Exploring Shamanism by Hillary S. Webb

Tribal people of the past, as well as those throughout the world today, experience reality very differently than most of us in the modern, technological world. According to these ancient belief systems, the physical realm is alive with spirits, both beneficial and malevolent, and proper interaction with these intelligences is necessary for the harmony and health of the individual and community. The mediator between the sacred and the mundane is the shaman, a man or woman who can, at will, enter into altered states of consciousness and make contact with the realms of spirit in order to receive the knowledge and power needed to transform the physical world.

Exploring Shamanism introduces the reader to the shaman's role as healer, priest, and visionary, and invites one to follow the shaman's journey from neophyte to "master of ecstasy." This book delves into some of the basic skills that must be developed in order for the individual to be effective as a shamanic practitioner, and reveals how these same beliefs are reflected in our everyday systems of science, psychology, and mythology. It offers practical exercises that allow the reader to loosen the controlling grip of the logical mind, allowing their heart -- that deeply intuitive channel of the spirit -- the chance to speak clearly.