Demystifying Shamans And Their World

Download or read book Demystifying Shamans and Their World written by Adam J. Rock and published by Andrews UK Limited. This book was released on 2011-10-14 with total page 249 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Shamanism can be described as a group of techniques by which its practitioners enter the “spirit world,” purportedly obtaining information that is used to help and to heal members of their social group. Despite a resurgence of interest in shamanism and shamanic states of consciousness, these phenomena are neither well-defined nor sufficiently understood. This multi-disciplinary study draws on the fields of psychology, philosophy and anthropology with the aim of demystifying shamanism. The authors analyse conflicting perspectives regarding shamanism, the epistemology of shamanic states of consciousness, and the nature of the mental imagery encountered during these states.

Download or read book The Voice of Rolling Thunder written by Sidian Morning Star Jones and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2012-09-28 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Rolling Thunder’s life and wisdom in his own words and from interviews with those who knew him well • Contains never-before-released talks by Rolling Thunder preserved by the Grateful Dead’s Mickey Hart as well as accounts of remarkable healings and weather magic from famous personalities who knew him • Explains that in order to heal Nature’s afflictions we must first restore balance and unity in ourselves Intertribal medicine man Rolling Thunder (1916-1997) was a healer, teacher, visionary, and activist who rose to popularity in the 1960s and ’70s through his friendship with artists such as Bob Dylan and as the inspiration for the Billy Jack films. Eyewitness accounts of his remarkable healings are legion, as are those of his ability to call forth the forces of nature, typically in the form of thunder clouds. Yet it was his equally uncommon gift as a prophet and living representative of Native American wisdom that truly set him apart from other spiritual teachers of that era. Thirty years before most people had ever heard of global warming, Rolling Thunder described in graphic detail the signs of encroaching planetary doom and campaigned for environmental harmony. The key to healing nature’s afflictions, he maintained, is to first restore balance and unity in ourselves. Containing never-before-released talks preserved by the Grateful Dead’s Mickey Hart, this book shares the teachings of Rolling Thunder in his own words and through inspiring interviews with psychologist Alberto Villoldo and other famous personalities who knew him. Collected and edited by his grandson Sidian Morning Star Jones and longtime friend Stanley Krippner, this book allows you to incorporate Rolling Thunder’s wisdom into your own life.

Download or read book The Witch written by Ronald Hutton and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2017-08-01 with total page 502 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This “magisterial account” explores the fear of witchcraft across the globe from the ancient world to the notorious witch trials of early modern Europe (The Guardian, UK). The witch came to prominence—and often a painful death—in early modern Europe, yet her origins are much more geographically diverse and historically deep. In The Witch, historian Ronald Hutton sets the European witch trials in the widest and deepest possible perspective and traces the major historiographical developments of witchcraft. Hutton, a renowned expert on ancient, medieval, and modern paganism and witchcraft beliefs, combines Anglo-American and continental scholarly approaches to examine attitudes on witchcraft and the treatment of suspected witches across the world, including in Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, Australia, and the Americas, and from ancient pagan times to current interpretations. His fresh anthropological and ethnographical approach focuses on cultural inheritance and change while considering shamanism, folk religion, the range of witch trials, and how the fear of witchcraft might be eradicated. “[A] panoptic, penetrating book.”—Malcolm Gaskill, London Review of Books

Download or read book Modern Psychology and Ancient Wisdom written by Sharon G. Mijares and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2015-08-27 with total page 279 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Modern Psychology and Ancient Wisdom, 2nd edition, brings together experts who explore the use of ancient healing techniques from Buddhism, Christianity, Goddess, Shamanism, Taoism, and Yogic traditions as well as the mystical practices of Judaism and Islam and their application to modern counseling and therapy professions. Each chapter lays out time-tested techniques used by teachers, guides, and practitioners to facilitate psychological healing, embraces a wide variety of cultural perspectives, and offers a large, varied, and meaningful view of the world. This new edition includes added material on Islam, indigenous, and shamanic healing perspectives and practices, as well as new findings in the fields of neuropsychology and epigenetics. With its vast offerings of new treatment methods from a variety of perspectives—from therapeutic metaphors and breathing exercises to meditation and yoga techniques—this book will be of use to mental health professionals, social workers, and pastoral caregivers.

Download or read book Demystifying Hmong Shamanism written by Linda a Gerdner and published by . This book was released on 2015-11-01 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Demystifying Hmong Shamanism" is the first book to provide a comprehensive discussion of shamanism as practiced and experienced by Hmong Americans. A broad range of case examples are discussed that not only represent the initiation and maintenance of the shaman's practice, but also a variety of ceremonies performed to promote spiritual health and well-being across the life span. Case examples are described in rich detail and presented within a real-life context. Shamanism as practiced in the United States remains consistent with that practiced in their homeland of Laos, with minor adaptations as described throughout the text. The book is unique in that it addresses a traditional form of shamanism that continues to be practiced widely within Hmong American communities across the United States. "Demystifying Hmong Shamanism" provides a comprehensive exploration of the practice and use of shamanism by Hmong Americans that incorporates a first-hand perspective from recipients, family members, shamans, and the shaman assistants. "Demystifying Hmong Shamanism" is the result of over ten years of research and close collaboration with Hmong shamans and other members of the Hmong American community. As practicing Hmong shamans advance in age, they have identified the importance of documenting their legacy for future generations. Their cooperation and collaboration with Dr. Gerdner has provided a unique opportunity for the documentation and recording of ceremonies normally restricted to family members. The shamanic ceremonies and practices reported here reflect the diversity with regard to purpose and performance found within the Hmong shamanic world. Recorded and presented for the first time, "Demystifying Hmong Shamanism" is a landmark publication in the field of Hmong and Hmong American studies, shamanism, and religion.

Download or read book The Wisdom of Mental Illness written by Jez Hughes and published by Watkins Media Limited. This book was released on 2021-11-09 with total page 227 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book explores how the ancient path of shamanism can help us to understand the nature of mental illness, recasting psychological breakdown as a potentially transformational experience. What we label as pathological could actually be an initiation into a better relationship with ourselves and the world. Written for those who are experiencing or who have experienced mental illness, or whose loved ones are going through such episodes, or who are mental wellbeing practitioners, this is a guide to the potentially transformational experience of that which we label mental illness. It explores the ancient concept of the "shamanic sickness", whereby the prospective shaman underwent many years of mental distress as part of their initiation, and looks at what this can teach us about mental health. It argues that, in some cases, what we seek to medicate could actually be a calling to a path of service and healing. The book also explores our cultural biases around mental illness. What we define as pathological, many cultures see as a sign of being inspired and in touch with greater powers. It looks at our uneasy relationship with altered states of consciousness and how these might hold the key to healing many symptoms of mental illness. Finally it looks at how we, as species, have come out of balance in our relationship to nature and the devastating affect this is having on our mental health. By learning from ancient indigenous cultures who have remained in balance with the natural world, this book looks at solutions to heal this modern imbalance and find a way forward for the Earth and ourselves.

Download or read book Shamanism written by Piers Vitebsky and published by University of Oklahoma Press. This book was released on 2001 with total page 188 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the snowscapes of Siberia to the jungles of the Amazon, this book explores the role of the shaman as a healer mediating between the world of the living and the world of the spirits. 250 illustrations, many in color. 25 maps.