The term shaman comes from the Tungusic language of Siberia ( šaman ), and literally means "one who knows." But the function it designates extends far beyond this territory. A similar figure can be found all over the world: an intermediary between the living and the spirits , the visible and the invisible worlds . From the Mongolian steppes to the Amazon rainforest , from the Aboriginal Australians to the Sami of Scandinavia , from the Bantu of Africa to the Aztecs of Mexico , the shaman is a traveler of souls . He heals, he guides, and he restores balance.
The shaman is not a priest in the institutional sense. He does not preach a doctrine; he is a mediator , one who, through rites, songs, and trances, enters into dialogue with invisible forces for the good of his community.
The rite of passage: to die in order to be reborn
One does not "choose" to become a shaman. It is the spirits, the ancestors, or a radical life event that calls upon the one who will bear this role.
Anthropological literature speaks of "initiation illness." Often, the future shaman goes through:
- a serious or incomprehensible illness ,
- a near-death experience ,
- a psychological or spiritual crisis experienced as an inner collapse.
This ordeal is interpreted as a symbolic death . The individual is stripped of their former identity, then reborn with a new role: that of a bridge between worlds .
Among the Mongols, it is said that the soul of the future shaman is cut apart and rebuilt by spirits. Among some Amazonian peoples, deliberate intoxication with plants opens the threshold to visions. Everywhere, the logic is the same: suffering opens the door to knowledge .
The shamanic journey: crossing three worlds
The heart of shamanism is the journey . Through song, dance, the rhythm of the drum, or the use of sacred plants , the shaman leaves the ordinary and enters a trance . He then explores three planes of existence:
- The world above : the world of gods, celestial spirits, and luminous visions.
- The world below : realm of ancestors, totem animals, and subterranean forces.
- The middle world : our everyday reality, where invisible energies manifest.
During these journeys, the shaman learns, negotiates, sometimes fights, and returns with a message or a remedy . Upon his return, often exhausted, he restores harmony to his community.
A diversity of traditions
There is no single " shamanism ", but hundreds of forms, adapted to each culture:
- In Siberia , the shaman often wears costumes adorned with feathers, bones, and metal. He invokes the spirits of fire, wind, and animals.
- Among the peoples of Africa , the nganga or sangoma communicates with the dead, interprets dreams, reads cowrie shells and protects the community.
- In Native American culture , the medicine man or woman beats the drum, sings, and calls upon totem animals . The jaguar, the eagle, or the wolf are spiritual guides.
- In Oceania , tohunga channels mana , this vital energy, into bodies and symbols.
- Among the Northern Sami , the noaidi beats the runic drum to guide the herds and communicate with the spirits of nature.
All these traditions share an animistic vision : the whole world is alive. Stones, trees, rivers, animals, and dreams carry consciousness and power.
The shaman as guardian of the link
In traditional societies, the shaman is first and foremost a guardian of balance . He ensures that humans live in harmony with nature, spirits, and their ancestors.
He knows that illness is not only physical: it can stem from a spiritual imbalance, a broken promise, a betrayed bond. His mission is to restore the invisible connections : between the soul and the body, the living and the dead, and/or the community and the universe.
In a modern world that believes it separates everything: body and mind, man and nature, science and the sacred, the figure of the shaman reappears as a universal archetype that reminds us that everything is connected .
Psychological and modern parallels
The psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung often compared the work of shamans to that of modern analysts . Through his inner journeys, the shaman explores the collective unconscious and brings back images, symbols, and stories of healing.
Today, shamanism is experiencing a revival through neo-shamanic practices, often inspired by the Amazon or Siberia. Ayahuasca ceremonies, holotropic breathwork , or drumming workshops offer a rediscovery of the inner journey .
While these practices sometimes spark controversy, they reveal a deep need: that of reconnecting with forms of embodied spirituality , where healing comes not only through medicine, but also through meaning, symbol and direct experience .
The shaman today: a universal archetype
In contemporary culture, the shaman has become a tutelary figure, present in alternative spiritualities as well as in literature, art or pop culture .
Like Anansi weaving his stories, like Dionysus breaking masks, the shaman embodies a timeless function: that of reminding us that the world is vaster than what we see.
Listen to what the world is telling us
From frozen Siberia to the Amazon rainforest , from the Mongolian steppes to the Pacific islands , the shaman embodies a universal function: to travel between worlds to restore balance .
He reminds us that healing is not merely a medical act, but a reconciliation with the unseen . That wisdom comes as much from dreams and trees as from books. That the entire cosmos is a living fabric, of which we are a part.
In a world in a hurry and fragmented, the figure of the shaman is reborn as an invitation: to relearn to listen to the links, the symbols, the rhythms, and what the world is trying to tell us .