Shamans: History, Explanations and Some Methods for 'Shamanic Ecstasy'
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The ancient cultures were very different from ours yet it is from our deep past that the structures of our psychology are supposed to derive. Also, Joseph Campbell mentions that the visions of the Shamans must be of the same structure as the dreams we experience in our sleep. Joseph Campbell is referring to the observation made by Jung that dreams often contain symbolism which transcends the social experiences of the person dreaming. In other words, people from one culture have had dreams in the symbolism of another culture without any prior familiarity with that culture.
More on Shamans and Shamanism: Shamans have probably been around for many millennia as Joseph Campbell as stated in his analysis of the symbol of the yogi on ancient seals found at Mohenjo-daro, "the yogi, as a higher transformation of the shamanistic techniques and experiences of ecstasis [ecstasy]"(Primitive Mythology page 437). In other words yoga has probably developed from the accumulated knowledge (including psychological descriptions such as 'spirits' - see archetypes - and techniques to help people that sounds allot like hypnosis) of generations of shamans that led to whatever form it had in the Indian subcontinent around 2000 BC (to which time the following image of a seal with a yogi on it is from).
The form of yoga practiced now derives from the format outlined in the Yoga Sutras by Patanjali dated to around 200-500 BC. The passed down, accumulated, knowledge of the tribes in the orient through their line of Shamans, settled in the basin and mountains of China from whom Qigong and the other arts such as acupressure must come from. In other words, every culture must have had their own Shamans or 'Myth Keepers'. Some more compassionate while others may have been more aggressive, each adapted to his/her own culture and time. In fact, I think it is safe to say that the Shaman must have been the world's first professional getting paid for services (such as healing or chasing away 'spirits') by gifts of meat, or fruits or whatever was of value in the culture the Shaman was from. Such payment is common in our time, in primitive cultures, as well and may have a long history, even the Indian culture has a whole tradition of ascetics living off of the villages nearby and spending their time doing yoga... could this be a remnant of an ancient culture with shamanistic roots? Anyways, getting back to Joseph Campbell, here is what he has written about one of the seals found in Mohenjodaro that must have been a remnant of the ancient Saraswati civilization. [Note: I say 'remnant' because of the evidence of ancient cities ]
The following extract is from Primitive Mythology by Joseph Campbell page 435
"The so-called Harappa stage of the great cities of Mohenjo-daro, Chanhu-daro, and Harappa (c. 2500-1200/1000 B.C), which bursts abruptly into view, without preparation, already fully formed and showing many completely obvious signs of inspiration from the earlier high centers of the West (i.e. fertile crescent), yet undeniable signs, also, of a native Indian tradition - this too already well developed. As professor W. Norman Brown has suggested, a native Indian center (i.e., a mythogenetic zone) somewhere either in the south or in the Ganges-Jumna area would seem to be indicated, where the characteristically Indian traits, unknown at this time farther west, must have come into form. For on two of the stamp-seals of the period we find figures seated on low thrones in the meditating yoga posture."
"One of these is flanked by two kneeling worshipers and rearing serpents, while the other, with two gazelles reposing beneath his seat, is surrounded by four wild beasts - a water buffalo, rhinoceros, elephant, and tiger. It is well known that precisely these compositions are associated in later Hindu and Buddhist art both with the god Shiva and with the Buddha. One can only suppose that the practice of yoga must have already been developed and associated with the concept of heightened state of consciousness, not only worthy of worship but also capable of quelling and fascinating the animal world - like the music of Orpheus in the later tradition of the Greeks."
An interesting fact is that this ancient seal, from a city that has been dead for around 3000 years, has some amazing similarities between later Hindu, Buddhist and Greek mythology.
"The seated yogi among the beasts wears on his head a curious headdress with a high crown and two immense horns, which, as Heinrich Zimmer has pointed out, resembles to a striking degree on of the so-called "Three Jewels" (symbolizing the Buddha, the doctrine, and the order of the Buddha's followers), which in the form of a kind of trident. The Hindu god Shiva carries a trident also; and among the Greeks, as we know, this same sign was the attribute of Poseidon (Neptune), the god of the watery deep." Primitive Mythology page 436
Disclaimer
Many people think that communicating with 'spirits as intermediaries for healing' is a real and constant reality in the toolbox of the Shaman. In reality, a person has a divided consciousness. One part wants to do one thing, another part wants to do another. If there are emotional problems then they can manifest as physical symptoms (as we know in our modern age that stress can lead to everything from obesity to cancer). Jung calls this condition of humanity... actually, I don't remember what he calls it. His psychological model does take into account, what he calls "archetypes". It is in balancing these archetypes that one is supposed to find balance within ones personality. Thus attaining, what Jung believed was, psychological unity. Jung called this process 'individuation'. Because of these psychological conditions (which are very slowly making it into mainstream psychology - Jung died half a century ago), we encounter a variety of beliefs that can be better explained as some sort of manifestation of an underlying psychological reality rather than what the person thinks he may have seen. Such as UFO's? Here is Jung's analysis of the UFO phenomenon...
Article: Jung's UFO Research:
In an attempt to help mankind find its way back to a more comprehensive view of the totality of his soul the depth psychologist Carl G. Jung and the physicist and Nobel laureate Wolfgang Pauli postulated a world behind or beyond the split into inner and outer world, into psyche and matter. Pauli called it the unified psychophysical reality while Jung referred to this realm as the unus mundus (united world) - a concept he obtained from the alchemist and student of Paracelsus, Gerardus Dorneus.
With the help of this new concept, which reaches, however, back to Medieval alchemy, the above paradox can be solved: UFOs incarnate out of this intermediate world, which is the same as the realm of the alchemist's World Soul, their Goddess of equivalent worth to the Christian God.
"In the beginning was the Logos, and the Logos was with God, and the Logos was God." (John 1:1). As a result of this definition of the Christian God as the Logos, our consciousness developed - especially since the birth of natural science in the 17th century - in an extremely one sided way. Therefore we are not used anymore, to see the world and the universe with the help of the Eros, as Medieval people yet were able. We have repressed this principle, complementary to the Logos consciousness.
Featured Lenses on Meditational Methods for 'Shamanic ecstacy'
Meditational tips and techniques
The following lenses cover techniques derived from the ancient masters of yoga and chi gong (the 'sramans'), who are lost to our history.
[Even more information below!]
The world as 'maya' (illusion)
(Image source)
In ancient India a concept developed called 'Maya' which means illusion. Since the world is considered impermanent and constantly changing - and you can interpret it in many ways with your mind - it is considered to be an illusion. Thus a common, though ancient, psychological perspective on 'attachment': if you hold on to it as your psychological/mental foundation, you are holding on to something that will dissolve away - eventually - so you are holding on to something which is inherently unstable.
Note: The ancient idea of the world/universe as an 'illusion' has re-emerged in modern physics as the idea of the world and universe as a hologram from string theory (approx 5 minutes into following video)....
Video Interview: Brian Greene: Brian Greene says math is the gateway to reality and calls Stephen a bag of particles governed by the laws of physics. (05:58)
[Also read about the movie Mindwalk for perspectives on physics.]
To put it in other words; you are not the person you were a year ago. You know this. You can probably see the ways in which you've changed and grown over the last year. You probably see the world in a different way then you did a year ago (or ten years ago). Since you see the world differently, you have a different image of yourself as well. You define yourself differently than you did 10 years ago. What you are capable of, what you can do, who you are, all these definitions tend to change for every person - given enough time.
The ancient philosophers noticed that as soon as you imagine a event happening to you - or your role in any situation - you first have to place yourself in it (i.e. you have to imagine your role or character) then you decide what to do or how to feel (this all tends to happen very fast for most events). In other words, every time you imagine yourself or a situation that you are in you are, in a sense, recreating yourself.
Scientific American Mind magazine in an interview with the Nobel laureate Neuroscientist Eric Kandel (click here to read article)
Mind: We tend to think of memory as a kind of library that holds a record of events and
facts that can be retrieved as needed. Is this an accurate metaphor?
Kandel: No, memory is not like that at all. Human memory reinvents itself all the time. Every time you remember something, you modify it a little bit, in part dependent on the context in which you recall it. That is because the brain's storage is not as exact as written text. It is always a mixture of many facades of the past event: images, pictures, feelings, words, facts and fiction-a "re-collection" in the true sense.
Modern nuero-science agrees with the Buddhist idea of an impermanent self. As Eric Kandel points out that, "Every time you remember something, you modify it a little bit, in part dependent on the context in which you recall it." In other words you recreate your image of yourself to fit the new situation. If the self was something permanent and real, then your image of yourself would always remain the same. The fact that you can consciously or unconsciously change your image of yourself and react to situations in a new way - or just create a new you - proves that the self is something you make up as part of living in society.
What does this mean?
This means that you are not limited to being any particular 'self' or person. If you feel like you have low self-esteem you can change that self. If you feel like you are not comfortable is social situations, you can change that image too. Any limiting image you have of yourself can be changed as you create your 'self' or how you want to be.
Intro to "Buddhism Without Beliefs"
This helps you understand ancient phiilosophy without the religious overtones developed well after Siddhatha's death
In doing this he changes the perspective of Buddhism from believing that life itself is only about suffering to the idea that it is your mind and its incessant desires are the reason for this suffering. This effectively changes the emphasis from something beyond your control to something within your control. That is the difference between Buddhism as a philosophy and Buddhism as a religion.
One of his students asked Buddha, "Are you the messiah?"
"No", answered Buddha.
"Then are you a healer?"
"No", Buddha replied.
"Then are you a teacher?" the student persisted.
"No, I am not a teacher."
"Then what are you?" asked the student, exasperated.
"I am awake", Buddha replied.
The first written records of Siddhartha (Later called the Buddha) come from Siri Lanka (an island off the coast of South India), several hundred miles from where he taught. Like many other figures of mythology, his teachings were first written down well after his death, about 300 years later, so the reality of his teachings were already well mixed with local religious ideas and mythology.
I like this book because the author separates the meditational philosophy of balance/awakening from the religious beliefs.
This makes the practice of awareness/awakening something that a person of any religious persuasion can learn and apply.
For example, Siddhartha basically taught that,
"Anguish is to be understood, its origins to be let go of, its cessation to be realized, and the path to be cultivated."
Or in other words, the root of anguish is desiring life to something other than it is. Accepting life as it is helps release anguish.
When this becomes, "Life IS Suffering" and the "Cause of suffering IS craving" then the philosophy of cultivating awareness becomes a belief system to be followed. This is where Buddhism becomes a religion.
During Siddhartha's lifetime many people were able to attain awareness and "awakening" but after his death it became something to be strived for and rarely, if ever, achieved. Why has it become so hard to attain awakening? Because turning
Buddhism into a religion made it's tenants "Holy", something well above ordinary reality. So following the teachings as a practice of expanding awareness switched to one of devotion.
The Buddhists explain this lack of "enlightenment" in modern religious Buddhism as an example of the degradation of humanity over time. That is the common excuse for any religious person to explain why the tenets of their religion are NOT followed in society AND can never be followed until 'the end days'. This effectively removes moral responsibility for their actions as a society, as it is not the practitioners fault but life itself that makes enlightenment/awakening/peace impossible.
"An unawakened existence, in which we drift unaware on a surge of habitual impulses, is both ignoble and undignified. Instead of a natural and non-coercive authority, we impose our will on others either through manipulation and intimidation or by appealing to the opinions of those more powerful than ourselves. Authority becomes a question of force rather than integrity."
Living for momentary pleasures makes a person jump from one thing to another rarely finding complete satisfaction in one thing - always looking for the next 'high'. This high can be social company, excessive exercise, drinking, drugs (both illegal and legal ones) etc. Letting go of craving can free us, even if it is only momentarily. That is why the path must be cultivated.
Experiment
Sit comfortable and consciously relax all the muscles in your body. Begin from your scalp and work your way down to your toes. Now become aware of your breath and as you maintain the focus on your breathing ALSO become aware of the surface you are sitting on, the cloths on your body, your surroundings and even the dome of the sky stretching off to the horizon. Be aware of your breathing and all of the above simultaneously.
If you can do the above only for a few seconds that is fine. You just have experienced 'expanded awareness'. Many people who try this will recognize the awareness they are experiencing from a previous experience. Yes, humans are 'mystical' creatures. Awakening, no matter how much it is avoided, is intrinsically a part of everyone AND is something that ANYONE can learn.
As a global culture we fix ourselves in 'palaces' of what is familiar and secure. We sense there is more to life than trying to gratify our desires and defend ourselves from fear. Yet we don't know how to get their and this leads to even more activities of distraction.
For Example; We all know that the only certainty in life is death. If we keep the inevitability of death on our minds many things we worry about will no longer matter. Instead we try to avoid that thought at all costs to the point where when we encounter death we are shocked and terrified and say, 'his/her time came early'. There is no such thing. Without the perspective of our death how can we possibly make short or long term decisions that aren't influenced by drowning ourselves in momentary pleasures?
"Since no one knows the future,
who can tell him what is to come?
No man has power over his spirit to retain it,
so no one has power over the day of his death."
Ecclesiastes 8:7-8:8
Death is always there waiting for you, every day of your life. It is sad, depressing, part of the sorrow of life, but it is not 'early'.
What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime. It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset. - Blackfoot
Since death is certain, avoiding it makes you avoid life itself.
Think about it. How do you know that someone is alive? By the simple fact that he/she is not dead. In other words, death defines life. Without death we would not know what life is. So by avoiding the acceptance of death we become escapists of life itself. Chasing momentary pleasures to cloud our awareness and our fears.
If you are constantly making life to be some perfect image to be attained at some point in the future, you will ALWAYS be chasing that image. If you cannot be content now you will never be content as there will always be something else you 'need' before you can be happy. A bigger car, a bigger house, a plane? This will give a rush of excitement followed by boredom with your new toy and craving for the next one.
This doesn't mean you shouldn't enjoy expensive things just that you should be happy first or nothing you get will ever satisfy you. ("Be bountiful and multiply")
If you jump from one emotion to another, blindly avoiding pain and seeking pleasure with no awareness or separation from your emotions THEN your emotions will control you. You will be a slave to your desire. Anyone who knows your desires can control you.
"All man's efforts are for his mouth,
yet his appetite is never satisfied."
Ecclesiastes 6:7
According to this book, the first step out: Become aware of every emotion you have as you experience it. Don't try to stop the emotion but learn to distance yourself from it, pain, sorrow or joy. Keep a part of yourself that is always observing yourself and your emotions.
By these definitions awakening is a process of building and maintaining the discipline of awareness.
Laziness brings on deep sleep,
And the shiftless man goes hungry.
Proverbs 19:15
"The wise man has eyes in his head,
while the fool walks in the darkness."
Ecclesiastes 6:7
[Evidence] Energy Pathways
Such as 'meridians' or 'chakras'
The Ancient Sramans discovered energy pathways called meridians which acupressure and;acupuncture. utilize. These "meridians" have also been mapped in great detail (example of the detail of an acupuncture charts is above)
Meridians have also been found using an imaging technique...
To summarize, they indicate that:No radioactive isotope was observed to migrate when it was injected into points of normal electric resistance. Nor was any migration observed when injecting isotopes other than sodium pertechetate in points of least electric resistance.
Each time sodium pertechetate was injected into points of least electric resistance, its migration was observed constantly, approximately at 2.5 cms per minute and always following the same longitudinal pathway.
The characteristics of the migration rule out the possibility that the radioactive isotope was carried through the nerves, vessels or lymphatic system. For example, when it was injected in a vein underlying the point of least electrical resistance, transport of a different speed and pathway was observed. Additionally on injecting sodium pertechetate and thallium at the same time, it was observed that the first was transported while the second was not.
About Qigong...
Some Evidence for Chi/Life-Force/Prana
(Image source)
Using a specialized technique, called Kirlian photography (not the con where a camera is used to photograph your 'aura' but an actual electrical photographic method), some mechanical observations can be made...
Some scientific studies
(extract from my ebook "Become Like A Jedi")
You can increase the level of the force in your body by doing deep regular breathing.
Everybody has detectable energy fields which can be increased with deep diagrammatic
breathing.
Here is an extract from an abstract reported on a government site.
What was found: Emission of extremely strong magnetic fields from the head and whole
body during oriental breathing exercises.
"This article reports the result of an experiment that was designed to measure the
biomagnetic field emanating from two individuals who were practicing traditional
Oriental Qi Gong breathing exercises.
It is concluded that traditional Oriental Qi Gong breathing appears to stimulate an
unusually large biomagnetic field emission."
Another article on the same site is an abstract of how the levels of energy from the
practitioners hands was more than normal...
What was found: Detection of extraordinary large bio-magnetic field strength from human
hand during external Qi emission.
"It is generally accepted that more than 10(-6) gauss order magnetism was not detected
in normal human condition. However, we detected 10(-3) gauss (mGauss) order
bio-magnetic field strength from the palm in special persons who emitted External Qi
("Chi" or "Ki").
This magnetic field strength was greater than that of normal human bio-magnetism by
1,000 times at least. A simultaneous measurement of bio-magnetic field strength and its
corresponding bio-electric current was examined in one subject. During exhibiting such
strong bio-magnetism, its corresponding electric current was not detectable. Therefore,
the extra-ordinary large bio-magnetic field strength can not derive from internal body
current alone, hence the origin of the large bio-magnetism is still unknown. We suppose
that the extraordinary large bio-magnetic field strength might be originated from "Qi"
energy in the oriental medicine or in the oriental traditional philosophy."
Discovery of meridians described by Chinese acupuncture (abstract on a government
site)
"The "Bi-Digital O-Ring Test" imaging method has been successfully used not only to
outline the internal organs but also malignant tumors as long as identical reference
control tissue is available, regardless of whether it comes from the same individual or
others, without exposing the patient to undesirable radiation from X-Rays, strong
magnetic field or ultra-sound. While imaging the outline of the internal organs the author
found that, from the surface of each organ, lines or networks of lines extend to other
parts of the body. Such a line closely resembles well-known lines of meridians of major
internal organs in Oriental medicine."
An exploration of meridians (abstract on government site)
"It is imperative to define the fundamental concepts of Qi, channels, and the meridian
system of Chinese medicine in terms of scientific terminology before any meaningful and
mutually beneficial dialog can begin between Chinese and Western medicine. In the
Chinese theory, the meridian system as a whole is the system of the body. We propose the
existence of a meridian regulatory system that governs interactions between and adjusts
functions of internal organs, connects them to the body surface through a network of
pathways (channels) and displays their status on the skin."
From Time.com
ACUPUNCTURE There is growing scientific evidence that acupuncture, a pillar of Chinese medicine, can relieve many kinds of pain, but there's no clear agreement about how it works. That was underscored by a German study of migraines: it found that inserting needles at various acupuncture points in the body relieved pain just as effectively as inserting them in the points that are supposed to affect migraines. Both therapies cut the number of episodes more than 50% over a 12-week period; a control group that did not receive either treatment continued to suffer as before.
Energy Fields and A Basic Balancing Method
(Image source)
Energy fields are supposed to look/feel like the image above
Basic energy balancing
First master basic breathing...
Basic breathing meditation tips
-Inhale and exhale slowly, taking full deep breaths.
-Keep your attention only on your breathing. Be aware of each inhale and exhale.
-If you notice your mind drifting (i.e. if you start thinking about something) then just return your attention back to your breathing. It doesn't matter if your mind wanders as long you bring your attention back to your breathing as soon as you notice your attention is not solely on your breathing.
-Do this for 5-15 minutes.
Next, imagine (or 'visualize') your entire energy field filled with golden light, as if you are sitting in the middle of a mini Sun that surrounds and encompasses you (about 5-10 feet around you, on all sides)...
The following balancing meditation is from here.
Exercise 1: Golden Light Breathing Meditation
Visualizing Yourself Breathing in 'Golden Light' can be a Very Effective Breathing Meditation to Help Calm and Focus.
· All you have to do is imagine yourself surrounded by golden light and slowly start breathing it in.
· First breathe in the light through your mouth then pretend to breath it in through your skin.
· Breathe this light in deeply and breathe out any tension.
· Breathe through each part of your body in turn.
· Finally see if you can feel as if you are breathing in this light through every pore in your body.
· Fill your body with the golden light while saying to yourself, "I feel Wonderful, I feel Relaxed, I feel focused. I feel re-energized."
Useful links for stress relief and energetic balance:
Basic Acupressure for Stress Relief
Creativity May Be The "Heart Of Life"
15 Instant Stress Relief Techniques
Book: The Body Electric: Electromagnetism And The Foundation Of Life
The Body Electric tells the fascinating story of our bioelectric selves. Robert O. Becker, a pioneer in the filed of regeneration and its relationship to electrical currents in living things, challenges the established mechanistic understanding of the body. He found clues to the healing process in the long-discarded theory that electricity is vital to life. But as exciting as Becker's discoveries are, pointing to the day when human limbs, spinal cords, and organs may be regenerated after they have been damaged, equally fascinating is the story of Becker's struggle to do such original work. The Body Electric explores new pathways in our understanding of evolution, acupuncture, psychic phenomena, and healing.
Energy/Emotional Healing - Help
Nancy Paul
Sally Chang
The origins of acupuncture is over 5,000 years old and was practiced beyond the borders of China. An Egyptian treatise from 1550 Before Common Era (BCE) called the Papyrus Ebera refers to vessels that resemble the 12 meridians. South African Bantu tribesman scratched parts of their bodies to cure disease, while Arabs cauterized their ears with hot metal probes. Inuits used sharp stones for tattoos that seem to relate to acupuncture meridians, and Brazilian cannibals shot tiny arrows with blowpipes into diseased parts of their bodies to bring about healing.
One kind of Qigong Master...
Link List
- History and Archeology: The earliest evidence of culture
- When Archeologists do their digs looking for artifacts or fossils, they can only find what is made of stone or is preserved somehow as a fossil or frozen in ice. Accordingly we now have the most extensive collection of stone tools and weapons going back far into antiquity. This has led some to believe that stone was the only material all human races have ever used or maybe just the first material that we mastered which has led to the term 'stone age'. Joseph Campbell mentions that wood is probably the oldest material humans have ever used as it's easily available and is still used almost exclusively by hunter-gatherer groups that have survived to our age. It is also the easiest to re-use in another construction or for burning (firewood) and it is easily lost from our historical (archeological) record through decay.[note: can't find the exact quote but have some more recent authoritative evidence]
Could our earliest houses, weapons and even jewelry have been made of wood? After all, we don't need stone to make an arrow or a spear. - Djedi Blog - Secret Teachings Of The Ancient Djedi
- Energy fields, Qigong, Meditation, Yoga etc.
- Qigong - Meditation with movement
- Instant Stress Management: Relaxation, Meditation and Self-Hypnosis
by AbbasAbedi
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