One definition of the path of a Shaman is a"ceremonial expansion of consciousness". And why would the Shaman through the eons consider this such an important path to follow?
Because as we learn to perceive more and more we begin to perceive All That IS. We use Shamanic tehcniques and practices to learn to do this such as promoting balance in our lives, awareness, impeccability and seeing our walk through life as a never ending ceremony. We learn to use both our outer and inner senses to perceive and in this way we perceive much more than just the 5% we are able to perceive with only our outer senses, And with practice we come to begin to perceive All That IS, Creator, Source, God.
As we begin to perceive All That Is we begin to understand what Creator believes a bit more. And as we come into alignment with what Creator believes we can begin to share in the reality of Creator more and more. And in that reality of Creator we find our meaning to all created things, our meaning to ourselves, our meaning to life as Creator perceives and believes. Here is the Source of power for the Shaman. To believe as Creator believes and so to share in Creator's reality. Aho!