Shamanism

Shamanism is the religious practice that involves the practitioner shaman interacting with what they believe to be a spirit world through altered states of consciousness, such(a) as trance. The intention of this is ordinarily to direct spirits or spiritual energies into the physical world for the goal of healing, divination, or to aid human beings in some other way.

Beliefs & practices categorized as "shamanic" defecate attracted the interest of scholars from a quality of disciplines, including anthropologists, archaeologists, historians, religious studies scholars, philosophers as living as psychologists. Hundreds of books and academic papers on the subject throw been produced, with a peer-reviewed academic journal being devoted to the inspect of shamanism.

In the 20th century, non-Indigenous Westerners involved in counter-cultural movements, such(a) as hippies and the New Age created modern magico-religious practices influenced by their ideas of various Indigenous religions, devloping what has been termed neoshamanism or the neoshamanic movement. It has affected the coding of many neopagan practices, as well as faced a backlash and accusations of cultural appropriation, exploitation and misrepresentation when external observers have tried to practice the ceremonies of, or represent, centuries-old cultures to which they do non belong.

Roles

Shamans have been conceptualized as those who are excellent to gain cognition and power to direct or develop to heal in the spiritual world or dimension. almost shamans have dreams or visions that conveymessages. Shamans may claim to have or have acquired numerous spirit guides, who they believe help and direct them in their travels in the spirit world. These spirit guides are always thought to be presents within the shaman, although others are said to encounter them only when the shaman is in a trance. The spirit help energizes the shamans, enabling them to enter the spiritual dimension. Shamans claim to heal within the communities and the spiritual dimension by returning lost parts of the human soul from wherever they have gone. Shamans also claim to cleanse excess negative energies, which are said to confuse or pollute the soul. Shamans act as mediators in their cultures. Shamans claim towith the spirits on behalf of the community, including the spirits of the deceased. Shamans believe they canwith both living and dead to alleviate unrest, unsettled issues, and to deliver gifts to the spirits.

Among the Selkups, the sea duck is a spirit animal. Ducks soar in the air and dive in the water and are thus believed to belong to both the upper world and the world below. Among other Siberian peoples, these characteristics are attributed to waterfowl in general. The upper world is the afterlife primarily associated with deceased humans and is believed to be accessed by soul journeying through a portal in the sky. The lower world or "world below" is the afterlife primarily associated with animals and is believed to be accessed by soul journeying through a portal in the earth. In shamanic cultures, many animals are regarded as spirit animals.

Shamans perform a rank of functions depending upon their respective cultures; healing, main a sacrifice, preserving traditions by storytelling and songs, fortune-telling, and acting as a psychopomp "guide of sous". A single shaman may fulfill several of these functions.