Shamanic Journeys, Shamanic Stories
Michael Berman, UK
Available from www.amazon.co.uk and www.amazon.comfrom
ISBN: 978-1-84694-402-4
Date of publication: 01/03/2011
Publisher: www.o-books.com
Extent: 174 pp
GBP: 10.99 USD: 19.95
Menu
What is a shamanic journey
Endorsements
A shamanic journey is one that generally takes place in a trance state to the sound of a drumbeat, through dancing, or by ingesting psychoactive drugs, in which aid is sought from beings in (what are considered to be) other realities generally for healing purposes or for divination–both for individuals and / or the community. A shamanic story can be defined as one that has either been based on or inspired by a shamanic journey, or one that contains a number of the elements typical of such a journey.
“The goal of the psychic journey varies widely, although it typically involves therapy in a very expansive sense of the term – the “healing” of physical, psychological, or sociological problems” (Glosecki, 1989, p.11). And that is what this book is basically all about - healing brought about through shamanic journeying, through shamanic stories, through shamanic poetry, and through shamanic counselling.
In this collection of fascinating journeys and stories, Michael Berman reveals the healing nature of shamanic practice.
This is a truly amazing piece of work – beautifully written, a joy to read and if he's offering to write more for us, bite his hand off!
David Van Doorn, novelist and editor of Eternal Spirit
The merit of Michael Berman’s book... is to introduce shamanic tales from all over the world not to experts, but to people who otherwise would probably never have the occasion to come across them. In very clear language Michael Berman presents the spirituality of civilizations remote in time or geography, showing what shamanism really is and how it differs from fairy tales and legends. In particular, tales like The Courageous Daughter and Tvalchit'a reveal to the reader a world mostly unknown to the general public, such as the Circassian culture and the different beliefs of the Caucasian nations. It is interesting to notice that women and even animals play a major role in these stories (for example in a Russian tale on the language of birds, or in the Japanese The Goddess of Mount Daimugenzan), contrary to what we are used to finding in most of the European traditional legends and tales. Moreover, Michael Berman’s deep understanding of shamanic spirituality help us to appreciate the metaphors, the symbolism and the morals that are hidden behind the plot and the characters of each of the tales. The book is also enriched by beautiful illustrations that give an insight into the customs and art of the peoples and origins of the stories.
Barbara Tognini, bookseller and traveller from Italy
The Creative Methodology for the Classroom course can be viewed here
|
