In the realm of shamanic healing, a central concept is ‘soul recovery,’ which focuses on the reintegration of dissociated aspects of the self. This idea shares similarities with the views of addiction as a consequence of a lack of spirituality found in certain addiction recovery models.
Spirituality can be considered a reflection of an individual’s connectedness with their social group, and soul loss can be seen as a lack of connection with broader units of social identity. Shamanic practices, which emphasize establishing connectedness with animal spirits and personal souls and allies, can provide a means to address the soul loss and lack of spirituality often considered central to addiction.
Research has shown that spiritual perceptions have a psychobiological basis, reflecting an integration of innate brain modules that produce the basic structures of the brain and consciousness. This spiritual aspect of shamanism makes it a potentially valuable resource for addressing psychobiological integration and incorporating the spiritual aspects considered central to substance abuse rehabilitation.
The role of spirituality in recovery from substance abuse may reflect a protective factor provided by religious involvement and spiritual engagement. Though the precise protective mechanisms remain unknown, spirituality is believed to be a critical element in combating the possessive spirit of addiction. In addition, spiritual practices in shamanism may play a vital role in healing addiction by providing a sense of meaning to life, which is often found lacking among substance abusers.
Throughout history, spirituality has been a significant feature of healing traditions, and many people today find it to be an essential source of healing. Shamanism, as the original and natural form of prayer and meditation, provides a direct spiritual awakening, a means for the transcendence of personal consciousness, and consequently, a mechanism for overcoming addiction.
Shamanic healing techniques can be integrated into a holistic addiction counseling approach combining spiritual and biopsychosocial perspectives. By focusing on inner realities, these techniques can promote harmony and self-wholeness. Shamanic altered states of consciousness (ASC) can help clients achieve wholeness by transforming consciousness, providing a link between inner and outer realities and enabling inner-world perspectives to influence the outer world, promoting harmony and wholeness.
Key aspects of shamanic ASC include focusing one’s intention upon one’s purpose and spending time in relaxed conditions that provide restful healing. ASC practices also free individuals from ego-bound emotions and provide a balance of conflicting internal energies. Work through dreaming and shamanic journeying helps achieve a sense of wholeness, countering the sense of self-loss at the core of addictive dynamics and enhancing self-esteem by fostering connectedness beyond the egoic self.
Basic forms of shamanic healing have potential applicability in treating dependency on alcohol and other drugs, including concepts such as compassionate de-possession, soul retrieval, and guardian spirit retrieval. These healing dynamics have been characterized in terms of the relationship between innate brain processing modules and the dynamics of self and others, providing mechanisms for individual integration into community life and identity.
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