Shamanism has not been a concept with one succinct definition. However, there have been varying extents of specificity within the definition. Mircea Eliade defines shamanism as an archaic technique of ecstasy. In Graham Harvey’s Shamanism: A Reader, he does not unify to one specific construe of shamanism in his writings, preferably he establishes the ambit of controversy and diversity between various definitions to foresight the extent shamanism has in comparison to other definitions. Shamanism, History, and the State by Nicholas Thomas and Caroline Humphrey debate that people have been corrupted with finding one definition of shamanism that they no longer take into account the controversy within the definition. The authors argue that there are two aspects of shamanism that include power and knowledge. More over Atkinson in her writings Shamanisms Today gets ridiculed for defining shamanism in a broader sense. Atkinson defines shamanism as having two main concepts: the psychological state of shamans and the therapeutic value of shamanic healing. Atkinson thinks that the identification of shamanism in relation to altered states of consciousness has become so strong that the two terms are sometimes used interchangeably. To this point, it is learnt that shamanism has a broad range of definitions that begins with an altered state of consciousness and can be as specific as identifying the type of altered state, paradigmatic experiences and a shaman’s ultimate goal. The skepticism of the definition leads to the speculation that these traditions have an original source.
Shamanism can be viewed as a framework which works on different levels.
Every act in shamanism revolves around a knowledgeable individual that can be deemed a shaman. T...
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Humans have always struggled in expressing themselves and art is considered to be the ultimate form of human expression. As the famous quote goes, “Art is in the eye of the beholder.” This means that what some consider something another may not. Knowing this yes, there are aspect of shamanism in the art and aspects of art in shamanism, but not everyone may be able to visualize the relationship. Shamanism is a useful term, but it is universally renowned throughout the world just like art.
Works Cited
The Chauvet Cave. Experience Ardèche. Copyright 2014
The Chauvet Cave Paintings: The Oldest Known Cave Art on Earth. Anthropology and History. April 15th 2011.
Mircea Eliade in Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy
Graham Harvey’s Shamanism: A Reader
Shamanism, History, and the State by Nicholas Thomas and Caroline Humphrey
Atkinson. Shamanisms Today
Winkelman, Michael. "Shamanism in Cross-Cultural Perspective." International Journal of Transpersonal Studies 31.2 (2013): 47-62. Google Scholar. Web. 14 Mar. 2014.
The Cross-Cultural Articulations of War Magic and Warrior Religion by D. S. Farrer, main purpose of this article is to provide a re-evaluated perspective of religion and magic, through the perspective of the practitioners and victims. Farrer uses examples that range from the following: “Chinese exorcists, Javanese spirit siblings, Sumatran black magic, Tamil Tiger suicide bombers, Chamorro spiritual re-enchantment, tantric Buddhist war magic, and Yanomami dark shamans” (1). Throughout the article, he uses these examples to address a few central themes. The central themes for war magic, range from “violence and healing, accomplished through ritual and performance, to unleash and/or control the power of gods, demons, ghosts and the dead” (Farrer 1).
Of Water and the Spirit is more than simply an account of Malidoma's life and initiation, it is a detailed description of the worldview of a Dagara man, who is forcibly subjected to traditional Western thought for fifteen years and then returns to his home physically, at first, but spiritually only once he goes through initiation, or what the Dagara call the Baar. Malidoma's recount of his story, being very similar to the storytelling of an African Griot, uses amazing imagery that allows the listener to sincerely experience his thoughts and actions and the things he sees, hears, and feels throughout his early life up to now.
People that believe in Shamanism that features of the world such as trees, animals, mountains and man-made objects hold some form of spirit (Vitebsky, 2001). These objects and features of the world notice how the people treat them and can give or take from us (Vitebsky, 2001). The spirits are able to interact with people and can be the cause of the events that happen in our lives (Vitebsky,). Shaman’s also go through a journey that “allows him or her to perceive the true nature or essence of phenomena.” When the Shaman’s go through the state of unconsciousness, it is like they are taking a journey through space (Vitebsky, 2001). They travel to another world while they are on this spiritual journey. Shamanism is based on acknowledging the essence and process of the world and they also use this to achieve their goals (Vitebsky,
The Shaman in Transformation Pose, as described in Kent Reilly’s article is a piece that is pivotal in the understanding of the role of the supernatural world within Olmec rulership. Reilly sees a connection between the iconographic features of the figure of the Shaman and spirituality. In a larger sense, this supernatural ability is meant to be seen as power. In his essay, Riley presents other figures with similar poses or materials as evidence for his thesis. He elaborates on the outline of the “bufo marinus” (9) on the top of the head of the figure as a possible connection to what he calls “shamanistic” qualities in the figure.
ABSTRACT: This paper addresses religious epistemology in that it concerns the assessment of the credibility of certain claims arising out of religious experience. Developments this century have made the world’s rich religious heritage accessible to more people than ever. But the conflicting religious claims tend to undermine each religion’s central claim to be a vehicle for opening persons to ultimate reality. One attempt to overcome this problem is provided by "perennial philosophy," which claims that there is a kind of mystical experience common to all religious traditions, an experience which is an immediate contact with an absolute principle. Perennialism has been attacked by "contextualists" such as Steven Katz who argue that particular mystical experiences are so tied to a particular tradition that there are no common mystical experiences across traditions. In turn, Robert Forman and the "decontextualists" have argued that a certain kind of mystical experience and process are found in diverse traditions, thereby supporting one of the key elements of perennialism. I review the contextualist-decontextualist debate and suggest a research project that would pursue the question of whether the common ground of the world’s mystical traditions could be expanded beyond what has been established by the decontextualists. The extension of this common ground would add credibility to the claims arising out of mystical experience.
The author of Distant Wandering offers a decidedly fascinating look into the experiences of Chinese shamans. In the literature, the context of the Warring States Period is important to comprehend the reason behind the shaman’s lamentations. In addition, the traditional facets of shamanism and Chinese culture in general are vital in the interpretation of such works that describe the voyage in the perspective of a shaman. Distant Wandering is an ideal piece of literature from which to gather an understanding of shaman life, as it is clear in its meaning, yet preserves the ambiguity of the spirit
1988; Whitley 1994: 9). Because “ the brain attempts to recognise, or decode, these forms as it does impressions supplied by the nervous system in a normal state of consciousness” (Lewis-Williams et al. 1988: 203), what shamans interpret from the entoptic phenomena will naturally be based on their cultural background, including animals and activities which surround their methods of subsistence. Kalahari Bushman informants- shamans- have spoken of “riding a rain animal to the top of a mountain and killing it so that its blood would fall as rain” (Lewis-Williams 1992: 57). Out of body experiences or spiritual journeys were also often undergone in the form of an animal (Lewis-Williams 1992: 57). A core belief in !Kung Bushman society is that supernatural potency, or n/um, can be gained from the fat of the Eland, an animal which is frequently hunted. The close relationship the !Kung have developed with an animal they have come to rely on, both for subsistence as well as for their cultural practices, induces a spiritual belief based on it. The relationships shamans formed with “animal spirit helpers were central to the development of identity and professional competence, providing powers to carry out a variety of activities.” (Winkelman 2002: 1878). Apart from “structuring relationships of the individual to the collectivity and the cosmos” (Winkelman 2002: 1878), trance enables shamans to promote “economic activity by, for example, guiding antelope into ambushes and controlling rain” (Mazel 1989:
While many native religions die out, the rejuvenation of shamanism and the return to its roots is bringing the religion back from the brink. Any books on eastern shamanism tend include the Buryat Mongols shamanism, as their belief is so strong and present even today.
Tiger Lung by Simon Roy and Jason Wordie follows the adventures of an Upper Paleolithic, nomadic shaman named Tiger lung. Taking place 30,000 years BC in Europe between the Eastern Carpathians and the Northern shores of the Black Sea. A shaman is seen as a sort of religious specialist who by falling into a transcendent state, can consult with spirits, determine illness and possibly influence a cure, as well as manipulate curses. Shamans gain this role through various methods based on their culture. Either through drug use, surviving traumatic injury, lucid dreaming, mental disorder, ritual practice, or inheritance. Tiger Lung has inherited his position from his father and his father before him. In the book, we follow Tiger Lung through three separate narratives where he faces great challenges befallen a shaman of his universe.
Shamanism is a mix of magic, folklore, medicine and spirituality that evolved in tribal and gathering communities thousands of years ago. Shamanic faith presumes that everyone and everything has a spirit which is a part of a greater whole, and that spirits affect all events, including illness and disease. In the tradition of Shamanism it is believed that certain people named shamans exhibit particular magical specialties at birth; the most common specialization is that of a healer. A Shaman is believed to have the ability to communicate with the ethereal world through trance states. Traditional shamans developed techniques for lucid dreaming and what is today called out-of body experience. Entering trances through ritual drumming, chanting or hallucinogenic plants they journey to another reality; while retaining control over their own consciousness. The Shamans are believed to communicate with “spirit helpers” to heal and divine the future. There are a number of relatively common practices and experiences in traditional shamanism, which are being investigated by modern researches. http://www.herbweb.com/healing/index.html
Despite the Tibetan’s belief in the spiritual nature of the trance, anthropologists who have studied it have been able to come up with other explanations for the trance state that do not involve the religious belief in spirit possession. These explanations often involve subjects such as psychology and neurology that look at the physiological state of the body during the trance. Through scientifically analyzing the trance state, it raises the question of whether or not the oracles who enter into these trances are able to do so intentionally and if an oracle can willfully enter into a trance, then how does an oracle become valid? The Tibetan oracles are both sources of mysticism but they have also been sources of great controversy in Tibet for these questions involving the authenticity of the oracle.
It lacked key components of the ancient practices of shamanism. For example, the use of prerecorded songs, rattles, and drums could all clear the pathway to a SSC for the “new shaman” on his spirit journey. Suffering was not required to appease the masters and spirit helpers anymore. A simplified version of shamanic techniques and exercises could be used to achieve altered states of consciousness. Essentially, anyone could become a shaman, by simply following Harner’s basic shamanic methods of restoring and maintain personal power without the use of faith or the aid of the shaman’s sacred
Art of the upper Paleolithic period has been discovered around the world. From Africa, to the Americas, to Asia, and Europe there are cave paintings ranging from twelve thousand to thirty six thousand years old and are more concentrated in the regions of France and Spain. An example of such artwork was discovered in the Lascaux caves of southwestern France on September 12, 1940 and immediately put under monument protection. Rather than only one painting, archaeologists stumbled upon a complex cave system with chambers that divided the paintings into different subjects. There’s a “great hall of bulls” as well as the “Chamber of felines”, and the “Shaft of the dead men”. The cave paintings are believed to be around twenty thousand years old and
This beautiful Stone Age present to our time suggests that art was visible and practiced from close to the beginning of time. The decorated caves and figures have helped us learn of other cultures and their distinctive expressions of life-forms. Still indistinct about the main purpose of this creative art form, archaeologists continue to dig and discover new pieces that may add to the picture and help to solve this ongoing puzzle.