About me
The engineer who became a shaman
My name is Pål-Esben Wanvig. In 2003 my body said stop, and that was the beginning of the path I am still walking.
I believed that logic, performance and science were the key to a good life, until I hit the wall so hard that the doctors eventually gave up hope of getting me well. Since then I have spent more than twenty years finding out what actually makes us healthy, whole and free, and teaching it: as a shaman, life guide, author and founder of Yggdrasil Shamanic School.
My story
The path to here
I did not become a shaman because I was looking for it. I became one because nothing else helped.
- Before 2003Engineer and business leaderComputer science and telematics at NTNU, many years in the technology industry, eventually with my own company.
- 2003The body says stopOn December 23 my body collapses. The doctors cannot find the cause.
- 2004A new pathFirst seminar in shamanism, as a skeptical engineer. The start of more than 35,000 hours of functional medicine, psychology, Eastern traditions and shamanism.
- Since 2004Teacher, guide and founderSeveral thousand students and clients, grandmaster in two traditions, Yggdrasil Shamanic School and the book Beyond Positive Psychology.
- TodayShaman, author and life guideLives in Germany. Teaches, guides, makes a podcast and is writing The Way Out of Burnout, coming in spring 2027 in Norwegian and English.
I trained as an engineer in computer science and telematics at NTNU and worked for many years in the technology industry, eventually as a manager and with my own company. Logic, performance and science were the key to a good life, I thought, and everything called alternative medicine was nonsense. The first time I nearly hit the wall, I was in my twenties. I learned little from it then.
On December 23, 2003, my body collapsed: double pneumonia, a life-threatening fever and a fog in my head so thick that I could barely remember the day before. The doctors found nothing wrong, called it chronic fatigue and began to talk about vocational rehabilitation. That was when I understood that I had to take matters into my own hands.
As an engineer I began to look for what actually worked, and found it in places I never would have believed: in functional medicine and neuropsychology, in traditional Chinese medicine and Eastern traditions, and in shamanism, which I first approached with great skepticism. It became more than twenty years and more than 35,000 hours of education, practice and experience, and more than 1.5 million euros in education, treatments and equipment. I got well. And I found something more than my health: a path back to myself, and a life that is better than the one I had before I hit the wall.
Since 2004 I have taught and guided several thousand students and clients from all over the world. I founded Yggdrasil Shamanic School to teach primordial shamanism step by step, the way I wish someone had done for me, and I wrote The 7 Golden Keys, published in English as Beyond Positive Psychology, about what works when you want to change your life. Today I live in Germany and work as a shaman, author, life guide, course leader and speaker. Together with Amina I make the podcast The Journey to Self-Realization, and my next book, The Way Out of Burnout, comes in spring 2027 in Norwegian and English.
My philosophy
Three things I live by
In addition to the Seven Golden Keys, my philosophy of life rests on three pillars. They are the compass I navigate by, and for me they are the essence of a fulfilled and meaningful life.
To grow.
If you asked a tree why it grows, it would not understand the question. Growing is the tree’s nature, and so it is for us humans too. Daily growth, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually, brings progress, strengthens our self-worth and creates a deep sense of meaning and wholeness.
To live from the heart.
The source of my actions is the heart. When I face a choice, I listen carefully: does the impulse come from my true inner self, or from fear and the voice of the ego? To love is to be true to the wisdom of the heart and to act with integrity, compassion and openness. Love is not just a feeling, but a way of life.
To contribute.
An essential part of our purpose as humans is to share what we have learned, not to show what we know, but to lift others. It brings a deeper joy than any outer success. When we help a fellow traveler on the path of life, we grow ourselves and become part of something greater.
To grow each day. To love wholeheartedly. To contribute meaningfully.
My work
This is what I can help you with
Everything I do springs from the same path: helping people find their way back to themselves, their inner power, meaning and freedom, and create a life they actually want to live.
Courses and training programs
Yggdrasil Shamanic School
Primordial shamanism for modern life, step by step: from the free online course, through the basic training and onward as far as you want to go. Personal follow-up from me all the way. So far in Norwegian; the first English group is planned live in 2027.
Conversations
Life guidance
One conversation at a time, or a longer journey, for you who are stuck in burnout, health problems, emptiness or at a crossroads. On video, or with me in Germany.
Teaching and writing
Podcast and books
I make the podcast The Journey to Self-Realization together with Amina: more than 40 episodes, no prior knowledge needed, recorded in Norwegian and also available in English, voiced by our digital avatars, with full transcripts. Beyond Positive Psychology is available in English, and The Way Out of Burnout comes in spring 2027 in Norwegian and English.
Background
Education and experience
A small selection of the path I have walked, from modern science to ancient wisdom. Each part has shaped what I share today.
Engineer in computer science and telematics
NTNU, five years of education
Rune Master and Senior Tradition Bearer
Yggdrasil Shamanic School, more than 20 years of education and experience
Grandmaster and Tradition Bearer
White Feather Shamanic School, 15 years of education
Grandmaster and Tradition Bearer
Rainbow Reiki, 15 years of education
Doctorate in integrative medicine
In progress, a five-year program
The English edition of The 7 Golden Keys, Beyond Positive Psychology, reached the top of its categories on Amazon’s bestseller lists in five countries.
From students and clients
What others say
Three of many. The reviews are on Google and on the testimonials page.
“He speaks about the greatest mysteries with a down-to-earth precision and a self-deprecating warmth that can only come from someone who has actually lived it.”
Linda Christine Maier
Google review · October 25, 2025 · Translated from Norwegian
“A fantastic teacher and mentor with a first-class ability to communicate.”
Eric Bryhn
Google review · October 5, 2024 · Translated from Norwegian
“The teaching and course material are of a very high standard and quickly give measurable results, with an extremely dedicated and knowledgeable teacher.”
Lars Walvig
Google review · October 29, 2024 · Translated from Norwegian
Next step
Feel free to get in touch.
Do you have a question, or would you like to book a conversation? I answer as soon as I can.
You are warmly welcome.