Spirituality – From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Contemporary Hmong people cannot be characterized as subscribing to single belief system. Missionaries to Southeast Asia converted many Hmong people to Christianity beginning in the 19th-century and many more have become Christian since immigrating from Southeast Asia to the West. Many Hmong people, both in Asia and the West, perpetuate traditional spiritual practices that include animism and ancestor worship.^[4] According to these beliefs, spirits inhabit animals and other natural objects, but also domestic features, such as doorways. The spirits of deceased ancestors are also thought to influence welfare and health of the living. Individuals perform rituals and supply offerings, including food and spirit money, to appease the spirits and earn their favor.

Each person is thought to have several souls (between three and seven,
depending on the tradition.)^[5] Some souls have specific roles. The main soul is reincarnated after death while another soul returns to the home of the ancestors. Another soul stays near the grave of the deceased. The souls of the living can fall into disharmony and may even leave the body. The loss of a soul or souls (poob plig) can cause serious illness. A soul calling ceremony (hu plig) can be performed by elders within the community to entice the soul home with chanting and offerings of food. Soul callings can also be performed to encourage good fortune or after the birth of a baby.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hmong_customs_and_culture

Shamanism – From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For followers of traditional Hmong spirituality, the shaman is a healing practitioner who acts as an intermediary between the spirit and material world. Treatment might include herbal remedies or sacrifices of spirit money or animals. In cases of serious illness, the shaman enters a trance and travels through the spirit world to discern the cause and remedy of the problem, usually involving the loss of a soul.

This ceremony, called ua neeb, consists of several parts. The first part of the process is ua neeb Saib: looking to see if the soul has simply lost its way home. If this is the case, the shaman can lead the soul home, called “simple soul recovery” (ua neeb saib xwb).

However, if during ua neeb Saib the shaman observes something seriously wrong with the individual, such as a soul having lost its way home and got caught by some evil being, the shaman will end the first part of the ceremony process by negotiating or pleading with the evil being (“whoever that has control of this individual soul”) to release the soul; most of the time this will do. After that, the shaman would lead the soul to its home. Nonetheless, if the first attempt of negotiating pleas and offers to the evil being does not go well, the shaman will have another chance by negotiating with the evil being to make some kind of agreement or deal. Again, most of the time, this second offer will suffice, and if the ill individual recovers his or her soul then that person will offer the evil being some kind of life form in return. Most of the time will be an unlucky chicken or pig. On the evil being’s part, it has the choice of accepting or denying the offer by the shaman. If the shaman’s offer is accepted, which more than likely will be the case, the shaman will end the first part of the ceremony at this stage and tell the family to wait for whatever interval of the shaman and the evil being have agreed to, normally a month to three months.

After that period, if the sick individual becomes well, then the second part of the ceremony, referred to as ua neeb kho, will be performed in which they send those life forms (chicken or pig) to the evil being. This part of the ceremony will take a bit longer then the first part.

Not everyone gets to become a shaman; they will need to be called upon by their faith. However, there is a chance for an individual to become shaman if shaman practice has been part of their family history.^[6] This is due to the belief that ancestral spirits, including the spirits of shamans, are reincarnated into the same family tree. Hmong consider it an honor to be a shaman and to carry the duty of helping mankind according to Hmong mythology.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hmong_customs_and_culture