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The Contemporary Shamanic Healing: A Case Study of the Daur Shamanic River Spirit lʊs Ritual

Minna Sa

Religions April 15, 2024 DOI: 10.3390/rel15040484 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Case study Case report Peer reviewed
Population Daur shamans and their lʊs (river spirit) ritual
Interventions dʊməl tærmit xʊræ-xʊræ arʃan altəŋ sʊlʊ kʊtʊr bʊjin taboo
Topics Shamanism
Citations 2
Key findings The Daur shamanic lʊs ritual incorporates traditional beliefs and modern healing techniques to achieve preventive and realistic healing for individuals and the community.

Abstract

In traditional shamanism, the sacred mission and responsibility of a shaman is to provide healing and salvation for individuals. Today, with continuous advancements in science, technology, and medical expertise, the content and methods of shamanic healing are quietly evolving, alongside the upholding and preservation of traditional beliefs. The case study of the Daur shamanic lʊs (river spirit) ritual in this paper discusses the concepts of actual disease and virtual disease in contemporary Daur shamanism. By briefly describing the key processes of this ceremony, including the involvement of shaman spirits and the main elements of divine songs, this paper analyzes the characteristics and functions of the modern-day Daur shaman river spirit ceremony. During the ritual dedicated to lʊs, Daur shamans perform symbolic ceremonies while receiving oracles from their spiritual guides. The ceremony itself incorporates various unique healing techniques such as dʊməl, tærmit, xʊræ- xʊræ, arʃan, altəŋ sʊlʊ; kʊtʊr bʊjin, taboo, etc. These distinctive methods aim to achieve preventive healing as well as realistic healing on both the individual and collective levels. In summary, the lʊs ritual itself serves as a transformative process that encompasses diverse forms of healing through its ceremonial practices.

Comparable studies

Other case reports and case series on shamanism, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Brain changes during a shamanic trance: Altered modes of consciousness, hemispheric laterality, and systemic psychobiology A normal subject with extensive training in the Mongolian shamanic tradition 2017 Case study n = 1
The Diaspora of Brazilian Religions 2013 Ethnographic case studies
Transformation in Dang-ki Healing: The Embodied Self and Perceived Legitimacy. A male dang-ki, 10 temple assistants, and 9 clients at a shrine in Singapore 2016 Case study n = 20
(Neo)Shamanic Dialogues Members of a Guarani Indian village on the Atlantic coast of Santa Catarina, Brazil 2012 Case study
Kambô: A Shamanic Medicine - Personal Testimonies 2018 Case study

Citations in the library

Cited by 3

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