Trauma & the Origins of Disease - Through the Shamanic Perspective.

disease begins in the energetic body

In the shamanic view, the origin of disease is often seen as a manifestation of "imbalances" within the body, brain, mind, or spirit.

These imbalances can sometimes be traced back to trauma, which may impact a person's energy field. When this happens, a person's energy field becomes weaker, and disease and/or illness can manifest in the physical body. Therefore, disease through a Shamanic vantagepoint begins in your energetic body before manifesting in your psychical body.

Trauma is not just a physical, emotional, or psychological experience from this lens. It is also something of a recording of the event that is stored in the body. This is why Shamanic traditions hold the belief that when trauma occurs, it can create blockages or energy disturbances that may eventually lead to physical illness. These blockages are therefore seen as the origin of disease from a Shamanic prospective.

These blockages must be removed to restore the flow of vital life force energy throughout the body in order to achieve perfect health.

This understanding encourages a compassionate approach to healing, one that goes beyond treating symptoms to address the root causes of disease—modern medical terminology for this is the holistic, or whole-body, approach to healing. Rumor has it that the tribal wisdom keepers, medicine men, women, and Shamans served as the first physicians and therapists. Villagers looked to them as the balance in communities.

Shamanic practitioners often work with individuals to help them reconnect with their inner selves and the world around them, facilitating a healing process that acknowledges the pain of trauma while seeking to restore an energetic balance within the wounded self.

This might involve practices such as soul retrieval, where lost or fragmented parts of the self are reclaimed, or energy healing, aimed at removing energetic blockages and restoring the free flow of energy throughout the body. This restoration of energetic flow allows psychosocial and physical healing.

For those who have experienced trauma, the shamanic approach can offer a path to healing that feels both supportive and nurturing.

An added benefit is Shamanic practitioners frequently work in the space of the collective subconscious, so healing can occur with or without traditional talk therapy interventions. You don't necessarily need to tell the Shamanic practitioner all the details to get the benefits.

Through this lens, healing is seen as a journey where an individual is guided with empathy and sincerity to regain harmony and find peace within themselves.