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Shaman:

(SHAY-men): The word Shaman comes from an extinct Ural-Altaic language called Tungus of Siberia, it is a generic term for healers and spiritual leaders in tribal societies. They are the priests and medicine men of old tribal societies. Shamans (Shamankas in the feminine form) practiced in every known culture, many of which are still active today. Traditional shamans induced trance states through drums, dancing, ingesting hallucinogens, self-mutilation and deprivation and virtually any means by which one might achieve an altered state of consciousness. While in such a trance, the shaman crosses over into another world to get information for his people such as the cause of illnesses and other misfortunes.

A medicine man is responsible for cultural knowledge where writing does not exist. Shamans have contact with and are influenced by the spirit world. Taoism, which emerged around 300 BC, was influenced by shamanism. Shamanism arose at least 8,000 years ago, possibly in Siberia, from where it spread into North and South America, China, Japan and Korea and then to South East Asia. A core belief is that there are two worlds, the material and spiritual. An ancient religious traditions, one through whom supernatural powers are channeled for the spiritual welfare of the community or tribe. More precisely, the shaman might heal the sick, escort the souls of the dead into heaven and away from their corpses, or confer with gods by taking on the shape or language of an animal or bird.

Shamanism is a range of traditional beliefs and practices that involve the ability to diagnose, cure, and sometimes cause human suffering by traversing the axis mundi and forming a special relationship with, or gaining control over, spirits. Shamans have been credited with the ability to control the weather, divination, the interpretation of dreams, astral projection, and traveling to upper and lower worlds. Shamanistic traditions have existed throughout the world since prehistoric times.

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