The Shaman Research Paper

The indigenous tribes of North America have much in common with the indigenous religions of Africa but there are also many differences in the belief of an afterlife, supreme deity, and the daily practices of each. Today many of these lesser known religions are hardly ever studied but they exist and are still practiced all over North America and Africa. We will discuss how these religions differ in their main beliefs and practices, and we will also discuss how they correlate with one another on smaller aspects.

ome of the most critical differences and similarities between a shaman and priest can be seen amid their textbook definitions where a shaman is described as “a part-time religious specialist who receives his or her power directly from the spirit world and acquires status and the ability to do things through personal communication with the supernatural” and a priest is described as “a full-time religious specialist who is associated with formalized religious institutes” (Stein & Stein, 2016, pg. 263-264). As evident from these definitions there are several differences between the two, although each are religious specialists who attained a certain amount of training, granted the training was different, in order to be a religious specialists. One difference is that a priest is associated with formalized religious institutes while a shaman is associated with tribes or small groups as they are usually “independent contractors” (Stein & Stein, 2016, pg. 121). Also, priests are more likely to

A specific person (or people) in each tribe are acknowledge as healers. They are usually taught from generation to generation. “Healing does not follow written guidelines. Healers work differently with each person they help. They use their herbs, ceremony and power in the best way for each individual.” (NLM) Ceremonies are a crucial part of the Native healing process, “because physical and spiritual health are intimately connected, body and spirit must heal together. Traditional healing ceremonies promote wellness by reflecting Native conceptions of Spirit, Creator, and the Universe. They can include prayer, chants, drumming, songs, stories, and the use of a variety of sacred objects.” (National Institute of Health) These ceremonies are considered very sacred. Non-Natives are allowed to come by invite only. As one can tell they are very cherished, spiritual, pious ceremonies and not just anyone can be a part of them.

In Eastern Algonquian religion they believed that there was a spiritual world that interacted constantly with the physical world.

There had been convictions that these healing practices were helpful, at least as supportive care, to clients suffering chronic mental illness. Spiritist healing practices: Spiritist medium diagnosed by seeing (inwardly envisioning) the causes of the illness and other problems to the spirit world. They do not heal in any direct sense but open their bodies to possession by illness or problem causing spirits who have attached themselves to sufferers. Healing takes place when the spirit medium assists the sufferer to come into harmony with these spirits and forgive them so as to change his or her emotions, lifestyle, physical complaints and/or destiny. The widespread fear in Puerto Rico associated with either becoming or being labeled as a loco acts a restraint on the ways medium works with persons whom they perceived psychiatric concepts and definitions of mental illness and those of the Spiritists. There was a case that was compared with the most frequent complaint of 220 women receiving help from Spiritits mediums at ritual healing

they were not seen as having more power, just higher spiritual ability-they were treated as equal and

As I mentioned above, everything began with Christopher Columbus discovering America in 1492. History is non-fiction, and perhaps the most concrete example of this non-fiction is the story of the beginning of the Indians. Native American mythology contains may different types of character including heroes, tricksters, and more. These characters can have both good and bad qualities, and fall into many categories. For example, creator gods usually restore order, but in some stories can be destructive. Tricksters can even be considered the hero in some stories. (Myths Encyclopedia, 2007). Indian stories are born from experiences and beliefs. Ross also states that “Native American societies are based on the concept of interdependence. Interdependence

Native American traditional medicine and spiritual healing rituals go back for thousands of years, these traditions often focus on different variations of alternative medicine. This knowledge is passed on throughout generations, many of the tribes learn that by mixing natural plants such as herbs and roots they can make remedies with healing properties. It is believed that being healthy is when people reach a state of harmony not only spiritually, mentally but physically. To be able to overcome the forces that cause illness people must “operate in the context of relationship to four constructs —namely, spirituality (Creator, Mother Earth, Great Father); community (family, clan, tribe/nation); environment (daily life, nature, balance); and self (inner passions and peace, thoughts, and values)” (Portman & Garret, 2006, p.453). In this research paper I am going to show evidence of the tremendous influence that Native American medicine and spiritual healing have over modern medicine in the course of healing

Shamanism and ancestor reverence are key religions of the Chinese. Shamans are spiritual healers who call on spirits while they are dreaming to relieve an individual from uncertainty or cure an individual from a disease (Laughlin & Rock, 2014). Shamans are seen as elders of the Chinese community and are respected for the tremendous healing power they have on others. Furthermore, ancestor reverence is the respect many younger generations have for their

Culture is a complex concept that incorporates society’s beliefs, values, arts, attitudes and more. People like to be able to categorize animals, objects and unfortunately people. This idea of categorizing people has been around all throughout history. Whether it be race, religion, politics, or gender, people like categorization. Ideas that stray from tradition and challenge cultural norms lead to discrimination and ignorance. For example, in the late 1800s and early 1900s women did not have the same rights as their male counterparts, and women continue to struggle to receive full equality, the wage gap. Transgender or “Two Spirited” is when a person’s personal identity and gender does not correspond with their birth sex. The movie “Two Spirits”

Upon arriving in the land that later became the United States of America, primarily Christian settlers were appalled by the apparent heathenism exhibited by the Native Americans. The fear of the unknown created the idea that the Native Americans’ lack of Christian values contributed to their savagery. In order to assimilate the Native Americans to the white Christian standard, tribal sovereignty was undermined by several federal policies in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries; primarily the banning of several dances and ceremonies, the allocation of land to the male heads of house that were held in trust by the government, and the seizure and removal of the children on reservations to be placed in militaristic boarding schools.

They used the beliefs and connections they felt they had with ancient spirits to see them through the pain they were experiencing.

spirit is injured or insulted, it can retaliate. Human beings must therefore show that they

Indigenous religions exist in every climate around the world and exhibit a wide range of differences in their stories, language, customs, and views of the afterlife. Within indigenous communities, religion, social behavior, art, and music are so intertwined that their religion is a significant part of their culture and virtually inseparable from it. These religions originally developed and thrived in isolation from one another and are some of the earliest examples of religious practice and belief. The modern world; however, has taken its toll on these groups and many of their stories, customs, and beliefs have been lost to, or replaced by, those brought in as a result of popular culture and the missionary work of Christians and Muslims.

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