Shamanism

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Jung had a deep interest in the mysteries of the shamanic practices and ancient wisdom traditions of numerous cultures world-wide.

Shamanism is probably the oldest system of healing known in the world, forming the blue-print for many other forms of healing. A Shaman’s profession distinguishes him socially. He is regarded as having access to, and influence in the world of good and evil spirits, an ability that gives him authority. McCallum [1] describes ‘shamans’ as ‘those rare individuals whose role …has been that of defending the psychic integrity of their communities. …they know the terrain and the animals in the psyche of their people.” Jung noticed the similarity and universality of world religious or spiritual practices and was convinced that religion is a manifestation of the collective unconscious, the realm of the archetypes.

The shaman functions as a mediator between the human and the divine, giving meaning to human suffering. In his life and psychotherapy, Jung himself performed the functions of a primitive shaman in his way of approaching healing and cure, often performing the psychic feats that characterise the abilities of a shaman, e.g. having dreams and waking fantasies; his use of active imagination; contact with the forces and wisdom of the unconscious; psychic abilities, such as clairvoyance and out-of-body experiences, a dual “personality,” and a dialogue with the inner world, with a profound respect for the unconscious, the realm of the archetypes; and the application of these wisdoms to guide, advise, and heal.

Jung lamented, “There are no longer any gods whom we can invoke to help us. The great religions of the world suffer from increasing anaemia, because the helpful numina have fled from the woods, rivers, and mountains, and from animals, and the god-men have disappeared underground into the unconscious. There we fool ourselves that they lead an ignominious existence among the relics of our past. Our present lives are dominated by the goddess Reason, who is our greatest and most tragic illusion.” [2]

Post written by Julie Manegold, Clinical Psychologist and Jungian Analyst.

Image credit: ‘Entering the Ninth Cycle’, a painting by Meinrad Craighead. From her book 𝘊𝘳𝘰𝘸 𝘔𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘰𝘨 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘈 𝘙𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦, published by Pomegranate Communications in 2003 (currently out of print).

References:
[1] McCallum, I. (2009). 𝘌𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦: 𝘙𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘖𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦, pgs. 185-186. Africa Geographic, Cape Town, South Africa.
[2] Jung, C.G. (1964). 𝘔𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘚𝘺𝘮𝘣𝘰𝘭𝘴, pg. 91. Doubleday Press, New York.