Project name - "Sha~man"

“SHA-MAN” At present many parts of Western society finds itself in the midst of the collapse of some of it most trusted and powerful structures, it’s capitalist system and it’s predominant religions. Ireland represents one such country where this can be very clearly seen. When polled in 2011, 44% of Irish people claimed to be Non- religious, a staggering decline from only five years before hand. This series Sha-man, stemmed from my interest in investigating this sudden spiritual decline and the vacuum left by this change. I found myself drawn to investigate where people were now migrating to in the advent of this spiritual void. In an age where many find themselves endlessly connected, yet disconnected, unable to decipher if they are the consumer or the consumed. There is a yearning to connect with the real, the actual and the genuine. A seeking for a reconnection with the natural world has led to the revival of older ways, traditions and alternative practices. For the people of the Shamanic community in Ireland and across many other countries. Shamanism provides them with practical methods that enables a vital reconnection with something they somehow know is deep inside. More importantly Shamanism allows people to form communities based on belonging and trust, where they are able to replace feelings of dissatisfaction and uncertainty with values that bind them together irrespective of their societies economic and social prospects. My contact with the Shamanic community has revealed to me a very different reality to the preconceived notions and stereotypical views held by many when confronted with alternative practices. Interestingly a large section of the community have backgrounds in the Mental Health profession. This series intends to challenge the many stereotypes that exist around alternative belief systems and provide a window of opportunity to question ones own belief system and spirituality.