Healing Work with the Dead and Dying

     From the Shamanic perspective, physical death is not the end of life, but merely a transition from this world to the next. People who know they are dying can take advantage of their foreknowledge by learning to journey to the “other side” before they die. These journeys help remove a person’s fear of death and the unknown. Often they meet and talk with relatives or friends who have already crossed over and are waiting to welcome them home. By practicing moving between the different worlds and realities, the person is able to die more easily and consciously when the time comes.
      In the case of sudden death, like an accident, an individual soul is likely to experience a sense of confusion or disorientation. Sometimes people may not even realize that they are dead. For that reason, they can be stuck in this reality and may not be able to “cross over”. These disembodied spirits are generally referred to as ghosts or disincarnate spirits. Films like “Ghost” and “The Others” are excellent illustrations of this condition.
      A person may also linger after death because of reluctance to leave a loved one. In the film, “What Dreams May Come” Robin Williams’s character knows he is dead. He stays with his wife after the funeral because of his love for her and his wish to ease her grief and suffering. It is only after being supported and encouraged repeatedly by a compassionate guide that he is able to realize that remaining in this world is actually hurting his wife. By journeying to the spirit of the person who has died, the shaman is in a position to help them accept their physical death and to ultimately help them “cross over”.
      As a shaman, I also work closely with surviving family members and friends who may be holding on to the spirit of the deceased due to their feelings of grief and loss. Frequently, the work we do involves helping family and friends release the person who has died by performing special rituals or ceremonies. These practices help soothe the pain and grief the survivors feel by making them a vital part of the process of death.

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