Shamanism

Introduction

Shamanism is widely regarded as the oldest human spiritual practice, with roots going back to the Paleolithic era or Stone Age, from 2.5 million to 200,000 years ago. The Dance of the Deer Foundation notes that

“One could view shamanism as the universal spiritual wisdom inherent to all indigenous tribes. As all ancient spiritual practices are rooted in nature, shamanism is the method by which we as human beings can strengthen that natural connection.”

The shamanistic way of life, which is regarded as a religion by some but not all people, regards every element of the world (and presumably the wider universe) as having its own spirit. This includes not just people and animals, but also plants, minerals, bodies of water, mountains, entire forests, and so on. Everything is interconnected; everything is part of the great web of life. A shaman is a healer, capable of communicating with these spirits and with spirit guides who can inform the shaman what the community or the individual client needs.

Origins

It appears that the earliest shamans practiced among the indigenous peoples in Siberia and Mongolia. The word “shaman” comes from the Siberian language Tungus: “saman” means “one who knows.” This tradition was of course completely oral, and reflects early humanity’s efforts to understand the world in which they lived and their place in the vast universe.

Shamanism evolved in cultures all over the globe, without reference to each other or to any central figure. It seems to be the most basic of human attempts to comprehend the mysteries of the cosmos. One website notes that

“This universality speaks to the shared human experience and the intrinsic need to connect with the sacred and spiritual dimensions of existence.”