Mind-Body Healing

"Shamanism is the oldest form of mind-body healing known to humankind," say shamanic counselor Leslie Gray. "It involves the use of altered states of consciousness for the purpose of restoring well-being to those who are experiencing ill health or helplessness…The worldview of shamanism is that health equals balanced relationships with all living things. When someone is ill, shamanism attempt to restore power to them by putting them back in harmony with life. This idea that all things are connected, while a very ancient concept, is also a concept for the future."

From the perspective of the indigenous people from whom the ritual postures emerged, healing is typically viewed as the restoration of balance. In this paradigm physical, psychological, and social maladies are the result of imbalances, and in order for healing to occur the source of the imbalance must be identified and balance restored. The healing or re-balancing is usually accomplished through the intervention of a healer, someone who has a special gift and has undergone training and apprenticeship with an experienced healer.

In the context of ecstatic trance as it is currently practiced (that is, as it is taught by practitioners trained through the Cuyamungue Institute established by Goodman), there is no person who is the designated healer. Instead, the person facilitating the trance uses a ritual process to create a "sacred space" and to call upon the help of healing spirits, provides the rattling or drumming that stimulates the nervous system to initiate the trance, and assists afterward in understanding the meaning of the visions. However, during the trance the individual who is in the posture and experiencing the trance functions in the roles of both healer and patient, interacting with the spirits and integrating the events of the trance while also receiving the benefits of the "treatment." When individuals undergo a healing trance using a ritual posture, they may report discernible energy shifts or flows in their bodies, visions of colors and patterns of light, experiences of healing journeys or rituals usually accompanied by animal spirits or other spirit beings, and/or an over-riding sense of well-being. In some situations the individual in trance may experience directing energy toward the healing of others.

There are excellent resources for exploring mind-body healing, such as The International Society for the Study of Subtle Energies and Energy Medicine (ISSSEEM), an international non-profit interdisciplinary organization dedicated to exploring and applying subtle energies as they relate to the experience of consciousness, healing, and human potential. ISSSEEM is in a unique position, acting both as a bridge builder between communities and a leader in the field, offering a community with a widespread appreciation of the energetic component within many disciplines including quantum physics, therapeutic modalities, healing, psychology, consciousness, psi and the understanding of our multidimensional existence.

Studies in which psychological changes during ecstatic trance were investigated include Woodside et al. (1997) in which investigators were unable to replicate specific content-related effects of ecstatic trance, suggesting that subjects may enter a non-ordinary state of consciousness but require some experience or assistance in achieving an ecstatic state. Schirmbrand (1991) administered a battery of psychological tests to her subjects prior to their experiencing two ecstatic trance sessions, at two-day intervals. While the subjective reports indicated changes during the experimental sessions, the data from the psychological tests showed no relationship between the experimental results and the personality data. Schirmbrand summarized her findings with a statement that the psychological instruments were unsuitable for detecting the subtle intrapsychic events that may occur during an altered state of consciousness.

These studies make clear the need for creative research design and appropriate tools for adequately measuring the impact of ecstatic trance in mind-body healing. We are hopeful that interested scholars and graduate students will contact us to collaborate in such research.

Now Available

The Ecstatic Experience
Healing Postures for Spirit Journeys
By Belinda Gore
$20.00
Buy Now