what is shamanism

Shamanism is a religious practice that involves a practitioner interacting with the spirit world through altered states of consciousness, such as trance. It is an ancient healing tradition and a way of life that promotes healing with ceremonies and pilgrimage. The term shamanism comes from the Manchu-Tungus word šaman, which means "one who knows". Shamans are believed to be intermediaries or messengers between the human world and the spirit worlds, and they are said to treat ailments and illnesses by mending the soul. Shamanism is not a unified field of work and is not organized under any regulating body. It is a spiritual practice found in cultures around the world from ancient times up to the present day, and it cuts across all faiths and creeds, reaching deep levels of ancestral memory. The shamanic view of the world is organized into different yet equal parts: the earth or physical world, the human world, and the stars or cosmic world. The only consistent feature of shamanism is that the shaman or shamanic practitioner will use movement, singing, chanting, drumming, prayer, music, and sometimes local indigenous plants such as ayahuasca to temporarily step into an alternative state of consciousness, which is known as a shamanic trance.