A Basic Perspective

What is Shamanic Healing? The spiritual healing techniques known as Core Shamanism are ancient indigenous healing practices common to cultures throughout the world.  Healing from a shamanic perspective is healing of the spirit/soul.  Such spiritual healing may or may not affect the emotional and physical manifestations of illness.  A shamanic healer works by "journeying" to non-ordinary reality to ask the assistance of helping spirits in working with the client's healing.  A shamanic journey is a spiritual experience in which the healer, using the trance inducing qualities of drumming or rattling, travels to the Lower or the Upper World to seek guidance from the healer's power animals and/or teachers.  These helping spirits can provide many different and creative methods for healing, so gifted shamans work with the creativity of the spirits within the framework of some basic shamanic healing techniques.  These shamanic healing practices have been documented and taught through the work of Michael Harner, Ph.D., Sandra Ingerman, Ph.D. and others associated with the Foundation for Shamanic Studies.

How is Spiritual Illness Manifested and Diagnosed? Spiritual illness can manifest in many ways; the most common are Power Loss, Soul Loss, and Spiritual Intrusions . Initially, the shamanic healer uses a technique called Divination by journeying to his/her own power animal and/or teacher who provides the diagnosis of the cause(s) of the client's spiritual illness, if any.  The helping spirits also decide whether extraction, soul retrieval, or other techniques are needed and in what order they are to be administered. 

What is the Client's Role in Shamanic Healing? Illness, especially spiritual illness, is often an initiation that tests our abilities to follow the guidance of and remain in alignment with Spirit in our lives.  The "cure" is the love given to the client through the shamanic technique performed, for example, an extraction followed by a soul retrieval.  More importantly, the "healing" comes from the follow-up self-love required of the client.  True healing requires the client to answer the question "What changes do I need to make in my life to support my ongoing health and well-being?"  The client's job is to take the time and make the commitment to learn from the lessons experienced during the spiritual illness and to change his/her life where needed to support continuing health.