Reviews

This unique book "allows shamans to speak for themselves," presenting 10 shaman healers from diverse cultures. Readers meet, for example, a West African shaman with three master's degrees and two doctorates from top-flight European and American universities who integrates Western psychology and philosophy with traditional Dagara spiritual traditions. One of the book's most fascinating elements is its peek into religious syncretism: a Tibetan shaman whose tradition predates Buddhism by millennia shares some beliefs and practices with Tibetan Buddhism, and a South American shaman speaks of her son's "baptism" into Santo Daime, a mysterious pastiche of indigenous religion and Roman Catholicism. The shamans' self-described spiritual journeys reveal some striking similarities. They speak of being chosen by the spirits, not of choosing their heavy responsibilities, and of the constant temptation to employ their spiritual powers for self-aggrandizement instead of healing. The text is relentlessly ecological, emphasizing the intended harmony of humankind and nature. Every page boasts a color photograph; although the photos are visually pleasing, their subject matter often seems irrelevant to shamanism, depicting local scenes and people rather than shamanism in practice. Overall, however, this is a valuable cross-cultural introduction to shamanism. (Dec.) Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.