Dude, check it. I've been practicing shamanism for about 8 years. No that doesn't make me an expert or anything. I just want to share something I picked up along the way. Here are my ramblings.

The problem with many practices/phylosophies/ideas is that people try to turn them into a religion. Take taoism for instance. There are those that use the teachings of the Tao as a suggestion on how to live and act. There are others that take it to extremes. Now Taoism really isn't a "problem religion" by that I mean people don't go out and kill others in it's name. But take Christianity. How many lives could be spared if people just looked at the bible and took it as a guidebook and not a religion? Look at islam, same question. The problem with this world is that there are no absolutes. Nothing is absolutely right or absolutely wrong. That being said, Shamanism won't be your answer for everything just as Taoism can't answer every question I have.

My main point here is don't put too much stock in any one thing. There are no constants. Only what we perceive. (Oh man, that sounds like something out of the Matrix lol)

If this makes no sense what so ever I blaim the weed.