Shamanism & Humaniversity (Part 4)
4 - Shamanism and Humaniversity psychology
I will now compare the various concepts of shamanism and the Humaniversity psychology, highlighting the elements from both approches that are similar, while also identifying the main points of difference.
4.1- Similarities
4.1.1- Two approaches parallel to mainstream :
The first common quality I can identify between shamanism and Humaniversity Psychology is that both approaches have a foot in the mainstream therapeutic culture, while another one remains on the outside. In my view, this « outsider » status results from their ability to escape definition (which is clearly a quality), from the spontaneity of both approaches and their adaptabilty and clear commitment towards what works rather than on a image that looks good. As noted before, in some countries, shamanism runs parallel to the main official religions without being part of it. In the same way, in my view, the Humaniversity Psychology remains apart from the mainstream approaches in psychology as it is more daring and not so « therapeutically correct ». By this, I mean that the main focus of the therapeutic tools is that they have to produce results, even if it is unconventional at times. As an example, many psychological schools propose that the therapist maintain a « therapeutic distance » between him/her and the patient and that they remain « objective ». Veeresh’s approach is radically different as the goal is to develop friendship and to be totaly involved. Taking part in a Humaniversity workshop requires a total commitment, including occasional intense physical effort (specially in some emotional expression structures such a flushing and the AUM), confrontation, going beyond physical and emotional limitations and total honesty in relating. Many people might choose a « softer » or more conventional approach when it is time to take a look at themselves. It is also quite confronting at times to work with a shaman as some of them are known as quite unpredictable and spontaneous.
Even if it’s not a typical mainstream approach, the Humaniversity psychology includes elements of other schools of psychology. Veeresh integrated over the years various techniques and tools from various schools in developping his own approach. For example, Flushing combines free association, an element from psychoanalysis, bonding from Casriel and scream therapy from Janov. Veeresh was also inspired by many of his teachers and the therapeutic communities he lived in. He was also inspired by the concept of orgasm reflex from Reich, Bioenergetic exercises from Lowen, etc... The Humaniversity is also rooted in the therapeutic comunities model (maybe more so in the beginning than it is today), in which Veeresh studied and worked for years.
Like the Humaniversity Psychology, shamanism is integrative rather than exclusionary. It is a holistic approach dedicated to healing in which the shaman uses all the spiritual and material means at his/her disposal, in cooperation with people in the community who have other techniques such as healing with plants and herbs, massage and bone setting. The shaman's purpose is to help the patient get well, not to prove that his/her system is the one that works better. For example, in a sacred drug ritual, the shaman will take the drug together with the participants to share the experience in its totality, and by doing so, he puts himself on the same level. It takes courage to dare meeting the patients on a common ground and to leave behind the title of expert or specialist. Actually, in general, shamans are known to respect the context in which the ceremony practices takes place and where participants come from. In the same way, it is my exprience that the Humaniversity therapists travelling around the world to lead workshops adapt their tools and techniques to the specific cultural elements of the host country (it was the case anyway here in Canada over the years).
4.1.2- Tribes, Families and Totems :
In most Humaniversity workshops, the big group is divided into small families generaly consisting of 6 to 10 people, a process that helps create more intimate contacts between participants, while bringing to the surface many stored memories in participants as everyone carries a rich and still active family life inside themselves that more or less keeps repeating itself later in life. For each participant, the simple fact of recreating a family is an opportunity to explore old family related feelings to possibly bring it to the surface, to the conscious level, and it is generaly associated with many occasions where one can express unconscious and irrational emotions that might be hanging on since the early childhood that might be brought up by the simple fact of being part of a family. On the other side, the « father » and the « mother » of the family are caretakers, which means that they have a minimum experience of the Humaniversity approach and most of the time, they are in the second stage of the therapist training program at the Humaniversity. They have a precious opportunity to start to work with people in an authority position, while being responsible to bring the important information up to the group staff.
We could link this division of larger groups into families with many traditional Native societies in which bigger villages were divided in smaller tribes or clans for different reasons such as to avoid attacks from the outside, have some groups specialized for specific tasks and to create a stronger sense of belonging between some of its members .
In most Humaniversity workshops, each family is invited to find a name, a common dressing symbol and a shout or scream of gathering representing the family, elements that could be linked to the totem of the Natives.
Freud, in Totem and Taboo (1927), mentions the precious role of a totem. On his part, Durkheim, a french sociologist share that «... the kind of objects used to represent collectively the clan is called a totem. The totem of the clan is also the totem of everyone of it’s member. Each clan possess his own totem and no one can have the same one » (translated by the author). Giving the family an identity with a specific name, choregraphy and a family sound or scream is based on the attribution of a totem.
In the 1980s, Veeresh created a international network of Osho Freestates around the world. It was a network of friends that passed by the Humaniversity in Holland for a workshop, the tourist program or a longer training that were connected throught the main values of the Humaniversity, amongst which we find friendship, honesty, responsability, straightforwardness, support and expression of emotions. This network grew out of the need of connection for people who had to leave the Humaniversity campus but who wanted to remain connected when back in the world. We could see it as a network of clans around the world that remained connected. Even though this international network is not as formally constituted anymore, the experience of having lived something together in a Humaniversity workshop remains a strong connection that will make some people wanting to keep meeting in the future.
4.1.3- Exorcism and adorcism :
Two concepts often described in the litterature as being fondamental parts of shamanism are exorcism and adorcism, which are also part of the Humaniversity Psychology.
Exorcism could be define as « the expulsion or attempted expulsion of an evil spirit from a person or place » (Oxford American Dictionnary). We are quite familiar in the popular culture with exorcism since the movie the Exorcist in the 1970s. Even though the movie initiated us to possession by evil spirits in a spectacular and even ridiculous way, we can recognize, while working with people as a psychotherapist, that some people appear to be « possessed » by old traumas, by conditionings and/or people from their past that still have power over them and that scares them as if the old experience is still alive inside of them and forcing them to repeat the learned behaviors. From my own experience, we can find similar concepts and practical tools related to it both in shamanism and in the Humaniversity psychology.
Exorcism implies expulsion of an evil spirit from a person and in many books on shamanism, shamans are said to be experts extracting evil spirits from their patients body or soul by various ways. In fact, exorcism could be labeled as « empyting the cup » in the Humaniversity psychology (Carrivick, 2000). The emotional release techniques developed by Veeresh, such as Flushing, Pressure cooker, the AUM, etc.., are in a way similar to some of the shamanic techniques used by certain shamans in exorcism as they are basically means to express repressed feelings or emotions still located in the physical or psychological bodies that make the person often react to old situations rather than respond actual events. Expressing repressed feelings, emotions and traumatic experiences linked to the past create more space inside that can be fulfilled by positive energy that is more in tune with the actual needs of the individual, which relates to the term adorcism.
In fact, adorcism could be seen as a complement to the expression phase, the second part of reconditionning, known as the reframing process in Humaniversity Psychology. The goal of the therapy is to replace the space previously filled by the negative feelings, limiting or destructive behaviors freed by the release process with good feelings, love, trust, friendship and a positive attitude toward life. The key sentence « I need love not pain » is the best example of this process; letting go of the pain associated with past experiences while consciously choosing to take love in to fill the place. In general, most processes used at the Humaniversity bring the participants to first express themselves from feelings or unecessary burdens to eventually replace it with « good feelings ». In this way, hugging is one of the most effective tool of adorcism as it grounds in the body the new positive and nourishing values while helping to connect with the others.
4.1.4- Meditation :
Shamanism and Humaniversity psychology both mention the importance of meditation, even if they might use different words. The Humaniversity Psychology, based on the Psychology of the Buddhas inspired by Osho, talks of the importance of being able to develop a meditative space inside oneself either by sitting or by interacting with others. The shamanic interpretation of meditation maybe has more to do with being receptive to supporting spirits or power animals or creating an inner preparation to reach other realities. But for sure both approaches favor insight and looking in.
4.1.5- Sacredness :
Both approaches teach a connection to the sacred aspect of life, to something bigger than what we can see. Through Veeresh’s love for Osho, the Humaniversity is connected with the Osho Resort in Poona, while maintaining a connection with the international sannyas network through common friends, most of them also being lovers and disciples of Osho. The religious quality manifest itself in the Humaniversity approach as some people, as Acharyas, can initiate people into sannyas, marry them and celebrate many other rituals. In the shamanic tradition, the sacred lies in nature, in all of its elements and in the helping spirits and protecting souls.
4.1.6- Fasting :
Many documents on shamanism mention that people regularly abstain from eating in order to help them reach extraordinary realities or other dimensions. Fasting allow people to have a different relation with their body, not being so busy with digesting, freeing them to inhabit their body from a different place than from the stomach. Not eating at all - or just a little - prevents people from « eating their emotions », something we often do when feelings come up and/or are too intense. From my experience in Humaniversity workshops since 1988, there were many times, especially in earlier days during 5 day marathon workshops lead by Veeresh, where we would go on without eating for some periods going from a few hours to a few days (other times, we would only eat immortality soup or colored porridge; this for sure brought feelings up). It did help us to get in touch with deeper feelings that food would normally have covered or simply prevented us to feel. Eating was replaced with a lot of water drinking and with many hugs that became a fulfilling form of replacement food.
4.1.7- Lack of sleep :
Beside not eating, Veeresh would also create structures in which we would not sleep for long periods of time, again specially during marathon workshops. As much as fasting would bring us deeper into feelings, the lack of sleep would work in just the same way. In fact lack of sleep can at times facilitate experimenting altered states of being, trance and spacing in and out; that is why some shamans use it for themselves or when working with people.
4.1.8- Enlightenment :
As we have seen earlier, for most people engaged in the spiritual path, as is the case of the students of the Humaniversity, enlightenment is a state that we tend to reach or attain before death. Shamanism and Humaniversity Psychology have a similar conception of enlightenment, generally direction meaning going from the darkness to light, from unconsciousness to consciousness. In the shamanic tradition, enlightenment has two meanings. The first one is similar to the spiritual one, that is going from darkness to light while the other is related to the passing from this world to other worlds, or in other words, moving back and forth freely and without attachments from this reality to other Non Ordinary realities, either with the use of Trance induced by different means (psychedelic plants, drumming, not sleeping, dreaming, etc... ). In other words, being as light as a feather that one can master Soul traveling.
4.1.9- Primal Spaces and childhood issues :
Even though I already presented the Sweatloge Ceremony in the therapeutic tools related to shamanism, I would like to briefly mention it again, but this time in relation to its quality of recreating the mother’s womb. It is in fact said in many sources that the sweatlodge, by its precise shape, its darkness and the fact that one sits directly on the earth, recreates the womb of the mother (in this case, the mother being Mother Earth). Many Humaniversity workshops are related with Primal work (rebirthing, primal groups such as Mama-Papa or Primal joy, regression sessions, family constellations) and recognize the need to get back in touch with unfinished childhood issues. The sweatlodge ceremony could be seen as a feminine way to get back to the mother’s womb, the yin way, while the more active processes used in the Humaniversity Primal groups are the male side of a very similar goal, the yang side. Both ways are designed to connect with the inner child, whether the mother is our physical real or symbolic mother or Gaya, Mother Earth. We are all children of our own mother, who gave us birth, and at the same time children of the universe.
4.1.10- Moodreports/Councils :
Another similar aspect shared by shamanism and Humaniversity Psychology is the aknowledgment of the importance of setting regular meetings to allow people to share their feelings or what they are living with their collegues. If it is named mood report or daily meetings in the Humaniversity world, for the the Native people of various traditions, the gatherings are called either councils, meeting rituals or pow-wows. Since hundreds of years, Native people in North America use to share a stick - called a talking stick – that they would pass around one person at a time to allow everyone to have a time reserved for him/herself so that no one would interfer with them. I use a talking stick in my groups and it has proved very useful, specialy for shy people who have difficulties expressing themselves in a big group setting or to prevent some « big talkers » to monopolize all the attention.
In the Humaniversity tradition, members of a family often send a participant a shower of love after his/her sharing as a way to complete it. In the shamanic tradition, many Native tribes require that a participant say out loud and clear the word « HO » to indicate that his/her sharing is complete, after which all the other members of the circle answer back « HO » as loud. This way, everyone knows that one’s turn is over and the talking stick can move on.
4.1.11- Music/Drumming :
Music is an integral part of both approaches. Over the years, Veeresh have produced many albums together with a network of musicians. Specific music, composed specially for the various therapeutic structures, is used in nearly all contexts of Humaniversity workshops. Even if Veeresh is not singing, he often talks (or rap) over the music; the messages recorded with the music are an integral part of the therapeutic process; for example, after some emotional release, soft music containing specific words from Veeresh is played in the background during the hugging period. The AUM meditation has its own specific music to structure the process.
In the traditional lineage of shamanism, drumming was along the ages an important part of many shamanic rituals and processes. Whether it was to keep the rythm to reach a trance, to attain Non Ordinary Realities, to scare evil spirits away or to attract the protecting spirits, shamans often use either drumming or the sound of other instruments made from natural elements. In more recent shamanic schools such the one founded by Frank Natale or the music of Gabrielle Roth, electronic music is part of the paraphernalia used to instill trance or shamanic spaces.
4.2- Differences between shamanism and Humaniversity Psychology
If shamanism and Humaniversity Psychology are similar on several points as we have just seen, they also offer a few significant differences. These differences, far from making the merging of both approaches impossible, could be seen as polarities that could help stretch the spectrum of action of Humaniversity Neoshamanism.
4.2.1- Spirit/Soul versus Body :
Traditionnaly, shamans were – and still are - mostly interested with the invisible worlds, connecting with spirits, retrieving souls or helping people find their power animal. Not that shamans are never working on healing people’s bodies, but the litterature mostly report interventions located on higher levels, in the invisible worlds. So in general, it can be seen more as an esoteric approach than the Humaniversity, this last approach focusing more on attaining physical and psychological well-being by developping nourishing relationships and flowing and natural expression of oneself. Of course, an aspect of the Humaniversity work is also related to the unfolding of people’s soul and spirit but I would say that it’s main fields of action are focused on the body, the emotions, relationships and expression in general. The Humaniversity approach is in my view more « grounded » and down-to earth, more practical. So, in a way, shamanism could bring wings to the Humaniversity while the work of the Humaniversity could « ground » shamanism, making it well rooted in the earth. With good roots, one can fly to the sky without getting lost. Indeed, one can fly as high as the depth of its roots.
4.2.2- Individual versus group work :
Another important difference between shamanism and Humaniversity Psychology is that the first one takes places often on a one-to one basis, between the shaman and one individual at a time, while most of the work in the Humaniversity approach takes place in a group context, whether it is in the group room or in the community. In his psychoshamanism model, Dubois also states that most therapeutic work must be done via individual sessions. To me, this is considerably different from the Humaniversity approach in which individual sessions do happen, but it does not represent the main core of the therapeutic process, it being of secondary importance according to me.
4.2.3- Link to Nature :
Shamanism is closely connected to nature and its elements : whether it is around the sweatlodge and its use of minerals (honoring the rocks as the grandfathers of all human beings), animals and vegetals, honoring the wind, the fire, the earth and water, its references to Gaya, our mother earth, the helping qualities of animals, its use of plants and trees, its connection to nature is clear, as many shamanic traditions developped in the outdoor. As the Humaniversity campus is not so remote and isolated in nature, and also because the weather in Holland is quite humid and rainy, many activities take place inside the buildings. So a greater connection to nature could add to the quality of the Humaniversity approach. But I should remark that Aamod recently developped the garden area on the Humaniversity Campus, which brought more action in that area, so already this aspect is in development.
Conclusion
It seems clear and obvious that shamanism and Humaniversity Psychology contains many elements that have the potential to be bridged and merged to eventually create a new branch of the Humaniversity called Humaniversity Neoshamanism. From my own personal experience, the fact that I have gone through the process of the Humaniversity therapy years ago has helped me be more in tune with my personal power, more aware of my strenghts and weaknesses through intensive feedback sessions from fellow travellers, while it has also helped me in developping compassion and empathy; in short it made me ready and available for shamanism when it came my way. In this sense, I think that the basic foundation work that Veeresh developped through his down-to-heart and straigthforward therapeutic model is a prerequisite to anyone wishing to explore the shamanic way. Indeed, it is necessary to lay solid foundations in oneself, which the Humaniversity gives the opportunity to do, before thinking about reaching for the sky and explore the other worlds that shamanism invites to explore.
In this work, I have described shamanism and I have identified which elements are compatible with Humaniversity Psychology. In fact, in most workshops I lead since a few years, I have already included many elements of both approaches in the way I lead the process; so the new approach Humaniversity Neoshamanism is already in the making. But it is clear that more analysis, studies and experimentation are still necessary to bring further the process of development of this new approach. With this paper, I documented shamanism on many specific aspects, linking it with the Humaniversity Psychology on many important levels by identifying the main similarities and differences between both approaches. So I consider that this is the first step of the integration process. In fact, creating a new « off-spring » of the Humaniversity tree into an more developped and complete approach in which I will integrate elements of shamanism will take more time, research and concrete experimentation, which is exactly what I intend to keep working on in the near future. In fact, I intend to make it the goal of my Ph.D. project as part of my studies and continuing education training at the Humaniversity in the coming years as it is a passion for me to merge these two approaches that are so important in my personal and professional life.
So this is not the end my friend, but rather another beginning ! See you soon !
ati@oshocanadapublications.com
I will now compare the various concepts of shamanism and the Humaniversity psychology, highlighting the elements from both approches that are similar, while also identifying the main points of difference.
4.1- Similarities
4.1.1- Two approaches parallel to mainstream :
The first common quality I can identify between shamanism and Humaniversity Psychology is that both approaches have a foot in the mainstream therapeutic culture, while another one remains on the outside. In my view, this « outsider » status results from their ability to escape definition (which is clearly a quality), from the spontaneity of both approaches and their adaptabilty and clear commitment towards what works rather than on a image that looks good. As noted before, in some countries, shamanism runs parallel to the main official religions without being part of it. In the same way, in my view, the Humaniversity Psychology remains apart from the mainstream approaches in psychology as it is more daring and not so « therapeutically correct ». By this, I mean that the main focus of the therapeutic tools is that they have to produce results, even if it is unconventional at times. As an example, many psychological schools propose that the therapist maintain a « therapeutic distance » between him/her and the patient and that they remain « objective ». Veeresh’s approach is radically different as the goal is to develop friendship and to be totaly involved. Taking part in a Humaniversity workshop requires a total commitment, including occasional intense physical effort (specially in some emotional expression structures such a flushing and the AUM), confrontation, going beyond physical and emotional limitations and total honesty in relating. Many people might choose a « softer » or more conventional approach when it is time to take a look at themselves. It is also quite confronting at times to work with a shaman as some of them are known as quite unpredictable and spontaneous.
Even if it’s not a typical mainstream approach, the Humaniversity psychology includes elements of other schools of psychology. Veeresh integrated over the years various techniques and tools from various schools in developping his own approach. For example, Flushing combines free association, an element from psychoanalysis, bonding from Casriel and scream therapy from Janov. Veeresh was also inspired by many of his teachers and the therapeutic communities he lived in. He was also inspired by the concept of orgasm reflex from Reich, Bioenergetic exercises from Lowen, etc... The Humaniversity is also rooted in the therapeutic comunities model (maybe more so in the beginning than it is today), in which Veeresh studied and worked for years.
Like the Humaniversity Psychology, shamanism is integrative rather than exclusionary. It is a holistic approach dedicated to healing in which the shaman uses all the spiritual and material means at his/her disposal, in cooperation with people in the community who have other techniques such as healing with plants and herbs, massage and bone setting. The shaman's purpose is to help the patient get well, not to prove that his/her system is the one that works better. For example, in a sacred drug ritual, the shaman will take the drug together with the participants to share the experience in its totality, and by doing so, he puts himself on the same level. It takes courage to dare meeting the patients on a common ground and to leave behind the title of expert or specialist. Actually, in general, shamans are known to respect the context in which the ceremony practices takes place and where participants come from. In the same way, it is my exprience that the Humaniversity therapists travelling around the world to lead workshops adapt their tools and techniques to the specific cultural elements of the host country (it was the case anyway here in Canada over the years).
4.1.2- Tribes, Families and Totems :
In most Humaniversity workshops, the big group is divided into small families generaly consisting of 6 to 10 people, a process that helps create more intimate contacts between participants, while bringing to the surface many stored memories in participants as everyone carries a rich and still active family life inside themselves that more or less keeps repeating itself later in life. For each participant, the simple fact of recreating a family is an opportunity to explore old family related feelings to possibly bring it to the surface, to the conscious level, and it is generaly associated with many occasions where one can express unconscious and irrational emotions that might be hanging on since the early childhood that might be brought up by the simple fact of being part of a family. On the other side, the « father » and the « mother » of the family are caretakers, which means that they have a minimum experience of the Humaniversity approach and most of the time, they are in the second stage of the therapist training program at the Humaniversity. They have a precious opportunity to start to work with people in an authority position, while being responsible to bring the important information up to the group staff.
We could link this division of larger groups into families with many traditional Native societies in which bigger villages were divided in smaller tribes or clans for different reasons such as to avoid attacks from the outside, have some groups specialized for specific tasks and to create a stronger sense of belonging between some of its members .
In most Humaniversity workshops, each family is invited to find a name, a common dressing symbol and a shout or scream of gathering representing the family, elements that could be linked to the totem of the Natives.
Freud, in Totem and Taboo (1927), mentions the precious role of a totem. On his part, Durkheim, a french sociologist share that «... the kind of objects used to represent collectively the clan is called a totem. The totem of the clan is also the totem of everyone of it’s member. Each clan possess his own totem and no one can have the same one » (translated by the author). Giving the family an identity with a specific name, choregraphy and a family sound or scream is based on the attribution of a totem.
In the 1980s, Veeresh created a international network of Osho Freestates around the world. It was a network of friends that passed by the Humaniversity in Holland for a workshop, the tourist program or a longer training that were connected throught the main values of the Humaniversity, amongst which we find friendship, honesty, responsability, straightforwardness, support and expression of emotions. This network grew out of the need of connection for people who had to leave the Humaniversity campus but who wanted to remain connected when back in the world. We could see it as a network of clans around the world that remained connected. Even though this international network is not as formally constituted anymore, the experience of having lived something together in a Humaniversity workshop remains a strong connection that will make some people wanting to keep meeting in the future.
4.1.3- Exorcism and adorcism :
Two concepts often described in the litterature as being fondamental parts of shamanism are exorcism and adorcism, which are also part of the Humaniversity Psychology.
Exorcism could be define as « the expulsion or attempted expulsion of an evil spirit from a person or place » (Oxford American Dictionnary). We are quite familiar in the popular culture with exorcism since the movie the Exorcist in the 1970s. Even though the movie initiated us to possession by evil spirits in a spectacular and even ridiculous way, we can recognize, while working with people as a psychotherapist, that some people appear to be « possessed » by old traumas, by conditionings and/or people from their past that still have power over them and that scares them as if the old experience is still alive inside of them and forcing them to repeat the learned behaviors. From my own experience, we can find similar concepts and practical tools related to it both in shamanism and in the Humaniversity psychology.
Exorcism implies expulsion of an evil spirit from a person and in many books on shamanism, shamans are said to be experts extracting evil spirits from their patients body or soul by various ways. In fact, exorcism could be labeled as « empyting the cup » in the Humaniversity psychology (Carrivick, 2000). The emotional release techniques developed by Veeresh, such as Flushing, Pressure cooker, the AUM, etc.., are in a way similar to some of the shamanic techniques used by certain shamans in exorcism as they are basically means to express repressed feelings or emotions still located in the physical or psychological bodies that make the person often react to old situations rather than respond actual events. Expressing repressed feelings, emotions and traumatic experiences linked to the past create more space inside that can be fulfilled by positive energy that is more in tune with the actual needs of the individual, which relates to the term adorcism.
In fact, adorcism could be seen as a complement to the expression phase, the second part of reconditionning, known as the reframing process in Humaniversity Psychology. The goal of the therapy is to replace the space previously filled by the negative feelings, limiting or destructive behaviors freed by the release process with good feelings, love, trust, friendship and a positive attitude toward life. The key sentence « I need love not pain » is the best example of this process; letting go of the pain associated with past experiences while consciously choosing to take love in to fill the place. In general, most processes used at the Humaniversity bring the participants to first express themselves from feelings or unecessary burdens to eventually replace it with « good feelings ». In this way, hugging is one of the most effective tool of adorcism as it grounds in the body the new positive and nourishing values while helping to connect with the others.
4.1.4- Meditation :
Shamanism and Humaniversity psychology both mention the importance of meditation, even if they might use different words. The Humaniversity Psychology, based on the Psychology of the Buddhas inspired by Osho, talks of the importance of being able to develop a meditative space inside oneself either by sitting or by interacting with others. The shamanic interpretation of meditation maybe has more to do with being receptive to supporting spirits or power animals or creating an inner preparation to reach other realities. But for sure both approaches favor insight and looking in.
4.1.5- Sacredness :
Both approaches teach a connection to the sacred aspect of life, to something bigger than what we can see. Through Veeresh’s love for Osho, the Humaniversity is connected with the Osho Resort in Poona, while maintaining a connection with the international sannyas network through common friends, most of them also being lovers and disciples of Osho. The religious quality manifest itself in the Humaniversity approach as some people, as Acharyas, can initiate people into sannyas, marry them and celebrate many other rituals. In the shamanic tradition, the sacred lies in nature, in all of its elements and in the helping spirits and protecting souls.
4.1.6- Fasting :
Many documents on shamanism mention that people regularly abstain from eating in order to help them reach extraordinary realities or other dimensions. Fasting allow people to have a different relation with their body, not being so busy with digesting, freeing them to inhabit their body from a different place than from the stomach. Not eating at all - or just a little - prevents people from « eating their emotions », something we often do when feelings come up and/or are too intense. From my experience in Humaniversity workshops since 1988, there were many times, especially in earlier days during 5 day marathon workshops lead by Veeresh, where we would go on without eating for some periods going from a few hours to a few days (other times, we would only eat immortality soup or colored porridge; this for sure brought feelings up). It did help us to get in touch with deeper feelings that food would normally have covered or simply prevented us to feel. Eating was replaced with a lot of water drinking and with many hugs that became a fulfilling form of replacement food.
4.1.7- Lack of sleep :
Beside not eating, Veeresh would also create structures in which we would not sleep for long periods of time, again specially during marathon workshops. As much as fasting would bring us deeper into feelings, the lack of sleep would work in just the same way. In fact lack of sleep can at times facilitate experimenting altered states of being, trance and spacing in and out; that is why some shamans use it for themselves or when working with people.
4.1.8- Enlightenment :
As we have seen earlier, for most people engaged in the spiritual path, as is the case of the students of the Humaniversity, enlightenment is a state that we tend to reach or attain before death. Shamanism and Humaniversity Psychology have a similar conception of enlightenment, generally direction meaning going from the darkness to light, from unconsciousness to consciousness. In the shamanic tradition, enlightenment has two meanings. The first one is similar to the spiritual one, that is going from darkness to light while the other is related to the passing from this world to other worlds, or in other words, moving back and forth freely and without attachments from this reality to other Non Ordinary realities, either with the use of Trance induced by different means (psychedelic plants, drumming, not sleeping, dreaming, etc... ). In other words, being as light as a feather that one can master Soul traveling.
4.1.9- Primal Spaces and childhood issues :
Even though I already presented the Sweatloge Ceremony in the therapeutic tools related to shamanism, I would like to briefly mention it again, but this time in relation to its quality of recreating the mother’s womb. It is in fact said in many sources that the sweatlodge, by its precise shape, its darkness and the fact that one sits directly on the earth, recreates the womb of the mother (in this case, the mother being Mother Earth). Many Humaniversity workshops are related with Primal work (rebirthing, primal groups such as Mama-Papa or Primal joy, regression sessions, family constellations) and recognize the need to get back in touch with unfinished childhood issues. The sweatlodge ceremony could be seen as a feminine way to get back to the mother’s womb, the yin way, while the more active processes used in the Humaniversity Primal groups are the male side of a very similar goal, the yang side. Both ways are designed to connect with the inner child, whether the mother is our physical real or symbolic mother or Gaya, Mother Earth. We are all children of our own mother, who gave us birth, and at the same time children of the universe.
4.1.10- Moodreports/Councils :
Another similar aspect shared by shamanism and Humaniversity Psychology is the aknowledgment of the importance of setting regular meetings to allow people to share their feelings or what they are living with their collegues. If it is named mood report or daily meetings in the Humaniversity world, for the the Native people of various traditions, the gatherings are called either councils, meeting rituals or pow-wows. Since hundreds of years, Native people in North America use to share a stick - called a talking stick – that they would pass around one person at a time to allow everyone to have a time reserved for him/herself so that no one would interfer with them. I use a talking stick in my groups and it has proved very useful, specialy for shy people who have difficulties expressing themselves in a big group setting or to prevent some « big talkers » to monopolize all the attention.
In the Humaniversity tradition, members of a family often send a participant a shower of love after his/her sharing as a way to complete it. In the shamanic tradition, many Native tribes require that a participant say out loud and clear the word « HO » to indicate that his/her sharing is complete, after which all the other members of the circle answer back « HO » as loud. This way, everyone knows that one’s turn is over and the talking stick can move on.
4.1.11- Music/Drumming :
Music is an integral part of both approaches. Over the years, Veeresh have produced many albums together with a network of musicians. Specific music, composed specially for the various therapeutic structures, is used in nearly all contexts of Humaniversity workshops. Even if Veeresh is not singing, he often talks (or rap) over the music; the messages recorded with the music are an integral part of the therapeutic process; for example, after some emotional release, soft music containing specific words from Veeresh is played in the background during the hugging period. The AUM meditation has its own specific music to structure the process.
In the traditional lineage of shamanism, drumming was along the ages an important part of many shamanic rituals and processes. Whether it was to keep the rythm to reach a trance, to attain Non Ordinary Realities, to scare evil spirits away or to attract the protecting spirits, shamans often use either drumming or the sound of other instruments made from natural elements. In more recent shamanic schools such the one founded by Frank Natale or the music of Gabrielle Roth, electronic music is part of the paraphernalia used to instill trance or shamanic spaces.
4.2- Differences between shamanism and Humaniversity Psychology
If shamanism and Humaniversity Psychology are similar on several points as we have just seen, they also offer a few significant differences. These differences, far from making the merging of both approaches impossible, could be seen as polarities that could help stretch the spectrum of action of Humaniversity Neoshamanism.
4.2.1- Spirit/Soul versus Body :
Traditionnaly, shamans were – and still are - mostly interested with the invisible worlds, connecting with spirits, retrieving souls or helping people find their power animal. Not that shamans are never working on healing people’s bodies, but the litterature mostly report interventions located on higher levels, in the invisible worlds. So in general, it can be seen more as an esoteric approach than the Humaniversity, this last approach focusing more on attaining physical and psychological well-being by developping nourishing relationships and flowing and natural expression of oneself. Of course, an aspect of the Humaniversity work is also related to the unfolding of people’s soul and spirit but I would say that it’s main fields of action are focused on the body, the emotions, relationships and expression in general. The Humaniversity approach is in my view more « grounded » and down-to earth, more practical. So, in a way, shamanism could bring wings to the Humaniversity while the work of the Humaniversity could « ground » shamanism, making it well rooted in the earth. With good roots, one can fly to the sky without getting lost. Indeed, one can fly as high as the depth of its roots.
4.2.2- Individual versus group work :
Another important difference between shamanism and Humaniversity Psychology is that the first one takes places often on a one-to one basis, between the shaman and one individual at a time, while most of the work in the Humaniversity approach takes place in a group context, whether it is in the group room or in the community. In his psychoshamanism model, Dubois also states that most therapeutic work must be done via individual sessions. To me, this is considerably different from the Humaniversity approach in which individual sessions do happen, but it does not represent the main core of the therapeutic process, it being of secondary importance according to me.
4.2.3- Link to Nature :
Shamanism is closely connected to nature and its elements : whether it is around the sweatlodge and its use of minerals (honoring the rocks as the grandfathers of all human beings), animals and vegetals, honoring the wind, the fire, the earth and water, its references to Gaya, our mother earth, the helping qualities of animals, its use of plants and trees, its connection to nature is clear, as many shamanic traditions developped in the outdoor. As the Humaniversity campus is not so remote and isolated in nature, and also because the weather in Holland is quite humid and rainy, many activities take place inside the buildings. So a greater connection to nature could add to the quality of the Humaniversity approach. But I should remark that Aamod recently developped the garden area on the Humaniversity Campus, which brought more action in that area, so already this aspect is in development.
Conclusion
It seems clear and obvious that shamanism and Humaniversity Psychology contains many elements that have the potential to be bridged and merged to eventually create a new branch of the Humaniversity called Humaniversity Neoshamanism. From my own personal experience, the fact that I have gone through the process of the Humaniversity therapy years ago has helped me be more in tune with my personal power, more aware of my strenghts and weaknesses through intensive feedback sessions from fellow travellers, while it has also helped me in developping compassion and empathy; in short it made me ready and available for shamanism when it came my way. In this sense, I think that the basic foundation work that Veeresh developped through his down-to-heart and straigthforward therapeutic model is a prerequisite to anyone wishing to explore the shamanic way. Indeed, it is necessary to lay solid foundations in oneself, which the Humaniversity gives the opportunity to do, before thinking about reaching for the sky and explore the other worlds that shamanism invites to explore.
In this work, I have described shamanism and I have identified which elements are compatible with Humaniversity Psychology. In fact, in most workshops I lead since a few years, I have already included many elements of both approaches in the way I lead the process; so the new approach Humaniversity Neoshamanism is already in the making. But it is clear that more analysis, studies and experimentation are still necessary to bring further the process of development of this new approach. With this paper, I documented shamanism on many specific aspects, linking it with the Humaniversity Psychology on many important levels by identifying the main similarities and differences between both approaches. So I consider that this is the first step of the integration process. In fact, creating a new « off-spring » of the Humaniversity tree into an more developped and complete approach in which I will integrate elements of shamanism will take more time, research and concrete experimentation, which is exactly what I intend to keep working on in the near future. In fact, I intend to make it the goal of my Ph.D. project as part of my studies and continuing education training at the Humaniversity in the coming years as it is a passion for me to merge these two approaches that are so important in my personal and professional life.
So this is not the end my friend, but rather another beginning ! See you soon !
ati@oshocanadapublications.com
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