In each of these traditions, a shaman (a practitioner capable of achieving modified states of consciousness through psychoactive plants, such as Ayahuasca, or through the regular beat of 'a drum) comes into contact with the informational field that surrounds us to interact with it. They receive information, advice, messages and healing rituals for themselves or for the person who comes to consult them.

 

From a spiritual point of view, shamanic practice is deeply rooted in spiritual practice and linked to animist beliefs to which each element, animal, rock or plant, has a singular spirit and a soul. Through shamanic trance -induced by the beating of a drum or psychoactive plants-, the shaman practitioner communicates with these spirits and works to restore balance and harmony between the physical and the spiritual worlds and does so for a place, for a person, and for the world.

 

From a scientific point of view, the shamanic trance - or altered states of consciousness created by practices such as meditation, song and dance, or any repetition of the same stimulus - is explained by the sudden production of alpha and theta waves, and is a universal ability of the human brain.

When in active standby, the human brain generates beta waves (12-30 Hz), and gamma waves (40 Hz) during intense brain activity. When our brain enters into a relaxation mode through meditation or any other rhythmic sound, alpha waves are produced (8 to 12 Hz). When the trance intensifies, the waves theta (4 to 8 Hz) associate with alpha waves. Theta waves are also the waves of paradoxical sleep, the dream state.

When the brain produces these theta waves, it aligns with the Earth's frequency, set at 7.83 Hz (Schumann Resonance) and resonates with the Earth's pulse. This allows us to access the informational field around us and interact with the elements.

 

Shamanic practices and beliefs vary from region to region and culture to culture, but every culture has always experienced some form of shamanic practice. In time, the shaman was responsible for healing humans, knowing the directions of the herds, knowing where to find water. These needs being nowadays the responsibility of other specialists, today's practicing shamans are responsible for the psychological balance and the guidance of beings. They restore the balance lost by difficulties and traumas, allow us to discover our life mission, and cleanse the energy that surrounds us.