Blogpost #3 Philippine Shamanism

                    
Spiritual Mind power 

             Not too long ago my own Aunt was cursed by a Shaman. According to her, she witnessed frequent headaches, an extreme loss in appetite and saw her own fingers changing in sizes. Of course going to a doctor would've been the smartest choice but according to her, she knew her own body and this was not something any doctor would be able to rid so easily. Strangely enough, after 1 week she was healthy as an ox again! As if nothing happened (save for the amount of weight lost).  Now of course I'm extremely skeptical about this. I was never there during the occasion and everything I heard was from the account of my relatives in Baguio.

            People in Baguio are naturally very superstitious despite being rather close to civilization already. I'm happy about this, it brings more color to it's society, however the tales of these mystical Shaman come about in all sorts of flavors. Some say that they are merely just pretenders, false doctors who have no way to prove their claims. Most people seek their guidance and powers to restore them back to healthiness others would often invoke their wrath on people who have wronged them in the past.

~Let Dolphie lead you into the trance of comedy~

            According to some sources, Shamanism is a method of practice rather than a religion. It's roots come all the way from Siberia, Tibet and several South East Asian Countries. A culture of trances built upon the belief in the existence of spirits. 

I was reading an article named "Shamanic Healing: We are not Alone" written by Bonnie Horrigan on the website www.Shamanism.org, Mr. Horrigan talks about how we all know about the connection between the mind and the body, however Shamanism speaks of the connection between our spirits, how we are "not alone". Shamanism has a great deal to do with Spirits, whether we're talking about the spirits of living people or the spirits of those who still walk the mortal plane, there is definitely a heavy belief in the existence of spirits. In addition Mr. Horrigan says: 

"But the shamans don't believe in spirits. Shamans talk with them, interact with them. They no more "believe" there are spirits than they "believe" they have a house to live in, or have a family. This is a very important issue because shamanism is not a system of faith."

Apparently I was wrong, they no longer believe in spirits because they can speak to them. They see these spirits as real physical beings. However because these spirits can only be seen through this trans state it requires strict shamanistic training to be able to commune with them.

                 In the Philippines, the Shaman is known by many names depending on the province or region. Albularyo, Mangangamot, Mangkukulam etc. His duty in his society is to be a bridge that connects the mortal world and the spirit world. They go through rituals that grant them these powers and in these rituals the Shaman would mostly burst into a fit of insanity, rage or get possessed by a spirit. While browsing for sources, I found an e-book named "Philippine Shamanism and South East Asian parallels" by Fransisco R. Demerito, S.J readable on the website asj.upd.edu.ph.

In the book, Mr. Demerito gives full descriptions of different shamanic traditions in several provinces of the
Philippines. He writes that Shamans in the Philippines and in most cultures act as a medium that connects the
multiple planes of existence that we live in namely; the Upperworld, Middleworld and Underworld. The rite
of passage of a Philippine shaman is very common to most, wherein they would have to be possessed by a
spirit first before they can acknowledge their powers. To support this, Mr. Demerito says:

"The exterior sign was that he communicated to them a kind of madness, or they pretended that he did, making many grimaces, rolling their eyes and becoming enraged at times, as we find some of the ancient Sibyls and Vestals."

               In the quote the reader hints "or they pretended that he did" indicating the possibility of these rituals having no real effects. However you have to put into question the amount of impact these rituals have on these people. The Shaman being the one who communes with the spirits, with the "Enkantos" and with nature itself is held in high regard by his people. Whether or not his powers are true, he still provokes a psychological effect of mysticism on his community.

               In relation with Placebos, lets remember that these people (usually) have no modern medical treatment and often trust only in the Shaman to act as a witch Doctor as well. Hunters would attribute their successes to the Gods or to the Shamans prayers. It's very much possible that rather than being the beacon that connects the spirit world and the mortal world. These Shamans can actually posses a much more vital role in this mystic society. He acts as a catalyst for the peoples strength in belief. In the previous article I stated that the power of human belief is the strongest of all his capabilities. The Shaman acts as a physical manifestation of these peoples beliefs. He/She is literally the only way for them to see the supernatural through him and through his actions.

"I have no idea where your Camera man went"

               
               In conclusion of this blog, I'd like to say that despite what we may think of them. We can't forget that the hopes and faith of many indigenous people are attuned to these Shaman. They play a vital role in their communities which provide their people with an exceptional strength in their beliefs. Proving once more the power of the human mind, if these truly are placebos that are at work within a Shamanistic society this further proves that the our minds are extremely capable of things we cannot imagine yet. However if these powers are indeed true yet rare...I would definitely risk life and limb to seek the source of this power.