I had read in a book a comment from a Shaman. She was asked “How do you know whether your shamanic journeys are real or just your imagination?” Her reply was, “Is there the difference?”
Regarding my last post on “schizophrenic shamans,” I wonder if I wouldn’t be labeled “crazy” for seeing spirits and claiming to have healing powers, if it weren’t for 30,000 years of shamans before me. Being a shaman is very similar to being schizophrenic… It seems there are more similarities than the differences.
First, shamans and schizophrenics both…
- See spirits
- Hear voices
- Have claims of God speaking to them
- Believe they have the power of God within them or are God
The differences are…
- Shamans can control when they see spirits (well, most of the time)
- The spirits don’t control me (now I am delusional)
- Shamans don’t have episodes of being catatonic (we go into altered states intentionally)
- Shamans can differentiate between the physical and spiritual realm
I guess the main difference is control. A shaman learns to control the interaction between the him/herself and the spirits, and can control the transition between the realms.
Another aspects that seems important is the negative influences that spirits have on schizophrenics. You know… the voices that tell them to hurt themselves or someone else. I have dealt with negative spirits and even what I would call “evil” in the spirit realm. But as a shaman, I have my spirits guides and protectors with me to shield me and even over power the negative entity. A schizophrenic is dealing with it alone. That can be scary stuff!
I absolutely believe that what I see in the spirit realm is real. I know that spirits can visit us in this realm, and that the physical realm can be manipulated by what occurs in the spirit realm. When I first began this shamanic journey I wasn’t convinced it was real, but I enjoyed it. But then the healings started to happen… as they will when you practice shamanism long enough.
It started with simply asking for help for a friend during a shamanic journey. My spirit guide began applying his healing remedies and telling me what he was doing. It was neat to watch, but I didn’t have much confidence in that what had occurred during my shamanic journey would really affect my friend. How wrong I was. The next morning, my friend had a miraculous recovery, one that her and her doctor were trying to figure out. That first healing changed everything for me. I began “experimenting” on unsuspecting friends to cure them. And it worked! Every time, just like my spirit guide said it would. It didn’t matter what it was. Crone’s disease, cancer, kidney failure and depression. The healings were working like gang busters. And after a few years, even I couldn’t deny that it was real (I am a very slow learner).
I need to journey to ask my spirits guides their advice on these thoughts. I’ll get back to you.
Filed under: Schizophenia, Shamanism, Spirituality Tagged: | schizophrenia, shaman, shamanic healing, Shamanism
"Shaman Stone Soup" by Shaman Elizabeth Herrera
I had gotten in touch with the spirit realm, and was also witnessing some very miraculous things. Things that now I believe would be discredited sadly after losing control and getting a mental breakdown.One example was callling wind at will, people would feel it and get chills, when i felt like calling it. There were lots ofthings going on.But either way after my breakdown I lost touch with my spirituality because of the fear of what happened.My experiences were good than it made a dark turn, I started seeing death and bad omens. I didnt know much about spirit guides or anything, all I had was Jesus Christ but at the time of the dark turn it was like I had been forsaken or I lost faith that he can protect me, but than I felt I had to do rituals so that thebad thing wouldnt happen. So I did them and they led me to the hospital still kept doing rituals in the hospital.Till finally I felt safe and the danger was gone.I felt like my salvation was in the hospital. But yea, recently I felt I was being pursued by negative energies,spirits.And I had a dream like I had entered another world,similar to ours and there were teachers and students they were all psychic and going to a movie theatre.The teacher saw the demon or whatveer it was jumping from one student to another and I said”You see it dont you” she than gave me advice and looked pretty mad at me,like i intruded her realm.I think she was an involuntary spirit guide.She was talking about not connecting to people and to mind my business, but I wanna see if I can connect to her maybe she can teach me more.I like to learn so I will see if I can have her be my spirit guide.I still doubt these things even though i witnessed alot but I will give it a try.
Often when we begin to move toward the enlightened path and connect to the Oneness, the ego/dark energy will do everything it can to convince you that this world is the only reality and the spirit realm is not.
Our connection to God is never severed, but it can become blocked by our own mistaken thoughts. We will blame others and God for the lack of connection, but it is our own mistaken thoughts that create the block. I too have many blocks set up, and work daily to understand better what these blocks are. Then the hard work begins, I must constantly listen to the Spirit to guide me on the proper actions and thoughts. It is about surrender, but what you receive is of much higher value than what you give up.
There are no involuntary spirit guides, and enlightened spirit guides are never angry with you. They do correct mistaken thoughts, but gently.
I recommend that you read my blog post on Spirit Possession at http://blog.shamanelizabeth.com/2010/01/08/details-of-a-spirit-possession.