Jose Ward4 said:What do you all think about the idea that back in the day—way before this modern civilization took over, when people were still living in tribes—those folks with intense visions were immediately elevated to the role of head shaman, teacher, or healer? It’s such a fascinating thought. People with the exact same neurological predispositions we see today were viewed through a completely different lens by their communities. Nowadays, we just label it a disorder. If you do some reading, the descriptions are striking. The very individuals who would be diagnosed with schizophrenia today were once considered the backbone of the entire tribe. Truly fascinating stuff.
There’s definitely some truth to that, but from what I’ve gathered studying ethnology, having visions wasn't enough to just declare yourself a shaman, let alone the leader of the craft. Those experiences were really just an indication that someone had certain predispositions—a natural gift, if you will. To actually gain control over those abilities, they had to undergo specific initiation rites. We’d probably call it inducing a state of psychosis today, but back then, it involved things like using various plant substances, fasting, or spending long periods of isolation in sacred or even cursed locations. After all that, they would learn specific techniques from an elder shaman or healer. It was also somewhat predictable when these talents would emerge; it often showed up in childhood since there seems to be a genetic component, so early preparation would sometimes begin even then. It wasn't exactly a walk in the park, though—things could go south very quickly, and death was a very real possibility if the process went wrong. Different cultures viewed this differently, too; in some places, it was seen as a blessing, while in others, it was treated like a curse. People generally held shamans in high regard, but there was always an underlying sense of fear. Those abilities could be used for good—like healing people or influencing the weather to ensure a better harvest—but they could just as easily be used for harm, like casting spells. We also have to keep in mind that their worldview was fundamentally different from ours. They believed everything alive possessed a spirit or soul—not just animals and plants, but stones and elemental forces like the wind, rain, and sun. They believed the dead remained present among us or inhabited another realm where they watched over the living (or caused them trouble). Belief in some form of reincarnation was also quite common. Souls didn't just wander the world randomly like some people believe today; instead, they followed ancestral lines. For instance, someone might be reborn as their own great-grandchild, or perhaps only a part of their soul would pass on while the rest remained in the underworld.
Back in the day, people believed in all sorts of things, but there was usually a shared consensus within the community. We didn't really have this intense modern pluralism where everyone is constantly clashing over different viewpoints. Instead, most people operated under a single, unified system of symbols. Even the local shaman essentially functioned as a psychotherapist, though the job was way less taxing than what therapists deal with today because everyone’s internal landscape was more or less similar. Basically, someone might start out their life being seen as a bit "touched" or eccentric, but through various personal journeys, they would eventually emerge on the other side as a healer or a pillar of the community. They held that position as long as the group recognized them as such—essentially, as long as people perceived their rituals as actually working. Most of these individuals weren't exempt from the daily grind, either; they worked just as hard as everyone else. Their spiritual roles were more like an extra responsibility, and in exchange, they might receive better cuts of meat or some animal furs. Because of that, there wasn't much incentive to fake it. You couldn't just pretend to be something you weren't, which is a huge contrast to the "alternative" scene we see today.
Over the last few decades, there’s been this intense focus on studying and reconstructing various shamanic techniques—and we can't forget the massive impact the late Michael Harner had on that field. The interesting thing is that anyone can actually engage with some of these practices, regardless of whether they consider themselves a "shaman" or not. One of the simplest ways to start is just practicing gratitude for everything around you. I'm talking about acknowledging the living things, the objects, and the natural phenomena in your life. You don't even have to say it out loud; you can just hold it in your mind. It's something like thinking, "Thank you, rain, for falling and soaking the earth," or "Thank you, tomato plant, for providing food for my salad," or "Thank you, tree, for giving me shade." It's such a beautiful, grounding practice, and honestly, it doesn't require you to believe in anything supernatural to feel the benefit.