Splitting off from this thread so I don’t derail it …
both dying (and coming back to life), and mysterious rare illnesses are signs of a shaman. Have you ever considered looking into core shamanism?
Can anyone tell me more about core shamanism and what’s it’s practices are?
I actually fit that description very well and I’ve always felt a respect and interest in shamans, but I really don’t know anything about it.
And what exactly does the “core” part of core shamanism mean?
From the very little that I know, core shamanism is a new age practice that doesn’t abide by traditional tribal shamanic rules. The shaman powers/abilities are kept (the core) but the shamanic state or stature is abolished or tailored in such a way that fits the modern mans ego better.
Makes sense when you consider the fact that tribal shamans were the village “fools” pretty much. If you look at Maori, Aboriginal, Native American, Mongolian tribes you’ll notice a pattern. The shaman although not an outcast, lives outside the village, does not participate in most of the tribes activities and he’s only used in time of need. He does not play any leading role in the tribe he’s a facility pretty much. An appliance, like a radio. ha.
Shamans would fall into trance and become empty vessels to carry the voice of the summoned spirit. After the work was done the spirit would leave the body and the shaman would return to consciousness with no recollection whatsoever of the event that took place. That sounds like a radio to me.
In regards to practices, they are healers of course, witch doctors, medicine men. They also cast elemental spells for the wellbeing of the tribe (food abundance, weather control etc). My knowledge stops here pretty much. I’m not sure if they can cast or lift curses and I don’t know the nature of their rituals.
I’ve done some pretty serious curses in shamanic rituals, broke a guys back one time, you can use them for what you need them for. The one stipulation being the shaman leading the ritual needs to be ok with what your doing.
The shaman although not an outcast, lives outside the village, does not participate in most of the tribes activities and he's only used in time of need. He does not play any leading role in the tribe he's a facility pretty much. An appliance, like a radio. ha.
That’s an interesting point-of-view. I noticed the same thing about the shaman’s role, but my view of it is different.
There was a time when I could sense the energetic connections between people and could feel the push-and-pull between them.
I would watch a husband and wife arguing and realize it was just something petty he started because he was low on energy and needed some, so he vampirized his wife to get it.
I tested my theory by offering energy to people when I saw that happening. It was fun to watch, because they would lose all their anger and forget what they were saying. They would stop and go “What was I saying?” And the fight ended. lol
When I went through that phase, I wondered if that wasn’t why the shaman kept himself separate from the tribe, to separate himself from the drama he just sensed as an energetic tug-of-war. I know I separated myself a lot during this time because it all felt petty.
Don’t know. Thanks for making me look at it from a new perspective. I can always use more of that. 
Defectron, I have no doubt shamanic rituals are effective. I’m looking for more info about what concepts you’re actually working with.
For example, shamanic journeys seem to be a large part of the appeal to me. I’ve discovered soul travel is very important to me and I’ve always done it, I just didn’t recognize it as soul travel.
Isn’t there a world tree symbol in most shamanism? How does that fit into the picture?
Lady Eva was very into Core Shamanism, I’m sure if you PM her she can help you get started.
Shamanism is at it’s heart a mediatorship between the world of the spirits and the world of men. Within that lies a host of differing principle strengths, various shamans held various roles throughout tribal life. Shamans have been storytellers, leaders, hunters, and spiritual leaders, sometimes all at the same time and sometimes only one or two. Shamanism, like any religion or spirituality, requires immersion to fully understand.
I’m hoping she’ll drop by the thread and drop one of her knowledge bombs on me. 
Yes - World Tree, or mountain, or tent/yurt pole, something that becomes the axis mundi - the literal axis around which the (non-physical, and also, physical) universe rotates, is a key feature of amost all shamanic practices documented by Michael Harner, the originator of core shamanism.
You use this to locate yourself into the various realms, both the three trad. realms of CS (Upper, Lower, & Middle worlds) and also there are other possibilities, once you become accustomed to the method. It’s basically about creating a reliable stable interface to enter non-physical worlds, and it has the advantage of being used by many other people, so there’s a power to it in its own right by now.
Harner used the World Tree symbol to devise a system of core shamanism, meaning, the techniques that create the core of global shamanic practice, BUT stripped (for the most part) of culturally specific aspects, so there’s no issue of “cultural appropriation” of any one indigenous peoples’ spirits, or symbolism, etc. - he noticed what was identical about the techniques, underlying the symbols and objects that were located only in that region.
CS uses drumming to drive trance, which is more related to the Siberian & Asian methods afaik, because the entheogens (plant spirit helpers) used in some locations run into tedious legal barriers, and also issues of supply, lack of trained people (like the ayahuesceros of South America) in urban locations around the world to guide people using them correctly.
I think that was a good choice, it also makes this possibly the safest method to directly contact spirits, since it’s neither very powerful TO BEGIN WITH nor thrusts someone radically outside their normal mental and emotional state. To begin with!
Now, I typed out a tutorial (just PM’d you valkarath) which I’ve sent to a few people on here - the only reasons I haven’t posted it publicly are 1. any tutorial generates ongoing questions by new members who find it, which is fine, but I can’t always commit the time to give them the attention they deserve, and 2. the people I did some training with, the Foundation for Shamanic Studies, had some kind of weird copyright, although this is taught openly by other teachers, but I’m not sure where the line’s drawn so I’m keeping this to PM for now.
Core Shamanism = doing alot of Peyote/mezcaline…and having a pants shitting experience while passed out drooling all over yourself.
Look at that, another knowledge-bomb. Bam.
Thanks, Eva. I appreciate you.