Essenes - The Original Shamans

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They healed with prayer, intonation, gems, elixers, social entrainment, meditation and abstinence. They also knew the Kabbalah - i.e. the mathematics and technology of the human soul and all that exists. Since their times, shamanism hasn't been the same.

Shame really.

Hmmnnn..
I seriously doubt they were the first Shamans, perhaps looking to central Asia will reveal those individuals.
peace j

I assume mysticism most likely 'started' (started - does that make sense?) everywhere at once, soon after the species developed self-awareness. The chinese & arabs happened to write it down and manage to preserve it.

It might even be the case that the need of certain cultures to start a written tradition represented a 'fall from grace' - the erosion of the super-conciousness abilities eg. telepathy that paradoxically makes them the lesser advanced civilizations from a different POV. They may appear advanced to us because we are viewing them comparatively through our western norms iyswim.

Good points psych.
I was not aware that shaman was Hebrew, thanks for that jjstar.

Firstly I need to know what defines 'shaman' in this thread.
I am using it in the context of an animistic society, one of the worlds 'first nations', am I correct in this context?

By central Asia I am speaking of plains people, the root of the Siberian and then north American migrations.

I forgot to mention the Australian Koori people, their tradition is 40,000 to 60,000 years old [depending on who you believe from the world of science].
The Hebrew language is derived from the Phoenecian as far as I know, which is somewhere around 12,000 years old [if I recall correctly? - full acceptance of possible error there and can't be bothered checking sorry ].

The peoples of the Amazon basin have practiced much more fluid but always shamanic/animistic lifestyles consistently for some 6,000 years or more, I can't possibly believe that the Essenes predate any of these as shamanic cultures according to the definitions I am working with ??

peace j

I looked it(shaman) up. Its not Hebrew.

sha·man /ˈʃɑmən, ˈʃeɪ-, ˈʃæmən/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[shah-muhn, shey-, sham-uhn] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun (esp. among certain tribal peoples) a person who acts as intermediary between the natural and supernatural worlds, using magic to cure illness, foretell the future, control spiritual forces, etc.


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[Origin: 1690–1700; < G Schamane < Russ shamán, prob. < Evenki šamān, samān]

quoted from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/shaman

Its closer to Yiddish than Hebrew

Cool - thats pretty consistent with the sporadic fascination within Imperial Russia for the 'primitives' of Siberia and the Arctic circle.
I read a couple of interesting books by a German chap who was researching these things, I wish I could remember his name...

I think it is possible that the Essenes [from what little I know] were not so much Shamanistic/animistic as they were 'mystics', would that be fair to say?

peace j

Shaman means oil in Hebrew.

OK Shaman is the medicine man/woman that is knowledgeable in all elements - not unlike the alchemist, but with one step further. The shaman is put through soul tortures and afflictions that they must journey out of and through, rising above to a place of nothingness i.e. non-ego. And that is what the Essenes did as opposed to others who could've used the same elixers, incantations and recipes - but without humility they couldn't heal and raise things to a higher level. It's like ego is the barrier to being able to commune with Spirit and actually the exact opposite effect then is achieved - i.e. more destruction and pain all around.

Absolutely Carpathian, Himalayn, Siberian - yes, yes, yes. So very, very few btw - maybe there were 10? in about 1,000 years.

Distinction must be made between so-called *alien* knowledge and that of spirit. Koori, Dogon, Aztec, Mayan, Egyptian, Babylonian, Sumarian - they had knowledge but lacked in that they created false gods. That wasn't such a great thing for them it turned out...

The Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were all prophets who connected to the Source of all knowledge, which was made available to them directly from the One - they each transmitted to their descendants. Abraham's children via Ketura later moved to the area today known as India - and it is there the wellsprings of aruyeveda and spiritual elevation spread. Joseph also, for example - son of Jacob was taken prisoner by the Egyptians, through his knowledge, understanding, ego-less state was able to transcend the idolatry factor, become a high ranking official and be in a better position to teach the Knowledge to others.

Good points psych.
I was not aware that shaman was Hebrew, thanks for that jjstar.

Firstly I need to know what defines 'shaman' in this thread.
I am using it in the context of an animistic society, one of the worlds 'first nations', am I correct in this context?

By central Asia I am speaking of plains people, the root of the Siberian and then north American migrations.

I forgot to mention the Australian Koori people, their tradition is 40,000 to 60,000 years old [depending on who you believe from the world of science].
The Hebrew language is derived from the Phoenecian as far as I know, which is somewhere around 12,000 years old [if I recall correctly? - full acceptance of possible error there and can't be bothered checking sorry ].

The peoples of the Amazon basin have practiced much more fluid but always shamanic/animistic lifestyles consistently for some 6,000 years or more, I can't possibly believe that the Essenes predate any of these as shamanic cultures according to the definitions I am working with ??

peace j

When you get down to it - a true healer is a mystic. And a mystic has the potential to become a true healer. Putting on a mask and beating a drum while muttering chants - has become analogous for a shaman - but it's really got nothing to do with outer symbols as much as it has to do with the state of the soul of the healer, the knowledge they possess and the channel they use. A lot of sheer misery has been created on earth by so-called *medicine men* who brought into being demons that to this day are still plaguing entire populations who put their faith in what can be considered nothing more than witchcraft and voodoo.

Cool - thats pretty consistent with the sporadic fascination within Imperial Russia for the 'primitives' of Siberia and the Arctic circle.
I read a couple of interesting books by a German chap who was researching these things, I wish I could remember his name...

I think it is possible that the Essenes [from what little I know] were not so much Shamanistic/animistic as they were 'mystics', would that be fair to say?

peace j

All depends on your Source, doesn't it...?

http://original.biblebrowser.com/hebrew/8081.htm

Sorry, but the name of a writer/scholar I read a couple of borrowed books by is not likely to resurface from the swamp of my mind.
There were some pretty interesting stories from eastern Siberia that challenged my world view somewhat...

I think perhaps we a re all pretty much on the same page definitions wise, lol
I even worked with a DJ who considered playing a set as an act of 'techno-shamanic' magic, in fa we pretty much all saw the act of raving as a communal attempt to using rhythm to achieve both metaphysical and/or social magic [depends which of us you talk to, lol]

peace j