
Salak, Kira Peru: Hell and Back Adventure Guide Peru, National Geographic Society.
Web. 0ct 4, 2014
Shamanism: Working With Animal Spirits animalspirits.com, Aug 16, 2012. Web. Oct 3,
2014
Stanghini, Jeremiah The History of Shamanism: A Brief Overview of Shamanism Part 1
http://jeremiahstanghini.com/, Wordpress.com. Aug 5, 2013. Web. Oct 3, 2014

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