Shamanism

[Hunter]

For the past year or two I've been reading as much as I can about the different beliefs and faiths in the world and a couple of days ago I started reading about shamanism.

I first tried to read 'The Archaic Revival' by Terrance McKenna. At first I liked it, as it espoused the virtues of gaining insight or inspiration from the use of psychoactive chemicals, which is, from my experience, one of the most efficient ways to communicate with the infinite. But then as the book progressed it became clear that this guys only real experience with the divine was through the use of drugs.

Now I do believe that through the use of chemicals people can have beautiful, mind-expanding, life-changing spiritual experiences, but to me there has to be more than that. Limiting oneself to solely using drugs to alter your conciousness is just either laziness or mindless hedonism masquerading as a religious experience, in this reporter's opinion.

This book had more to do with advocating mushroom use than spirituality.

This was later confirmed in chapter 5 when he started going off on UFOs and "alien love", and thats about when I stopped reading.

Then I started reading 'The Active side of Infinity' by Carlos Castaneda, and this book has blown my mind. I would have called it a life-changing book, but I don't know for sure if it is. I'd really like it to be.

Carlos Castaneda is an anthropologist who has written a series of books about his experiences and discussions with a Yaqui indian shaman named Don Juan Matus.

I know now that shamanism isn't about interpreting signs, omens, portents, or whatever you see while you're tripping on psylocibin. Shamanism is about inerpreting the world around you and the world beyond you, observing the things your concious mind almost always chooses to ignore. Its being aware of everything, including that which goes on in your own mind.

Almost everyone builds up a world of their own in their own mind, and so many of our problems come from these false worlds of ours conflicting with each other, or most often, conflicting with the actual world.

Regardless of your faith, you should read this book. The author isn't trying to convert anyone, so you christians won't go to hell for reading it. But this book can change a lot about the way you think, the way you feel, and the way you see yourself.

I do consider myself a religious person, though not of a religion. My own beliefs consist of a bizarre amalgamation of all of the different beliefs I've studied, but I can tell already that Shamanism will be incoroporated into my own belief structure somewhat disproportionately compared to the others I've studied.

[frish]

Originally Posted by Hunter

For the past year or two I've been reading as much as I can about the different beliefs and faiths in the world and a couple of days ago I started reading about shamanism.

I first tried to read 'The Archaic Revival' by Terrance McKenna. At first I liked it, as it espoused the virtues of gaining insight or inspiration from the use of psychoactive chemicals, which is, from my experience, one of the most efficient ways to communicate with the infinite. But then as the book progressed it became clear that this guys only real experience with the divine was through the use of drugs.

Now I do believe that through the use of chemicals people can have beautiful, mind-expanding, life-changing spiritual experiences, but to me there has to be more than that. Limiting oneself to solely using drugs to alter your conciousness is just either laziness or mindless hedonism masquerading as a religious experience, in this reporter's opinion.

This book had more to do with advocating mushroom use than spirituality.

This was later confirmed in chapter 5 when he started going off on UFOs and "alien love", and thats about when I stopped reading.

Then I started reading 'The Active side of Infinity' by Carlos Castaneda, and this book has blown my mind. I would have called it a life-changing book, but I don't know for sure if it is. I'd really like it to be.

Carlos Castaneda is an anthropologist who has written a series of books about his experiences and discussions with a Yaqui indian shaman named Don Juan Matus.

I know now that shamanism isn't about interpreting signs, omens, portents, or whatever you see while you're tripping on psylocibin. Shamanism is about inerpreting the world around you and the world beyond you, observing the things your concious mind almost always chooses to ignore. Its being aware of everything, including that which goes on in your own mind.

Almost everyone builds up a world of their own in their own mind, and so many of our problems come from these false worlds of ours conflicting with each other, or most often, conflicting with the actual world.

Regardless of your faith, you should read this book. The author isn't trying to convert anyone, so you christians won't go to hell for reading it. But this book can change a lot about the way you think, the way you feel, and the way you see yourself.

I do consider myself a religious person, though not of a religion. My own beliefs consist of a bizarre amalgamation of all of the different beliefs I've studied, but I can tell already that Shamanism will be incoroporated into my own belief structure somewhat disproportionately compared to the others I've studied.

Nothing wrong with shamanism as a means to enlightenment.

"Getting in touch with the infinite" is a nice expression.

Yet, you also already know that "everyone builds up a world of their own in their own mind, and so many of our problems come from these false worlds of ours conflicting with each other, or most often, conflicting with the actual world".

Your own mind is all there is to explore, that's the message of enlightenment.

[Amergain]

I explored Shamanism in depth with meditation, peyote, marijuana, nitrous oxide, and key mushrooms. During this experiences I found the answer to all of the questions about life and creation. It made perfect sense for the first time in my life. I was enlightened. I had the big bloody answer to the biggest bloody question.

But I was high on drugs, and forgot the answer.

Amergain

[frish]

Originally Posted by Amergain

I explored Shamanism in depth with meditation, peyote, marijuana, nitrous oxide, and key mushrooms. During this experiences I found the answer to all of the questions about life and creation. It made perfect sense for the first time in my life. I was enlightened. I had the big bloody answer to the biggest bloody question.

But I was high on drugs, and forgot the answer.

Amergain

Nice one Amergain.

I may have heard of some of the items you mentioned (or I knew someone once who may have heard of them) but what's a key mushroom?

I had a religious enlightenment experience when staying overnight at the hotel at Macchu Picchu. My brother and I went for a pre-dawn walk, and the sunrise over the cloud drenched rain forest below the ruins was awesome.

It felt like I could stand up and touch the sky, peeking through the grey layers of scud, and I could see the whole of creation stretching down the valley, eventually to the sea, each bacteria, tree root, cultivation, and wild living thing became considered by my over active brain.

It felt like 30 minutes had gone by, but it couldn't have been more than 30 seconds. I was panting, each breath a chore, yet the nurishment was much appreicated. I sat on a rock, and looked out over the valley, with the sun now shining across the valley to more rock outcropping, and dense forest as far as the eye can see.





Or, maybe it was just the altitude sickness!