I had only intended to give a scientific presentation. The idea that, years later, I would practice shamanism, write books about our connection to nature, and see the world in a completely different way would have seemed impossible to me back then. Yet that transformation began with a single encounter on the Japanese island of Hokkaido.

It All Began with an Invitation

When I traveled to Japan in 2015, shamanism wasn't even on my radar. I was a behavioral biologist invited to present my research on Frankfurt's urban rabbits at a scientific conference in Sapporo.

The presentation went extremely well, and the Japanese organizers did everything they could to make the conference a truly memorable experience. We learned origami, practiced Japanese calligraphy, and even had the opportunity to try on an authentic kimono.

After the conference, we went on a two-day excursion to Lake Toya in southern Hokkaido. I immediately fell in love with the landscape and decided to stay a little longer.

How I Met the Ainu in Japan

I stayed with Dai, the warm-hearted owner of a small café near Lake Toya. During the day I helped out in the café, and every morning I swam in the crystal-clear lake, enjoying a sense of peace I had rarely experienced back home in Germany. Life settled into a pleasant routine—for several weeks. Then one morning, everything changed.

Dai handed me his camping gear and said quite casually, "Three Australians are coming by today. They're heading to an Ainu festival. You should go with them."

I laughed. Travel across Hokkaido with three complete strangers to visit an Indigenous people I knew almost nothing about? Weren't they into some kind of spirit worship or something?

My scientifically trained mind had plenty of reasons to say no. But my curiosity was stronger—and in the end, it won.

A World I Had Never Known

Two days later, we arrived at a remote gathering deep in nature. It was there that I met the Ainu, the Indigenous people of Hokkaido, for the very first time. One thing struck me immediately: their openness.

Although I was a complete stranger, I felt genuinely welcomed. Nobody questioned why I was there or whether I belonged. They simply accepted me.

As I spoke with them, I gradually realized that their relationship with nature was fundamentally different from anything I had ever encountered. For the Ainu, a tree was not just an object. A river was more than water. A mountain was not simply part of the landscape.

The Ainu believe that all life is animated by a universal life force known as Ramat, which manifests through spiritual beings called kamuy. To them, the entire natural world is alive. Nature is not separate from humanity—it is family.

Between Doubt and Wonder

At first, I found all of this deeply unfamiliar. As a biologist, I had been trained to observe, measure, and analyze the natural world. The idea of communicating with spirits or recognizing a soul within a tree lay far outside my understanding of reality.

And yet, I couldn't simply dismiss their worldview as superstition. The people I met lived with these beliefs so naturally. Their respect for the natural world wasn't theoretical—it shaped every aspect of their lives.

Then there were my own experiences with the Ainu. I took part in their ceremonies and traditions. At the time, I certainly didn't understand everything that was happening. But I began to realize that shamanism is something very different from the stereotypes many people in the West associate with the word.

My Journey into Shamanism

Shamanism is an anthropological term used to describe practices that intentionally alter states of consciousness in order to communicate with the spirit world. At its heart, however, it is not about spectacular rituals. It is about relationships—with nature, the ancestors, and the unseen dimensions of life.

As I joined the drumming and singing, my own state of consciousness began to shift. I experienced nature in an entirely different way. The river seemed alive. The trees felt as though they were speaking. For the first time in my life, I experienced a profound sense of connection with everything around me. There was a vitality in the natural world that I had never perceived through the eyes of a scientist.

I still remember how unsettling that realization was. Not because I accepted it immediately, but because I sensed that my previous explanations were suddenly no longer enough. For the first time, I seriously wondered whether our modern scientific worldview might be only one way—rather than the only way—of understanding reality.

The Journey Continued

When I returned to Germany, I carried home far more questions than answers. My time with the Ainu had changed something deep inside me. I couldn't simply move on with my life as if nothing had happened. So I began exploring shamanism and animism in greater depth.

I immersed myself in the work of Michael Harner, Sandra Ingerman, Paul Uccusic, Alberto Villoldo, and many others. I attended workshops, studied Indigenous cultures from around the world, and found myself asking why so many traditional societies relate to nature not as a resource, but as a relative.

"Shamanism is not a belief system. It is based on personal experience."

Dr. Michael Harner

The deeper my own practice became, the more confidence I gained in my experiences and perceptions. I was no longer convinced that I had imagined everything. Not every experience could be explained scientifically—but that no longer bothered me. For me, the living, ensouled nature I had encountered among the Ainu had become undeniably real.

What the Ainu Taught Me

Looking back today, my journey to Hokkaido feels like one of those crossroads in life whose significance only becomes clear years later. I traveled there as a scientist attending a conference. I returned with an entirely new perspective on the world—and with the realization that not every meaningful experience can be explained through data and scientific studies alone.

When I think about the Ainu today, I don't first think of ceremonies or traditions. I think of an attitude. A quiet and natural respect for all living beings. A way of belonging to nature rather than standing apart from it.

The Ainu never tried to convince me to believe anything. Instead, they invited me to look more closely. Perhaps that is the greatest wisdom preserved by many Indigenous cultures. Not every truth can be measured. Some truths have to be experienced.

And sometimes, a single encounter is enough to begin transforming an entire worldview.

Have you ever experienced a profound connection with nature or encountered Indigenous wisdom or shamanic traditions that changed the way you see the world? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

If you'd like to explore more about shamanism, nature connection, and the wisdom of Indigenous cultures, be sure to subscribe to my newsletter or join me on YouTube at Old Wisdom, New Life.

Recommended Reading

• Harner, Michael (1980): The Way of the Shaman
• Harner, Michael (2013): Cave and Cosmos: Shamanic Encounters with Another Reality
• Ingerman, Sandra (1991): Soul Retrieval: Mending the Fragmented Self
• Uccusic, Paul (1984): The Shaman Within Us
• Villoldo, Alberto (2000): Shaman, Healer, Sage
• Villoldo, Alberto (2005): The Four Insights: Wisdom, Power, and Grace of the Earthkeepers