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African spirituality, trance and dance

In many cultures, the line is not as clear as in others, so we turn to some parts of Africa

to look at its rich traditions that retain a close connection to the unseen world. Here’s the

interesting thing: we don’t have to look to near death to find a far closer link between the

worlds of the dead and the living.


Spirituality was central to Africa, and it formed an entire world. At the heart of most

indigenous belief systems and practices is the belief in animism, that all of nature, and all

natural phenomena, have a soul or spirit that makes them come alive, or animates them. This

extends from humans and all living beings to all of nature – rain, water, mountains, rocks, the

land and weather.


We discuss the movement of Westerners towards looking at older cultures and

traditions for a sense of a bigger spiritual life.

‘For us this is not spirituality, but a complete way of life,’ she says.

In African tradition no one is irreligious, she explains. ‘Every person is a bearer of

spirituality and every individual belongs to a larger community that includes nature, the

living, the land, the Creator and the ancestors. There is no division between the spiritual

world and the “real world”,’ she continues. ‘From birth the connection begins and the baby

must be introduced to the spiritual world though ritual. It must meet both the living and

deceased members of its family.’


She explains that every stage of a person’s life is marked by communications between

the living and the non-living. ‘Our customs and spirituality involve a religious journey for

each individual from conception to death and beyond, and spiritual beliefs and customs are

just part of an all-encompassing human experience.’


The other cornerstone of African spirituality is the belief in ancestors. Ancestors are the

departed members of the family and are believed to be intermediaries between the living and

the Creator.

Mndende explains that African tradition emphasises some core beliefs:

  • Each human is made up not only of flesh, bones and blood, but also of spirit and soul.

  • Although the human body dies, the soul or spirit does not perish.

  • There is an understanding that human relations, especially within the family, do not

die but go on forever.

  • There is a unique relationship that exists between the Creator Spirit (which is God)

and the human spirit.

  • The spirits of the departed play the vital role of intermediaries and are the link to the

Creator.


‘We say they [the ancestors] are in your very blood and working with you and through you.

They are a part of you,’ she says. That means that death, in traditional African culture, does

not mean the end – it simply means you are moving into the realm of an ancestor.

One of our NDE stories in the book is one shared by Godfrey Madlate, a businessman,

sangoma and founding member of the Traditional Healers Association. He had two NDEs

that brought him into a calling with his ancestors and his training as a sangoma. He holds a

similar view of the sadness of the loss of the spiritual way of life in Africa and he says he

sees it clearly in his role as a traditional healer.



 

This is an extract from The Other Side: Journeys into Mysticism, Magic and Near Death.


Sarah Bullen is a multi-published author and literary agent. Her books include The Other

Side: Journeys into Mysticism, Magic and Near Death

Love and Above: A journey into shamanism, coma and joy.

Write your Book in 100 Days

and link to each book on Wix pages and the Amazon and Takealot links :

Amazon

https://a.co/d/bEiuGNY

Takealot

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