A Report on the Practice of Shamanism in Africa and Beyond

Summary

Shamanism, one of the earliest healing practices, utilizes trance dancing and medicinal substances for healing. Traditional Chinese Medicine, which is about 5,000 years old, employs herbs and acupuncture to promote life force (qi) through personalized treatments. In contrast, modern Western medicine, which is roughly 100 years old, often treats body parts separately and prioritizes profit over patient care. The paper discusses individual experiences with healing and beliefs in shamanism while offering insights into alternative healing methods.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Shamanism is one of the earliest examples of mankind’s healing modalities, beginning with African bushmen such as the Kalahari Kung. Some Africans and others still use trance dancing and medicinal substances to heal themselves and their patients, whether for free or through barter. Traditional Chinese Medicine (approximately 5,000 years old) heals the body and mind through affordable herbs or acupuncture that generate qi (pronounced chi and meaning life force). Treatments are specifically tailored for patients after consultation with a master/practitioner. A comparison with western medicine (approximately 100 years old) is more fully examined in Dr. Keown’s “The Spark in the Machine.” Modern medicine divides healing into multiple specialties. Doctors and specialists treat every part of the body or mind as distinct. They independently prescribe a range of expensive therapies, pharmaceuticals, and surgeries, while seldom consulting as a team. In some western countries large health corporations, led by CEOs and boards, decide who deserves treatment based on profit margins for the company. Prior to this system, benign homeopathic remedies were prescribed. Swedenborg was an 18th-century European noble with a strong background in diverse sciences, including anatomical research discoveries. After he became a mystic and revelatory prophet, he stopped this lifelong pursuit and documented his journeys between our world and the Beyond for 27 years. It was in Heaven that his 'love affair with Africa' began, where he encountered Africans in spirit form whom he described as having ‘a highly developed inner sight ~ accepting the good and true things of heaven more readily than others do’. These traits are essential for shamanic healing and revelatory visions. Many traditional cultures agree that healing must be offered freely, or traded fairly: high prices are rarely healing or humane. This paper is a report regarding the experiences of specified individuals in connection with healing, beliefs and Shamanism. The paper provides some guides to alternative healing methods.

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