What's the difference between a witch doctor and a shaman?

[Anonymous]

They seem so similar. anyone know the distinct differences?

[VALEN_tine_ANGEL]

a shaman focuses his/her method on spiritual ways to heal someone. while a witch doctor tends to combine it with many things like herbs, traditional cures, hypnosis, and some medical treatment too. but in modern days, people who are called/call themselves shamans or witch doctors prefer to build their own images. in the place I live, people like them are called paranormals. some are liars. some are honest people.

witch actually is not always related to supernatural thing. in ancient centuries, people called witches were usually alchemists, herb makers, farmers, bachelors, who lived in villages. they had spiritual beliefs too but its just they were not like in stories of witches like people usually hear (who cast spells to hurt people and eat children). most of them were just decent people like us.

[Antoinethompson]

seems you know a lot about Shaman and witch doctors so could you tell me how to get in contact with a shaman or witch doctor is

[wpmason]

I always viewed them as the same thing... shaman is a word that certain cultures have actually used, whereas witch doctor is just an English way of describing any such spiritual healer.

[Anonymous]

the shaman has chants and the witchdoctor says, "ooo eee ooo ah ah ting tang wada wada bing bang"

[Anonymous]

color & beliefs? theyre like the same thing but different

[Anonymous]

Same thing in my book