Shamanism Essay

Shamanism is a practice which involves high mental control to reach altered states of consciousness and interact with the spirit world, thus bringing that energy (good or bad) into our physical world. Shamanic practices are rooted in ancient cultures, dating back to prehistoric times. Shamans are known as magicians and ‘medicine man’, often linked with mysticism and psychic powers. In Korea, however, most shamans are women (also known as mudang), and they serve as intercessors between god/s and humans. Shamanism remained Korea’s main religion practice, even throughout the restrictive Confucian Joseon dynasty. Confucianism, a humanistic/rationalistic religion, focuses on mercy, social order and fulfillment of responsibilities, with its main

The term shaman has a halo of mystery and can evoke diverse and even contradictory realities - it is, however, widely accepted that shamanism has its roots in ancient cultures and the term shaman originates from the Tungusic Evenki language of Siberia. Shamanism is a complex and little-known phenomenon. It presents an articulated set of ways of behaving whose understanding is initially complex. Its origin is detectable in human groups, even before writing systems were developed. Shamanic practices are more than a prehistoric or pre-literary contribution to the cure of diseases. They provide a vision of the world that today we can describe as "not ordinary". From a philosophical perspective, it allows a better formal understanding of the so-called analogical thought. This way of thinking is as nuclear to shamanism as logical thinking is to the scientific

The teachings of Confucius put order, hierarchy and social harmony over individual egoism, that is, the person is subject to the strict system of laws, obligations and rituals. Social relations are based on the criteria of age, sex and generation: in the political sphere, the governed render their maximum loyalty to the governor, while in the family, the children obey the father, the younger brother obeys the older one and, finally, the wife obeys the husband. In the different stages of life, women are always under masculine authority. As a young girl, she must obey her father, when she marries, her husband, and finally, when she becomes a widow, her