Shamanism is a universal phenomenon spanning across our globe and time, whereas a person among a group of people would usually be chosen by the spirits to be an intermediary between the seen and unseen world.
Anthropologists coined the word shaman from beginning to study the Tungus people of Siberia. The word “saman” was the word by those people to define the ones gifted with the vocation.
Anthropologists began to use the word “shaman” to describe all people and groups with these specialized abilities under one word “shaman.” Throughout the planet, each culture that has these gifted people usually have a word in their own culture to identify those people.
Here we will be focusing on the “shamans” of South America there are many different types of specialists that exist even in our modern times. Some of the kinds of shamans in South America are Curanderos, Ayahuasceros, Calomongeros, Tobaccaeros, Huchemaeros, Toéro, Chiri Sanangeros, Pusangaeros, Oracionistas, and also the Qero of the Andes.
The Shamans that we work with are specialists in many of the methods mentioned above. The main focus of our work is the work with the Ayahuasceros, Tobacceros, Paleros, Huachumeros and an Oracionista.
Shamanism is a universal phenomenon spanning across our globe and time, whereas a person among a group of people would usually be chosen by the spirits to be an intermediary between the seen and unseen world. The commission of the shaman was often to bring balance to the people who need psychic, mental, spiritual, and physical healing.
Shamans would also clear negative energies from places, once again to bring balance to those places that have been affected by negative energies. They are usually specialists in the use of medicinal plants to heal many physical infirmities.
Their primary gained abilities are, to be able to enter into a trance through many different means, drumming, meditation, sensory deprivation, no sleep, and special diets. They also use many psychoactive spirit plants that have been used as sacred sacraments to commune with the divine. They also use many other methods not listed here.
The shamans in a community are usually feared and respected because of the powerful gifts given by spirits. They receive these gifts through years of dieting with sacred plants.
For the shamans, they see the world much different than the “normal” person for they walk between two worlds, can see and feel the subtle energetic workings in and around themselves and others and wield an uncanny power to magnify their intention to affect and manipulate reality usually for the healing benefit of those that seek their help. The healing takes the form of mental, emotional, spiritual healing, and at times physical healing is possible depending on the particular gift of the shaman.
