Description
This article is from the Religion-Shamanism FAQ, by Dean Edwards,
Stef Jones, Jilara, Jane Beckman, Ann Albers with numerous
contributions by others.
15 Neo-shamanism
A movement which has grown out of a combination
of environmentalism, popular anthropology and a growing desire for
more open non-institutionalized forms of religion and spirituality.
Since the early 1970's it has been gaining adherents in many western
and (more recently in) former communist countries. Each individual is
believed capable of becoming their own shaman usually under the
instruction of a shamanic instructor or counselor. These new shamanic
practices, termed 'neo-shamanism' by Piers Vitebsky, (Ph.D.,
anthropologist and head of the Scott Polar Research Institute,
University of Cambridge, England), in his book, The Shaman, (1995),
have been influenced by popularization of certain
aspects of Native American religious practices including spirit
helpers and power animals. Among the leading instructors in the neo-
shamanic movements are Michael Harner and Kenneth Meadows, authors
of various books and who offer workshops and courses of study.
Michael Harner is an anthropologist and a founder of The Foundation
for Shamanic Studies (,now located in Marin County, in northern
California.
In neo-shamanism, the states range from light altered states of
consciousness to deep trance. Usually drumming, rattling or tapes
are utilized to assist in inducing these 'shamanic states'. As is the
case with Non-Traditional Shamanism, many aspects of Neo-
Shamanism move far beyond what may properly be called
shamanism.
Dean Edwards (deane@netcom.com)
The recent revival ofshamanic techniques in urban Western culture.
(cf. neo-paganism) ?
Stef Jones (stef@netcom.com)
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new-age, paranormal, spiritual, shaman, kam, consciousness, spirit, visions, dreams, oobe, soul, siberia, native, dreamtime, ecstasy, journeying, otherworld, sacred, axis-mundi
