Shamanism and Transforming Mental Illness

In shamanic cultures mental illness is a community illness that is caused when the community’s many shadow projections overwhelm the collective benevolent intent. When we don’t withdraw our projections, we wear down the boundaries of the most sensitive, including children. The sensitives become vulnerable to the intrusion and influence of malevolent energies, wandering dead, and the unacknowledged secrets, betrayals, and transgressions of the community.

Traditionally, the shaman diagnoses the community’s imbalance whether with the local land spirits, ancestors, the spirit world in general or the morals and ethics of good relationship with each other. The healing is then communal, requiring everyone’s participation, restoring balance and right relationship, and freeing the individual from the burden of acting out the community’s illness.

This week we explore mental illness, old and new causes, and shamanism as the path forward to sanity and well-being even for our “Prozac Nation.”

Listen to the show (just click the Play arrow):  

or download (right-click the link) the Shamanism and Transforming Mental Illness.mp3 audio file.

About Christina Pratt…

Shamanic teacher and author, Christina is a skilled shamanic healer who weaves her authentic shamanic experience, extensive training, and experience with shamans from Ecuador, Nepal, Tibet, and Africa into her contemporary practice. She has been in practice for 20 years, specializing in soul retrieval healings, soul part integration, and ancestral healing. She is the director of the Last Mask Center for Shamanic Healing in Portland, Oregon.

Comments Off on Shamanism and Transforming Mental Illness Original post date: Wednesday, October 21st, 2009