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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
informative
reflective
slow-paced
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
So... okay. I struggled with this. I have different thoughts but the TL;DR version is: I would rather consult actual Indigenous and Native sources than from a white man. I understand his research was very intense, but with colonialism being beyond intentions, it would behoove us white folks to consult with actual Natives so they profit off of their own work.
Pro: The methods of shamans across the world are really interesting and brilliant. Visualization meditations are key for me in dealing with my anxiety and goal setting, so I liked the methods described in this book. I think knowing more about the cultures white Christians have nearly decimated is key to the healing and reparations owed.
Con: this was a STRUGGLE to read. I do not think he’s a great writer whatsoever. It felt so scattered and almost snobbish. Also, I do struggle with “why am I reading a book by a white man about shamanism?” Healing is needed for everyone, especially within whites people and the trauma we hold from our existence. But I don’t wish to continue supporting white people making money off of yet another colonized idea.
Pro: The methods of shamans across the world are really interesting and brilliant. Visualization meditations are key for me in dealing with my anxiety and goal setting, so I liked the methods described in this book. I think knowing more about the cultures white Christians have nearly decimated is key to the healing and reparations owed.
Con: this was a STRUGGLE to read. I do not think he’s a great writer whatsoever. It felt so scattered and almost snobbish. Also, I do struggle with “why am I reading a book by a white man about shamanism?” Healing is needed for everyone, especially within whites people and the trauma we hold from our existence. But I don’t wish to continue supporting white people making money off of yet another colonized idea.
This book is intended to introduce Westerners to Shamanic exploration. The focus is very much on using Shamanism for healing purposes. If you're interested in learning about Shamanism from an experiential perspective as well as an anthropological one, this is where to start. It provides historical and cultural information, as well as the details on how to conduct your own spirit journeys.
There's something... odd about this book?
Because of my interest in shamanism, I was excited to learn that there is an anthropologist who studied similarities between different traditions of shamanism! And I'm sure there are a lot. Yet, this book gave me an icky feeling of reading a sales pitch for Harner's seminars, starting from the depth of his experiences (which of course were more in-depth at his first attempt than those of other people, right?) to only sparingly mentioning differences between traditions.
It's like there is a richness of culture that went unaddressed, to give the Western audience a dumbed down entry guide to experience "some shamanism".
Because of my interest in shamanism, I was excited to learn that there is an anthropologist who studied similarities between different traditions of shamanism! And I'm sure there are a lot. Yet, this book gave me an icky feeling of reading a sales pitch for Harner's seminars, starting from the depth of his experiences (which of course were more in-depth at his first attempt than those of other people, right?) to only sparingly mentioning differences between traditions.
It's like there is a richness of culture that went unaddressed, to give the Western audience a dumbed down entry guide to experience "some shamanism".
While I truly appreciate the information and insight Harner has brought to the west, his writing is amazingly academic and cerebral. It's the opposite of experiential or immersive. While it warrants a mention alongside other academic publications on shamanism, for me it falls on the list of what not to do. I don't recommend this book because Harner stepped on a lot of cultural toes to present something he calls "cultureless," something that's not even possible. Despite that assertion, the cosmology presented in his core shamanism is very Abrahamic and most definitely culturally influenced. For an academic understanding of shamanism, this is a good primer. If you are seeking an experiential glimpse of shamanism or a more instructional text, this book is not it. If you want insight into the many cultures of shamanism, how to tread respectfully on your broken path, or the understanding of how we are all hardwired to experience awe, read the work of Karen Vogel, Roma Morris, and Robert Wallis.
I'm marking this as read even tho I only read about half. It started out interesting, with an anthropological discussion of shamans in tribal groups and how similar their practices are all over the world. It's the modern application of shamanism that didn't work for me, none of it connected for me, I am not a shaman. So I removed the other shaman book by this author from my reading list bc that one is about hallucinogens used in shamanism, but I'm not going anywhere near ayahuasca or datura and I'm still not interested in being a shaman. Also there's a fine line between new age enlightenment and cultural appropriation...
In June of 1988, I acquired and read The Way of the Shaman by Michael Harner. This informative guide to core shamanic practice set me on a new course in life. From this guide, I learned to hone my skills of shamanic journeying. For six months, I journeyed virtually every day. My trance experiences were healing and empowering. They often triggered the release of suppressed emotions, producing feelings of peace and well-being. The process restores emotional health through expression and integration of emotions. Highly recommended!