Faith

宗教

Trance advanced

高階薩滿催眠術(shù)

Shamanism is Britain's fastest growing religion

薩滿教是英國發(fā)展最快的宗教

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IN A GARDEN studio in north London, Steve Altman holds a monthly shamanic drumming circle. Participants stand with arms outstretched as Mr Altman traces their shape in the air with burning copal, a Mexican incense, in a purifying ritual known as “smudging”.

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在倫敦北部的一個花園工作室里，Steve Altman每月舉行一次薩滿擊鼓會。參與者張開雙臂站立，Altman先生用燃燒的墨西哥香科珂巴脂在空中描繪人們的輪廓，這是一種被稱為“smudging”的凈化儀式。

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Ground snake skin, feathers, candles and bowls of water, each representing the four elements of Inca cosmology, sit in the centre of the room. The ceremony culminates in a “soul journey”, in which rhythmic drumming is believed to facilitate an ascent to the spirit realm. One woman describes climbing vines to the heavens. From Colindale.

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房間中央擺放著赤腹游蛇皮、羽毛、蠟燭和盛水的碗，每樣物品都分別代表著印加宇宙觀的四種元素。儀式在“靈魂之旅”中達到高潮，有節(jié)奏的鼓聲被認為有助于提升靈魂境界。一位女士描述了從倫敦科林代爾攀登藤蔓到達天堂的情景。

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Shamanism is rooted in animism, the idea that every entity in nature, whether plant, animal or rock, is alive. Trance is the core shared practice. Shamans (who are traditionally trained by other shamans) learn to enter trances—aided by drumming, singing, dancing or, occasionally, psychotropic drugs—to commune with spirits. Such beliefs date back to hunter-gatherer societies. “We talk about [prostitution being] the oldest profession but really, it’s shamanism,” says Simon Buxton of the Sacred Trust, a shamanic training centre.

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薩滿教植根于萬物有靈論，認為自然界的每一個實體，無論是植物、動物還是巖石，都是有生命的。薩滿催眠術(shù)是其宗教核心。薩滿(傳統(tǒng)上師承其他薩滿)在鼓聲、歌聲、舞蹈或偶爾精神藥物的幫助下進入催眠狀態(tài)——進而與靈魂交流。這種信仰可以追溯到狩獵采集社會?！拔覀冋f賣淫是最古老的職業(yè)，但實際上，最古老的職業(yè)是薩滿，”薩滿教培訓中心“神圣使命”的Simon Buxton說。

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If shamanism has a long history, it was barely practised in Britain until recently. In the English and Welsh census of 2011 just 650 people said it was their religion. But its popularity is increasing. In the census of 2021, the results of which were released in November, that figure had increased to 8,000. Partly because the numbers are small, that makes shamanism Britain’s fastest-growing faith.

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如果說薩滿教有著悠久的歷史，那么直到最近它才在英國出現(xiàn)。在2011年英格蘭和威爾士的人口普查中，只有650人說薩滿是他們的宗教。但是它的受歡迎程度正在增加。在2021年的人口普查中，結(jié)果于11月公布，這一數(shù)字增加到了8000人。部分是因為其基數(shù)很少，但這也使薩滿教成為英國發(fā)展最快的宗教。

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Alexander Alich, who researches the subject at Birmingham University, says its appeal cuts across age, race and class. One reason is climate change. Almost one in 20 Britons said they experienced climate anxiety in 2022: shamanism places all things in nature on an equal footing. Paganism, another religion rooted in nature, is also on the rise. “It gives people a spiritual outlet for their political beliefs [about climate change],” says Mr Buxton.

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在伯明翰大學研究薩滿教課題的Alexander Alich說，它的吸引力跨越了年齡、種族和階級。其中一個受歡迎的原因是氣候變化。幾乎每20名英國人中就有一人表示，他們在2022年經(jīng)歷了氣候焦慮:薩滿教將自然界的所有事物置于平等的地位。另一種植根于自然的宗教Paganism也在興起。Buxton表示:“這給了人們一個表達(關(guān)于氣候變化的)政治信仰的精神出口?！?。

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A small but growing number of therapists integrate shamanism into their work. They might guide a lonely client to embody the energy of a tree and reconnect with nature, says Paul Francis, a psychotherapist who teaches shamanic counselling at The Three Ravens College of Therapeutic Shamanism, in Wales. They might also help patients with “soul loss”—what others would call post-traumatic stress disorder—by searching for a lost part of them in the spirit realm. Even the corporate world is interested: Sarah Negus, a shamanic business coach, has ministered to everyone from Microsoft executives to TEDx speakers.

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盡管只有少數(shù)，但越來越多的心理治療師將薩滿教融入他們的工作。威爾士薩滿教三渡鴉學院的教授、薩滿教咨詢心理治療師Paul Francis說，薩滿教可能會引導一個孤獨的客戶去體會一棵樹的能量，將自己重新與自然聯(lián)系起來。他們還可能通過在精神領(lǐng)域?qū)ふ一颊邅G失的部分來幫助“靈魂丟失”的他們——其他人會稱這些為創(chuàng)傷后應(yīng)激障礙（PTSD）患者。甚至連企業(yè)界都對此感興趣:Sarah Negus，一位薩滿商業(yè)教練，為許多人提供服務(wù)，從微軟高管到TEDx演講者。

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But popularity can attract opportunists. The title “shaman” is unregulated, so anyone can claim it. “It’s become a buzzword in marketing,” says Mr Alich. “A lot of people don’t understand what it means: they just slap it on anything.”

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但受歡迎的薩滿教會吸引機會主義者?！八_滿”這個頭銜是不受管制的，所以任何人都可以聲稱自己是薩滿?！斑@已經(jīng)成為營銷界的流行語，” Alich說，“很多人不明白薩滿意味著什么:他們只是把它強加在任何事物上?！?/p>