Emerald Vang - Week 3

Pa Lor's story is something I can relate to on a different level; this mostly being that I'm Hmong and understand the article. I've experienced being in and partaking in the shaman ceremonies. It isn't just the ritual. My family and relatives wake up early to make food and we also have chicken for animal sacrifices sometimes to serve those on the other side. Then the ritual begins later in the day. Though I've experienced the ceremonies for half my life put together, I never questioned what Hmong shamanism is or how it even works. Reading Lor's story was eye-opening. I didn't know Hmong people are just "chosen." I thought people decide if they want to be a shaman and learn it, but as proven, Hmong shamanism can't be taught. Knowing this, I am afraid of being chosen or my children being chosen. She goes through pain and "death" before becoming a shaman, something that I wouldn't wish on anybody. And the dark spirits that could follow you is something I don't think I could go through. However, I'm grateful for the shamans. They help people heal and I've witnessed this happen. My dad was sick before and no one knew why. It was rapid and intensified quickly with no warning. When my family decided to hold a shaman ceremony, there was something keeping him from healing. There was a water demon/spirit/ghost that was attached to my dad after he came back from a fishing trip. It was consuming his life force, thus the reason why he was so sick. The shaman got the spirit to leave and my dad healed. Sometimes I question shamanism because I can't see or experience what's happening, but I believe in it because of the results of these ceremonies. I 100% agree that shamanism actually makes up a lot of my culture. There isn't a year that goes by where ua neeg ceremonies, or what I call jingle bells in English, are done. It's one thing every Hmong family goes through from a very young age and it completes our idea of the Hmong culture. I do see a decline in my culture, meaning the language and the participation or involvement in the culture, but I hope it doesn't disappear.
Question: Do all spiritual mediums have the same experience that Lor did or are spirit worlds and experiences different for different spiritual mediums?