Shamanism is the most ancient spiritual practice known to humankind. Many anthropologists believe that the practice dates back over 10,000 years.

The word “Shaman” comes from the Tungus tribe in Siberia, and it means spiritual healer or one who sees in the dark. Shamanism has been practiced in Siberia, Asia, Europe, Africa, Australia, Greenland, and native North and South America.

Shamanism teaches us that everything that exists is alive, has a spirit and is interconnected. 

A Shaman is a man or woman who uses the ability to see “with the strong eye” or “with the heart” to travel into hidden realms. I interact directly with helping spirits to address the spiritual aspect of illness. 

Illness from A Shamanic Perspective

An illness could manifest at an emotional or physical level; however, I look for spiritual imbalance or disharmony.

The six causes of illness are Power Loss, Soul Loss, Object Intrusions, Possessions, Curses/Sorcery, Taboos. Typically, there would often be a combination of causes happening. Rarely would you see a person just having one cause.

Power Loss

This is where a person loses his/her power animal or guardian spirit that has been protecting him. Power loss may feel like you are going through a series of bad luck, like you are jinxed/cursed. Typical symptoms of power loss are chronic fatigue, chronic depression, chronic suicidal tendencies, chronic illness, and chronic misfortune.

Involuntary and uncontrolled spirit possession

Possession is when our sovereignty is being imposed upon partially or fully by another being or force. There are different levels of possession: 

1. Circumsession– lower-level intrusion/possession. Something is within our field (if you put your arms out to the side and turn them, then that is the boundaries of your field)
2. Obsession – possession will be influencing the host in certain ways (obsessive behavior)
3. Oppression – can create distinct changes in behavior, might cause addictions. The true self is being oppressed.
4. Full blown possession is when someone is completely taken over. It’s rare and is typically unpleasant. It’s often found in people who are institutionalised. 

No possessions are good or bad, these are compassionate beings who are displaced and suffering themselves. Spirits may absentmindedly wander into you when there is space in your body, for example when you have a soul loss. 

 Taboo

Taboos are cultural, in certain cultures names of deceased are not used, burial grounds can be taboos etc. In western cultures, taboos are when we break a line, act against our moral compass – going against what we believe to be morally correct can make us sick. 

Curses/Sorcery

Cursing is learned behavior and often done involuntarily. We are often cursing everyday including self-cursing. A curse has an impact on a person’s destiny. Sorcery is when cursing is deliberate and targeted. 

Diseased Object Intrusions

Often when a person is missing a guardian spirit or his vital essence there is an opening in the body. Since the universe cannot stand a void, something might come up in to fill up that space. 

Spiritual intrusions come from negative thought forms (ours/others). It is important for us to express our anger, frustration, sadness, however we can sometimes send these energies to ourselves, others, and into the environment like a psychic arrow. And these energies can create spiritual intrusions. We can also self-inflict by not emoting. 

The signs of a spiritual intrusion would be a localized problem such as localized pain or some form of cancer. Object intrusions can also cause emotional maladies. For example, sitting on the solar plexus, it may cause fatigue, on the heart may cause anger. 

Soul Loss 

Whenever we suffer an emotional or physical trauma in our life, a piece of our soul (or our pure essence) flees the body to survive the experience. In psychology we talk about this as dissociation.

People who are in patterns of behavior often is due to soul loss – people keep repeating the pattern to relive the original trauma so it can be repaired, and soul part can return. When the soul part is returned, the pattern dissipates.  

Any event that causes shock can result in soul loss, for example any kind of abuse, an accident, surgery, or death of a loved one. 

Typical symptoms of soul loss are the person feels like observers in their own life, addictions, chronic problems. 

Once any kind of shamanic healing work is performed (whether depossession, curse unravelling, removal of intrusions, soul retrieval, return of power animal/guide or others) it is up to the client to look at how to create a healthy lifestyle and attract healthy relationships that will support wholeness, and a life filled with healing. 

How do we want to use the energy that was returned from the healing to create a positive present and future for ourselves? And how do we bring passion and meaning back into our lives again so that we thrive instead of just survive? 

All these issues I call “life after healing” and are crucial to create long term healing after a body of energy work.