Shamanism
Chapter 1: Reason of Origin 05/07
Animism is nothing more than an answer that individuals, societies, or cultures have provided to phenomena they find difficult to understand. However, shamanism is an attempt to skillfully utilize the answers provided by animism for the benefit of one’s own society; it refers to a society composed of people who seek to share in those benefits by worshiping a specific individual. Furthermore, the various practices carried out to bring about these benefits—such as divination, prophecy, curses, and healing—constitute the rituals of shamanism.
The mental state known as “trance”—a fundamental aspect of shamanism unique to shamans—is explained primarily through two aspects: “possession” and “astral projection.” Possession occurs when an entity other than the individual enters the person and brings them under its control, while astral projection is the process by which a person’s will (soul) breaks free from the constraints of their physical body.
The mental state known as “trance”—a fundamental aspect of shamanism unique to shamans—is explained primarily through two aspects: “possession” and “astral projection.” Possession occurs when an entity other than the individual enters the person and brings them under its control, while astral projection is the process by which a person’s will (soul) breaks free from the constraints of their physical body.
Astral Projection
Astral projection is a practice in which a shaman, through his or her own will, separates the spirit—which symbolizes the will—from the physical body in order to travel to places that are normally inaccessible due to the body’s limitations (such as outer space or the depths of the ocean) or to visit other worlds. Of course, simply having the spirit travel to another world serves no purpose; in reality, the goal is to use this journey to observe things invisible from the material world or to gain insight into things that cannot be understood from within it, thereby applying these insights to daily life in the real world.
For example, it is reported among the Oroch people living along the Amur River in Russia, it is believed that human illness arises from the loss of one’s soul. Therefore, Oroch shamans attempt to cure illness by symbolically performing a ritual in which they separate their own souls from their bodies and send them to the spirit world, then bring back the soul of the sick person from that spirit world. In other words, “soul separation” refers to actions that are said to touch upon a “reason” distinct from the real world—one that ordinary people cannot access—and to act in accordance with that “reason” (I use this phrasing specifically because the “reason” accessible to a shaman cannot be empirically verified by anyone other than the shaman) through such actions, and thereby the shaman earns the reverence of the people who make up society and gains power.
Possession
"Possession" refers to a state in which a person’s will is subjugated by the will of another entity (a spirit or soul) that has taken possession of them. For example, among the Saora people of India, a female shaman’s ritual begins with a marriage proposal from a man who lives in the underworld and appears to her in a dream. Accepting this proposal means becoming a shaman. However, almost all women dislike the dangerous nature of a shaman’s work and reject the man’s proposal in their dreams. When this happens, the man from the underworld whose proposal was rejected possesses the woman, causing her to act as if she has gone mad, wandering through the wilderness and forests with her hair disheveled. Those around her, witnessing this, realize that she has been “called” by a guardian spirit, and, respecting her will, perform a wedding ceremony between the guardian spirit and the woman. It is said that, with the assistance of the guardian spirit she married, she then becomes a fully-fledged shaman.
Possession refers to the state in which something other than a specific person enters that person’s body. Examples of such entities include foxes (fox possession), deities, spirits, and elves. People who experience this “possession” irregularly—whether by their own will or that of others—are generally treated as abnormal. In other words, outwardly, they appear no different from a person who has lost their mind. However, those who can induce possession—whether in themselves or in others—through their own will are revered as shamans. Furthermore, even if possession occurs involuntarily, as in the example of the Saora tribe in India mentioned above, if those around them possess a cultural understanding of “possession,” they are still regarded with reverence. Furthermore, even if possession initially occurs involuntarily, it eventually becomes a process carried out by one’s own will. In other words, it can be said that the foundation of shamanism lies in a sense of awe toward the ability to freely manipulate, through one’s own will, forces that we cannot fully comprehend.
The phrase “something other than a specific person enters that person’s body” means that a part of human consciousness previously occupied by reason is taken over by a consciousness other than the individual’s own; by removing consciousness from the control of reason, this gives rise to powers different from those experienced in everyday life. It is believed that this power, distinct from the ordinary, arises through possession. In both cases of “possession” and “astral projection,” the shaman is able to wield powers that ordinary people do not possess, thereby becoming an object of awe and gaining authority. However, the most important aspect of shamanism is that it is actively incorporated as part of the social order. Furthermore, within this shamanism, we can clearly see the fundamental nature of human society: the tendency to grant authority to those who bring benefits to the real world through means unknown to the rest of us. Next, let us examine the system of “magic”—a means of bringing benefits to the real world that is widely employed within the worldviews of animism and shamanism.
Possession refers to the state in which something other than a specific person enters that person’s body. Examples of such entities include foxes (fox possession), deities, spirits, and elves. People who experience this “possession” irregularly—whether by their own will or that of others—are generally treated as abnormal. In other words, outwardly, they appear no different from a person who has lost their mind. However, those who can induce possession—whether in themselves or in others—through their own will are revered as shamans. Furthermore, even if possession occurs involuntarily, as in the example of the Saora tribe in India mentioned above, if those around them possess a cultural understanding of “possession,” they are still regarded with reverence. Furthermore, even if possession initially occurs involuntarily, it eventually becomes a process carried out by one’s own will. In other words, it can be said that the foundation of shamanism lies in a sense of awe toward the ability to freely manipulate, through one’s own will, forces that we cannot fully comprehend.
The phrase “something other than a specific person enters that person’s body” means that a part of human consciousness previously occupied by reason is taken over by a consciousness other than the individual’s own; by removing consciousness from the control of reason, this gives rise to powers different from those experienced in everyday life. It is believed that this power, distinct from the ordinary, arises through possession. In both cases of “possession” and “astral projection,” the shaman is able to wield powers that ordinary people do not possess, thereby becoming an object of awe and gaining authority. However, the most important aspect of shamanism is that it is actively incorporated as part of the social order. Furthermore, within this shamanism, we can clearly see the fundamental nature of human society: the tendency to grant authority to those who bring benefits to the real world through means unknown to the rest of us. Next, let us examine the system of “magic”—a means of bringing benefits to the real world that is widely employed within the worldviews of animism and shamanism.