shamanism in the press

[novapsyche]

An interesting article at Slate regarding neo-shamanism and why New Age spirituality is no better than monotheism.

I'd like the information to be treated in a more in-depth fashion. For example, the way in which the author presents his info minimizes the misogyny present in Abrahamic monotheism has perpetrated sexism (and thus violence against women) and protected it under the guise of sacrosanct religion.

The end of the article, however, is apropos.

Comments

[jdoggiedogg.livejournal.com]

This article was just profiled in The Wild Hunt: http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/07/why-is-robert-wright-writing-about-neo-shamanism.html

As for my take on the article, this isn't the first time I've heard the claim of "There was a lot of fakery" which basically comes from people not understanding what shamans are doing. The reason why the same technique is found around the world is because there's logic to it. It's part of the technique for performing an extraction. They are drawing out the nasty stuff from within a person and putting it into a safe container which they can then dispose of. Through experience, they know that innards work for doing this (personally I prefer tobacco pouches because they're less messy and smell good). It's not fakery, it's an extraction technique.

The second point, that they're in it for the money, Drive past a shaman's home, and then drive past a doctor's home, and tell me which is in it for the money. Or, look at it as an example of those who are responsible for the health of their community being given a high status. Shamanism regards this as a balance in the sense that if you want something then you have to be willing to give something. That exchange is an important part of the shamanic tradition.

The third point disregards cultural differences of tribal societies promoting fertility and more sexual openness than the sexually repressive US culture.

The forth point is about the importance of not angering someone with a lot of power. okay. duh.

As someone who actually practices shamanism, my reaction is that this author doesn't really know much about shamanism.

[novapsyche.livejournal.com]

The second point, that they're in it for the money, Drive past a shaman's home, and then drive past a doctor's home, and tell me which is in it for the money.

I was thinking something similar. Shamans were doctors for their villages, so it makes sense that they should get status and pay for their work.

Also, since a lot of non-Western tribalistic societies were gift societies, it would have been more than taboo to not trade an item or honor for the shaman's service.