A shaman refers to a person who is able to enter into an altered state of mind and journey to other realms in non-ordinary reality. This journey is accomplished by the spiritual body or soul of the shaman. Through the journey, a shaman is capable of interacting and developing relationships with spirits that impart knowledge and healing.

Practical applications of that spiritual knowledge include retrieving information for diagnostic purposes — such as learning the ‘why’ or ‘how’ of a situation or circumstance. For instance, we may want to learn how we can be more supportive in our relationships or create a better work environment. Or we may want to learn about something more mundane, such as how to grow a better garden this year.

Shamanism is also used for spiritual healing, which can take place through soul retrieval, power animal retrieval, extraction, dance, song, plant medicine, and many other methods that can vary between each shaman depending on their cultural traditions and spirit helpers they work with.

Modern Shamanism, also known as “Core Shamanism”, refers to a shamanic practice that incorporates the methodologies most commonly used by shamans around the world. This methodology was developed by anthropologist Michael Harner, who co-authored The Way of the Shaman and co-founded the Foundation for Shamanic Studies with his wife, Sandra Harner.

Anthropologists who studied different shamanic cultures noticed that shamanism exists on every inhabitable continent of the planet. However, despite the various shamanic traditions not having contact between each other across the different continents for most of human history, many aspects of the various shamanic traditions were the same.

For instance, there are shamanic traditions that infamously use mind-altering drugs, such as peyote, mushrooms, or ayahuasca for accessing non-ordinary reality. However, 90% of shamanic practices utilize a sonic drive (drumming) as the favored method of reaching an altered state. Thus, in Modern Shamanism, we use drumming as the method for journeying.

Modern Shamanism also heavily emphasizes ethics, as well as working closely with benevolent spirits from the upper and lower worlds. Sessions with clients are strictly confidential, and all shamanic services are performed with explicit permission.

If a person has the ability to access non-ordinary reality and the community views that person as capable of bringing spiritual healing and knowledge to solve everyday problems, that person is a shaman.

There are many different types of shamans. Some shamans practice full time as their vocation, while others use shamanic methods only for self-healing and for personal spirituality. Some shamans have “day jobs” as therapists, medical doctors, or chiropractors and incorporate shamanic techniques as an additional way to treat patients more holistically.

There are also many other types of shamanic methods besides Modern Shamanism.

No matter which shaman you choose to work with, please be mindful of choosing someone who works with compassionate spirits and who honors your needs.

Shamanism is different than other modalities like energy healing, psychotherapy, hypnotherapy, or traditional medicine, in that shamanism works directly with the soul.

For example, shamanic healing cures illnesses of the soul. If the soul feels disempowered, such as when a person experiences trauma, this can manifest as a physical or mental disease. Shamanic healing therefore endeavors to cure illnesses of the soul by reconnecting a person or place back to their own spiritual power.

Likewise, with shamanic divination, the shamanic practitioner retrieves back information that the soul needs to know to cure itself or for self-growth. Therefore, a divination on the topic of “how can I win the lottery” or “tell me the lucky numbers” might not be that fruitful if winning the lottery is not part of your soul’s destiny.

The shamanic services I provide are to connect us back to our spiritual power and improve our daily lives.

As we build up our spiritual power, we become more aligned with the vast web of power around us. It helps us feel more revitalized, imparting good health, good luck, and feelings of wholeness and aliveness.

Shamanic journeying is the process of accessing the spirit realm in non-ordinary reality.

In most shamanic cultures throughout the world, shamanic journeying is accomplished by alternating the state of consciousness using a sonic drive. This is typically done through a rhythmic drumbeat or rattling at around 200 beats per minute.

Through this method, a shaman is able to navigate being in both the spiritual world of non-ordinary reality, as well as remain conscious of her surroundings within ordinary reality.

While journeying through ayahuasca, psilocybin, peyote, and other psychedelics has become more trendy lately, it is not necessarily safe or fruitful when taken out of the context of indigenous culture and tradition.