by Selena

While reading this article, please keep in mind that it represents my own point of view. I don’t claim to know everything about shamanism and trance techniques. I decided against instructions and practices because I think they should be taught personally.
I am open for critique and additions, feel free to email me: lilian-of-the-leopardtree@web.deThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Shamanism is one of the oldest, if not the oldest known spiritual practice in the world. Shamanism is not a kind of organized religion but a cumulation of traditions and techniques of which one can find traces in almost all parts of the world.

“shaman” – this word is derived from the Tungus, a Siberian tribe, and is translated with “one who sees in the dark”. According to other sources, the word stems from the Evenks (another Siberian tribe) and means as much as “those who work with the fire”. It describes men and women who lead healing rituals and fall into ecstasy. Others point out that “shaman” could come from the Babylonian-Assyrian word “shamash”, the name of the god of sun and oracles. Maybe it descended from the Sanskrit term “shaman”. This means compassion for the mad, for the ones searching for help, and one’s own inner attention. Anthropologist Michael Harner expresses it the following way: “Shamans are the preservers of a respectable collection of early techniques, which they apply in order to reach and sustain wellness and health for themselves and their community”.

It was also Michael Harner who propagated the term core shamanism. He assumes that the following essential elements of old traditions can be found in all fundamentally shamanistic world views:
the shaman can willingly reach a trance state, a unique visionary state of mind.
this trance state allows the shaman to start a journey into a non-ordinary reality.
in this non-ordinary reality the shaman is able to gain information or gather energy/strength, which he can use for himself or others in a beneficial way.

However – it is important that in most of the definitions and explanations the terms “ecstasy” or “trance” are mentioned.
There are various possible techniques for reaching this state of trance, which can differ or be applied differently from culture to culture.
The aim of these techniques is a willingly induced alteration of ones state of mind. This alteration also involves a change in the brain wave patterns and can thus be observed using an ECG.
The brain waves observed while in a state of ecstasy or trance, so-called theta waves, are comparable to the brain wave alteration during a meditation (at which the brain switches into an alpha wave state, which is, among other things, characteristic for the REM phase during sleep). Both wave patterns are easily distinguishable from the “normal awake consciousness” one.

Once the shaman (or the user of the corresponding techniques) reaches the trance, he is able to enter a non-ordinary reality, also called otherworld or ghost world, and to perform something called a shamanistic journey.
Not everyone working with trance techniques and shamanistic trance journeys is a shaman, like not everyone who prays is a priest. Any layman can, appropriately instructed, experience a shamanistic journey, find inspiration and help in the non-ordinary reality, and learn more about themselves there. This could be particularly interesting for otherkin.

In the non-ordinary reality, one can gain knowledge of the own self and, with appropriate skills, even of others. This knowledge helps the one working with shamanistic ways to launch a healing process, or to offer advice at problems.

In the non-ordinary reality, the shaman doesn’t work alone, he is accompanied by a variety of helpers and allies who support him at his work when needed. As a rule, the first entity a shaman learns to work with, or a traveller in the on-ordinary reality is confronted with, is the so-called patron spirit.
It is assumed that every (human) being is protected and strengthened by one or more patron spirits.
Those patron spirits usually have animal shapes. Of course there are also exceptions to this rule.
Patron spirits and allies are something entirely personal and there aren’t two shamans or “travellers” who, even if they share the same patron spirit (e.g. a wolf), experience them in exactly the same way.
Patron spirits also are not a wolf, an eagle, a rabbit – they are wolf, eagle, rabbit etc., quasi representatives of their whole species or animal family.
For helpers from the non-ordinary reality we have many names (patron spirit, totem, ally, guardian, guide, teacher), which are often difficult to differentiate. There are partially different concepts of them for a lack of a standardized definition. For some people every animal they meet in the otherworld is their patron spirit, whereas others distinguish very precisely between their totem, patron spirit, guardian, and ally.
It is left to everyone how they take or alter those terms for themselves.

Let’s get back to the trance techniques. This principally refers to everything that brings the brain into the theta-wave state. The most important techniques are:
music (especially drum rhythms, rattles and singing)
dancing (e.g. the mask dance)
“seidr” – and other shaking techniques
certain breathing techniques and postures
depletion of water, food, and visual impressions
and much more
All of these techniques can be used separately, or combined.

It also shall not be concealed that it is possible to reach the trance state using drugs. I for myself refuse this for several reasons. Firstly, the alteration of consciousness induced willingly and with one’s own powers allows for better control of this state – experience can be made step by step, deeper layers are reached only after some time and the trance can be aborted any time, so that the traveller does not accidentally cross certain borders.

Secondly – listen, do I really have to tell you about the danger of addiction, the various contents of herbal drugs, which can lead to overdoses and poisoning, and all that stuff? I hope not.