What is a Shaman?

A shaman is an individual who is able to access at will to altered states of consciousness and meet some needs of his community by playing a mediator role between the Sacred and the Profane, between the invisible and the visible. The shaman masters communication with the non-manifested and the forces of the Universe. He has the particularity of being able to modify the functioning of its nervous system at will and thus act on his brain activity. Being a shaman is to carry within oneself a form of the gift of healing and of bringing the Other to his own healing.
Shamans have very refined instinctive and intuitive abilities that allow them to grasp knowledge and ways of doing things out of rational understanding. It is not useful to them to learn in the intellectual sense of the term. They are born with the strength and protection needed to heal naturally. They perceive where others see nothing. They understand where nothing seems understandable.
Very often - and this is still relevant in the 21st century - the shaman disturbs us, because he pushes a semblance of order, he sweeps away the beliefs and the vision that we have of ourselves and of the world around us. In fact, his role is to mess up what we think is in order. Once the disorder is established, the person or community is invited to begin a deep work on themselves, a work that allows them to heal themselves.
By exploring and acting on the deepest shadows, the shaman helps to restore meaning and protects the principle of Life by fighting everything that hinders it.