The Realms of Hmong Spirituality and Healing
A reader recently asked me to share what it’s like to be in a trance as a Hmong shaman and what realms we experience or journey through. Trance journey is an interesting and complicated topic. In Hmong shamanism, every shaman has their own way of doing things; our journeys are very individualized, shaped by our own rituals and what each specific healing requires. So, what’s it like when the veil covers the Hmong shaman? What's it like when we enter a trance? What realms do we go through?
In Hmong spirituality, the universe is a vast network of interconnected realms, each with distinct roles and inhabitants, shaping both life and the afterlife. These realms, traversed by gifted shamans, are places of healing, karmic balance, and spiritual trials. Hmong shamans serve as mediators between these worlds, helping individuals navigate their spiritual health and maintain harmony within and beyond earthly existence. Each realm—Celestial, Earth, and Underworld—holds unique energies and entities, from benevolent deities to restless spirits, all influencing human lives through ancient practices of light, grey, and black magic. Through this framework, Hmong shamans guide, protect, and heal, embodying the heart of Hmong spiritual tradition.
The Celestial Realm
The Celestial Realm is a domain inhabited by divine beings such as Saub, Niam Nkauj Kab Yeej, Nyub Vaj Teem, the Thunder God, the Dragon King, and many more. Within this vast realm are spiritual territories like Tsua Maj Tsau Mos and 9 ntsug kab, 8 ntsug kev, which guide processes of reincarnation and healing.
Another important area within the Celestial Realm is Ntxoov Vaj Neeb Teem. Here, Ntxoov Vaj Neeb, a guardian deity, selects individuals to inherit shamanic spirits and healing abilities. The word teem refers to a “realm,” and in this case, it is where shaman healers are chosen, often from lineages with neeb txwv zeej bloodline, an ancestral shaman bloodline that enables shamanic abilities to be passed down through generations.
The Celestial Realm also includes Yawm Laus Nyiaj Keeb, a guardian who controls the lifespan of each person on Earth. Shamans may visit this realm to petition Yawm Laus Nyiaj Keeb to extend a person's time on Earth. Similarly, Niam Nkauj Kab Yeej, the goddess of fertility, watches over baby spirits and assigns them to families. When a couple struggles to conceive, they may seek a shaman’s help to appeal to Niam Nkauj Kab Yeej for guidance and blessing.
In a healing ritual, I go through a series of realms or teem. Each realm has its own guardian or entity. Each realm contains its own "job" for me to do as the shaman. For example, Koov Yawm Laus Teem, is the Celestial Realm where we must heal a person's ntsuj qaib, ntsuj noog, ntsuj os, which are types of souls a person has. Each shaman does this step differently and may even call these realms differently. For me, I must trance through 8 celestial realms when performing a healing ritual.
When an elder shaman passes, a grandchild may be selected as their successor, although there are exceptions to this pattern. A family will often see the rise of a new shaman as the elder shaman in the family "retires" or reaches an age where they no longer perform healing rituals due to old age. Below are three types of ancient Hmong spiritual healers:
Light Practice: Light practitioners are shamans, known as "Niam Neeb" or "Txiv Neeb," who perform healing rites through shamanic rituals, protective spells, and invocations. These shamans work with benevolent spirits and celestial beings, and their mission is solely to heal and protect. They may perform rituals to expel harmful entities and treat spirit possessions, ensuring the person’s well-being. The term "light practice" or "light energy" is a newer term, influenced by modern day spirituality.
Grey Practice: Grey practitioners, often referred to as Niam/Txiv Tshuaj Ntsuab (Mother/Father of Green Medicine), are gifted in herbal medicine and may also possess psychic abilities. They can heal with medicinal knowledge and offer foresight, without the shamanic rituals of "Txiv Neeb." It is believed that people must be chosen to become a Niam/Txiv Tshuaj Ntsuab by the entity known as "Yum Vaj." Yum Vaj is the medicinal entity that heals people through plants, herbs, and natural medicine. A small altar known as thaj yum vaj must be created for this type of healing as well.
Black Practice: Black practitioners engage in black magic, casting spells, curses, and invoking spirits for self-serving purposes. They harness fear, pain, and lust to influence others, conjuring spirits, ghosts, or demonic entities to cause harm. Legends tell of one powerful black magic master, tswv xyas, who transformed into a tiger and haunted Hmong communities in Laos. Pure shamans do not engage in black magic, they only engage in protection.
The Earth Realm
It is unusual to think of Earth as a realm, but Earth is not excluded in this. The Earth Realm encompasses the physical and spiritual existence, where beings—humans, animals, plants, and spirits—are tied to karmic paths and life experiences. We co-exist on this plane. Each spirit's journey is preordained with a "Daim Ntawv" or "fate letter," which includes their life’s significant events, relationships, and end. It is a record of a person's life and their life events. A shaman may perform a "Ua Neeb Ntxiv Ntawv" ritual to extend someone’s life by adding time to a person's fate. But, at the end of a life cycle, our spirit leaves the Earth Realm.
Spirits may reincarnate and be reborn here to continue their karmic lessons, and some remain as ghosts trapped in unresolved emotions, while others, like "poj ntxoog" (wild spirits), are unable to move on. Other entities like "dragon spirits" reside in the Earth Realm, but may not always be visible to the human eye. Human interactions with spirits, such as dragon or water spirits, can manifest in various ways:
Psychic and sorcery attacks
Encounters with ghosts or spirits in waking life or dreams
Spirit and demonic possession or oppression
Shamanic trances and rituals
The Underworld Realm
The Underworld Realm (referred to as dab teb) is perhaps the most intriguing for folks. This realm, known as "dab teb," is considered the afterlife—a Yin state where spirits journey after death. In some cases, souls of the very sick may also make their trip to these parts as well. Hmong shamans have the ability to enter the Underworld. They do this for many reasons, including to help guide the souls of the departed, heal a sick individual, and more. After death, each soul travels through a series of realms. Their ultimate goal is to get to their ancestors' realm, through the help of the Txiv Taw Kev (person who leads the deceased back to their ancestors at the funeral). For other souls, they reside at the grave (until the tso plig/soul release), while another soul journeys to the Celestial Realm to prepare for reincarnation.
In no specific order, the Underworld contains places like
Paj Zaub Qaub - Paj Zaub Quag
Toj Kab Ntsuab - Dawm Kab Ntsig
Tub Tuag Teb - Tub Ploj Chaw
Ntuj Txias Zias - Teb Tsaus Nti
Toj Tuag Tshaib - Dawm Tuag Nqhis
Toj Tshav Kub - Dawm Tshav Ntaiv
Toj Kub Hnyiab - Dawm Kub Hnyoo
Nyuj Vag Teem, Chaw Hais Plaub Ntug (Hell Court)
Dej Iab, Deb Daw
In Hell Court, spirits who have faced injustices during their lives come to seek resolution. Here, the revered judge known as, Nyub Vag, reviews each spirit's earthly deeds, determining their fate. Occasionally, a shaman is called upon to serve as an advocate, addressing unresolved wrongs or broken promises that may affect both the deceased and the living. Through this intervention, the shaman may help the spirit find peace, or prevent lingering issues from causing illness or misfortune for the living. Spirits with significant wrongdoing on Earth must often endure punishment or await further judgment in Hell Court, sometimes until all affected parties have passed and are able to present their case. Serious offenses, such as murder, are particularly challenging for shamanic intervention, as are complex cases involving blood oaths (haus tes ntshav). These cases require careful navigation through the layers of spiritual justice in Hell Court, where balance and retribution are ultimately decided.
In the Underworld realm known as Toj Kab Ntsuab - Dawm Kab Ntsig, towering mountains, treacherous paths, dense jungles, and massive insects create a perilous landscape. Traditionally, at a Hmong funeral, the deceased are given khau noog, or "bird shoes," crafted from hemp. These special shoes are meant to shield the soul as it journeys through challenging realms like Toj Kab Ntsuab - Dawm Kab Ntsig, acting as a spiritual barrier against the dangers within. Without this essential item from their family, the soul would struggle to pass safely through this realm, highlighting the importance of these traditional funeral rites in Hmong beliefs. When a shaman has to endure this realm, it is typically for gravely sick individuals. Shamans must rely on their shamanic horse, also known as nees neeb, to pass over the intense landscape.
In rare circumstances, a shaman may summon a poj qhe to guide them through the realms of the Underworld like Toj Kab Ntsuab - Dawm Kab Ntsig. A poj qhe is a mystical entity known to navigate freely within these realms, as light as air and often appearing as a butterfly. However, the poj qhe is an unpredictable guide—it comes and goes at will, making it risky for a shaman to rely on its assistance. If the shaman fails to return with the poj qhe, they risk becoming trapped in the Underworld, a fate that could lead to death. This ritual, known as ua neeb poj qhe, is a deeply ancient practice involving knowledge of old, sacred rites. The poj qhe exists beyond the bounds of time or universal laws, embodying death, birth, presence, and emptiness simultaneously. Most shamans today have abandoned this practice, but in moments of extreme need, some may still invoke the poj qhe for its powerful guidance through the spiritual realms.
In the underworld realm like, Toj Kub Hnyiab - Dawm Kub Hnyoo, this realm is said to be a burning star planet! The entire realm is a burning star, full of fire, raining flames, and poisonous gas. This realm is an eternal flaming planet. During traditional Hmong funerals, the family prepares an umbrella for the deceased to bring with them. This umbrella is said shield and assist them during passage through this realm. Similarly, a rooster is sacrificed to the deceased as a guide to lead the deceased. During this realm, the singer of instructions to the dead (Txiv Taw Kev) instructs the soul of the deceased that they may find shade under the rooster’s wing as they journey through the scorching landscape. Hmong shamans may encounter this realm during a healing ritual for someone who is gravely ill. To continue through this fiery passage, shamans prepare a spiritual umbrella, often a joss umbrella similar to the one given at funerals. Some shamans may carry a black umbrella, while others use special enchantments in their trance. Without this protective shield, one cannot proceed through this burning realm, emphasizing the importance of these spiritual tools in Hmong cosmology.
In modern times, the perception of a Hmong shaman’s trance journey has often been distorted, especially through media portrayals in movies and science fiction. These depictions often present shamanic journeys as vibrant, fantastical adventures full of colorful, vivid realms and creatures, resembling a dreamlike or supernatural experience. However, the reality of a shaman’s trance journey is far different. In truth, a Hmong shaman’s trance journey is not about seeing elaborate realms in vivid detail. Instead, it is an experience of navigating through deep darkness, where the senses are heightened, and intuition becomes the primary guide. The journey is less about visualizing landscapes or mythical beings and more about feeling one's way through the spiritual space, relying heavily on the internal senses and subtle guidance from intuition. A shaman in trance must tread carefully, distinguishing what is real from what is imagined. It is a delicate balance of trusting one’s inner voice and avoiding the dangers of losing oneself in illusion.
The realms of the Hmong spiritual world—each rich with unique landscapes, entities, and guiding practices—represent a profound experience of beliefs that connect the living with the spiritual and ancestral worlds. From the benevolent protection offered by celestial beings to the challenging journeys through the Underworld and the balancing judgments of Hell Court, each realm reflects the Hmong understanding of life, death, justice, and healing. These practices are not just realms; they embody a worldview that respects the interconnectedness of all beings and the power of unseen forces. Through the guidance of shamans and ancient rites, the Hmong seek harmony within this intricate spiritual cosmos, ensuring that each soul—whether living or departed—finds its rightful place and peace. In this way, Hmong spiritual traditions remain a vital bridge, honoring ancestors, supporting the living, and offering profound insight into the mysteries that lie beyond the material world.
TFL Hmong Shaman
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