shamanism

Other Peoples Worlds Shamanism is a religious practice that is followed by many people around the world. Although it is practiced around the world, Shamanism is prominent in Asian and African countries, with the most being found in Asian countries. Shamanism is known for its belief in altered states of conciseness and access to the spiritual realm. These beliefs are used to heal people’s souls and save them from demonic forces. These practices are also used to heal people’s physical bodies. The followers of Shamanism usually do not initiate these rituals, but rather they participate by the instruction of a Shaman, who is believed to have the ability to access the spirit realm. Shamanism is believed to have originated from early Turkish and Mongolian religions. The word Shaman from Shamanism comes from an early language known as “Evenki”. Forms and variations of Shamanism can be found all over the world. Many scholars believe that Shamanism could have been a dominant religious practice in early ancient history. As a result of this, Scholars are very fascinated and intrigued by the beliefs of Shamanism. Estimates suggest that there are several million followers of Shamanism. When learning about Shamanism, it is very clear and evident that the religious practice is one that has been persecuted and mistreated in western nations, has historical significance, and has popular beliefs creating a new “Neoshamanic” movement. Early on in our class, we studied Shamanism and saw very clearly how followers of shamanism around the world were mistreated by the western world. In the book “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down”, a young Hmong girl from Laos comes to America suffering from epilepsy. The staff in the hospital clash with the wished of the Hmong family, who wanted their child, treated the way that their culture believed she should be treated. The girl eventually had a massive seizure that messed up her brain.