What is a Shamanist?

A Shamanist is someone connected to Nature who understands the cycles of the seasons, Life, Death, Rebirth and how-to live-in relationship with them. They can go into an alternative state of consciousness and enter a non-ordinary reality; there they connect with the unseen helpers and aspects of this world that affects us on all levels, the Mental, Emotional, Spiritual Physical, and even our Dreamtime. The outcome is Healing at the level needed at the time.   

One of the best definitions I have found is “I define a Shaman as a healer of relationships: between mind and body, between people and circumstances, between humans and Nature, and between madder and Spirit.” from Serge Kahili King, PH.D. in his book Urban Shaman.

Shamanism is the first Spiritual practice on Earth, there are many kinds of Shamans. 

From an Indigenous tribe you are chosen by the Elder Shaman and taught the ways of healing according to their culture. 

There are ones that are taught directly by being in Nature by Nature Spirits, like the first Buddha. 

Then there are ones that are called to this work through a crisis or near-death experience that is how I came to this modality of healing. First for my own healing, then for thirty years I studied, practiced, worked; and for the last fifteen years training in this field of wisdom.   

There are Shamans that take drugs to get to this altered state of consciousness. I have been taught through the Foundation for Shamanic studies, the work of Michael Harner. He was an anthropologist and wanted to know how the Shamans healed. He travelled for twenty years around the world studding them and their methods of healing; he discovered using a percussion instrument like the drumbeat can take you into the altered states. Using the drugs often caused much discomfort in the body and can easily muddle the information received from the Spirit world. I use the drumbeat.