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Aboriginal men of high degree – A P Elkin

During his initiation a young man would get the idea of being a banman or bainman (doctor-man), and if he had dreams or visions of water, pandanus, and bark when near a water place, he was said to be chosen by Unggud to be a banman. A vision of his dream-totem’s visit to heaven would have the same significance.

After his initiation into manhood, he went with a medicine man to the water place where he felt that "Unggud had killed him." He sees the same Unggud rise out of the ground or the water, but in its “very eisence”, which is visible only to medicine men. He sees the giant "snake" with its arms, hands, and a feather “crown”.

He faints and is led by Unggud to a cool and dry part of a subterranean cave, where his transformation into a banman takes place. Unggud gives him a new brain, puts in his body white quartz crystals, which give secret strength, and reveals to him his future duties. He may remain unconscious for some time, but when he wakes he has a great feeling of inner light. He is certain of being equal to Unggud. Instruction, guidance, and experience follow for many months, even years.

The newly made doctor learns to see and understand hidden things. He will be able to see before his inner eye past and future events and "happenings in other worlds”. He learns to read other people's thoughts and recognize their secret worries, to cure illnesses with the “medicine” stones, to put himself in a trance, and to send his ya-yari (his dream familiar) from his body to gather information.

The psychic element in these talents is clearly all pervasive. It is termed miriru and comes from Unggud. Fundamentally it is the capacity bestowed on the medicine man to go into a dream state or trance with its possibilities. Indeed miriru makes him like a Wandjina, having the same abilities as the heroes of "creation times”