Spiritual guidance

Shamanic healing

การบำบัดแบบชาแมน

Shamanic healing refers to spiritual practices in which a practitioner enters a trance-like state to seek help from a spirit world; it is a cultural and spiritual practice, not a medical treatment.

Origin

The word comes from Siberia (Tungusic languages); similar practices exist worldwide

History

Ancient practices; the term reached Western Europe in the 17th century, and 'core shamanism' was popularised in 1980

Licence in Thailand

Not required

Where it comes from

The word 'shaman' comes into English through Russian, probably from a Tungusic language of Siberia such as Evenki; Russian and Dutch explorers brought it to Western Europe in the 17th century. Scholars do not agree on one definition, and some criticise the term for lumping together very different Indigenous traditions.

Common features described by researchers include entering non-ordinary states of consciousness, engaging with unseen realities, and providing services such as healing and divination. Practitioners may use drumming, chanting or dance to reach trance, and illness is often treated as a spiritual problem, sometimes through the 'retrieval' of a lost soul.

Most shamanic healing offered in wellness centres today follows 'core shamanism', developed by Michael Harner in his 1980 book The Way of the Shaman. He stripped practices of their specific cultural content to make them accessible to Western seekers: an approach criticised by some scholars and Indigenous people as cultural appropriation.

The principle

Practitioners believe that illness or distress can have a spiritual dimension, and that a shaman can travel in a trance state to a spirit world to seek guidance, power or healing for a client.

In core shamanism, a session typically involves a 'journey' supported by steady drumming or rattling, contact with helping spirits often called 'power animals', and sometimes 'soul retrieval'.

What people come for

Spiritual exploration and meaning
Emotional release and relaxation through ritual
Marking a life transition or loss
Curiosity about Indigenous and traditional spirituality
A sense of connection with nature

How it works on the body

People usually experience a shamanic session as a ritual and inner journey, often guided by rhythm and imagery.

A session, step by step

01
Check the practitioner
Ask about their training, which tradition they follow, the price and what will happen.
02
Intention
You and the practitioner discuss what brings you and set an intention.
03
Opening the ritual
The space is prepared, often with music, chanting or smoke.
04
Journey
To steady drumming or rattling, the practitioner (and sometimes you) undertakes a 'journey'.
05
Sharing and closing
The practitioner shares what they experienced and the session is closed; take time to rest afterwards.

Precautions

Shamanic healing does not treat physical or mental illness. Do not delay or stop medical or psychological care for it.
Avoid any ceremony involving psychoactive substances (for example ayahuasca): they carry real health and legal risks, especially in Thailand, where drug laws are strict.
Be cautious with anyone who claims curses or spirit attacks and demands money to remove them.
People with serious mental health conditions should talk to their doctor before taking part in trance-based rituals.
Respect the cultures these practices come from; ask practitioners where their teachings come from.

Complementary practice: does not replace medical advice.

In Thailand

Thailand has its own long-standing spirit traditions, distinct from Western 'core shamanism'. Thai traditional medicine includes a spiritual branch with amulets, incantations and spirit-related healing, and spirit mediums, who are believed to be possessed by spirits, remain active. Research in Chaiyaphum shows mediumship is still central to healing and social life in north-eastern Thailand, working alongside Buddhism, while mediums possessed by historical figures help preserve local memory.

Frequently asked questions

Is shamanic healing scientifically proven?

No. There is no scientific evidence that shamanic rituals cure illness. Researchers study shamanism as a cultural and religious phenomenon and trance states as psychological experiences, not as proven therapy.

What is a 'shamanic journey'?

A guided, trance-like inner experience, usually to steady drumming, in which practitioners seek contact with helping spirits.

Is it the same as Thai spirit mediums?

No. Thai spirit mediumship is a local tradition linked to Buddhism and local spirits, while most Western shamanic workshops follow Harner's core shamanism.

Is it safe?

A drumming session is generally gentle, but avoid psychoactive substances, never replace medical care, and consult a doctor first if you have a mental health condition.

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