The Shaman's Body : A New Shamanism for Transforming Health, Relationships, and the Community

Rating:
Summary: Shamanism in the Western World
Review: A very good book. In the past I have had to switch between books on shamanism/indigenous wisdom and the best of Western Psychology(mostly Jungian). Arnold Mindell embraces both traditions as successfully as anyone I've read. He has lived both worlds and it comes across in the book. He speaks eloquently of his experiences with indigenous peoples without falling too far into the "grass is greener on the other side" approach. More anecdotal than "Dreambody." This is refreshing, but I was glad to have read "Dreambody," which goes into his theories in more depth. In The Shaman's Body there are experiences described which I personally related to. He gets it! He writes from the frontlines of change and his urgency is encouraging, though sometimes I feel he slips just a bit into pessimism. However, I will definitely buy more of his books.

Rating:
Summary: Superb Treatment of Secondary Attention & Shamanic Awareness
Review: Arnold Mindell is truly a master, and The Shaman's Body is a superb treatment of a phenomenon known as Second Attention, or Secondary Awareness. The premise: flowing as an undercurrent beneath our consensual, obvious and ordinary reality is a compelling dimension of energy that we might called non-ordinary reality, non-obvious reality, or the dreambody. This book investigates this dimension of energy and awareness, not as some new-fangled New Age powder puff concept never brought into an embodied state, but precisely as a potent somatic way of knowing. Drawing upon his experiences with shamans from Native America, Asia, India, and Africa, as well as drawing out parallel themes from such contemporary exponents of shamanic awareness such as Carlos Castaneda, The Shaman's Body is a shamanic presentation of Arnold and Amy Mindell's core work, Dreambody Work--which is truly a powerful and transformative way of being. One section in particular, Dreaming in the City, I found to be truly cutting edge, namely, where shamanism has to go as a practice and tradition if it, and we, are to survive. The healing applications, the concentric empowerment potential, and the transformative implications for our society found within this book are immense. Whether you are a shamanic practitioner, a therapist, an artist, or just a human being seeking to know all the parts of yourself, I recommend this book. I personally have read it a number of times, including one cycle where I would read a section and then enter the city at night while listening to a CD on my headphones called Suspended Memories, Forgotten Gods--a MesoAmerican shamanic trance recording by Steve Roach, Jorge Reyes, and Suso Said. The recording felt almost like the soundtrack to Mindell's wonderful book, and in "dropping in" in this way the insights of The Shaman's Body practically began hopping out of the pavement at me. Track your ally.

Rating:
Summary: Superb Treatment of Secondary Attention & Shamanic Awareness
Review: Arnold Mindell is truly a master, and The Shaman's Body is a superb treatment of a phenomenon known as Second Attention, or Secondary Awareness. The premise: flowing as an undercurrent beneath our consensual, obvious and ordinary reality is a compelling dimension of energy that we might called non-ordinary reality, non-obvious reality, or the dreambody. This book investigates this dimension of energy and awareness, not as some new-fangled New Age powder puff concept never brought into an embodied state, but precisely as a potent somatic way of knowing. Drawing upon his experiences with shamans from Native America, Asia, India, and Africa, as well as drawing out parallel themes from such contemporary exponents of shamanic awareness such as Carlos Castaneda, The Shaman's Body is a shamanic presentation of Arnold and Amy Mindell's core work, Dreambody Work--which is truly a powerful and transformative way of being. One section in particular, Dreaming in the City, I found to be truly cutting edge, namely, where shamanism has to go as a practice and tradition if it, and we, are to survive. The healing applications, the concentric empowerment potential, and the transformative implications for our society found within this book are immense. Whether you are a shamanic practitioner, a therapist, an artist, or just a human being seeking to know all the parts of yourself, I recommend this book. I personally have read it a number of times, including one cycle where I would read a section and then enter the city at night while listening to a CD on my headphones called Suspended Memories, Forgotten Gods--a MesoAmerican shamanic trance recording by Steve Roach, Jorge Reyes, and Suso Said. The recording felt almost like the soundtrack to Mindell's wonderful book, and in "dropping in" in this way the insights of The Shaman's Body practically began hopping out of the pavement at me. Track your ally.

Rating:
Summary: Follow your heart.....
Review: In THE SHAMAN'S BODY, Arnold Mindell suggests how one might find her path of heart, the path of the dreaming body or shaman. Mindell appears to have spent a good deal of his life to working with patients in comas, and/or near death, and others, and in this book he shares some of the experiences that shaped his "reality" or consciousness. Whether you believe one can be a shaman or not, his story is amazing and a great read.

Mindell suggests most people never leave the world of consensus reality--the `ordinary' world. In an age when a plethora of amusements and diversions entertain and/or numb reflective consciousness, the path of heart appears (if it appears at all) as a weird activity at best and downright dangerous at worst. Most folks are terribly unhappy if their world view or version of reality is threatened by conflicting information and so they avoid it where possible. And yet, as one moves through life beliefs continue to be challenged. As one approaches death, a new reality begins to form. The way of the shaman involves suffering. Most of us try to avoid suffering, but no one succeeds. To be alive is to experience pain. My philosophy is this--if you are going to feel the pain anyway, why not let it work for you?

Mindell is a Jungian psychologist, physicist, and process-oriented therapist and teacher working in Portland Oregon. He and his wife Amy have traveled all over the world to met and interact with traditional healers in Africa and Latin America, gurus in India, Zen monks in the far East, and other folks who walk the path of heart. Mindell relates how he found his heart path in Zurich Switzerland where he went to do physics but ended up studying psychology. One afternoon in a café, he casually engaged in a conversation with a fellow customer. After several months of encountering the same fellow at the same café and spending a pleasant afternoon chatting with him, Mindell discovered the man was Jung's grandson and the current head of the Jung Institute. From there Mindell was led to the teachings of Jung, Castenada's Don Juan, and to find his own heart path.

Everyone of us has a spirit guide or Ally. Sometimes the guide communicates via an inner voice, as was the case for Joan of Arc. Sometimes another individual enters your life and becomes the voice of the Ally. Sometimes, the Ally visits you in a dream. If you choose to do so, you can find your own heart path. This is a great book and I highly recommend it, especially if you work a 12-step program.

Rating:
Summary: Follow your heart.....
Review: In THE SHAMAN'S BODY, Arnold Mindell suggests how one might find her path of heart, the path of the dreaming body or shaman. Mindell appears to have spent a good deal of his life to working with patients in comas, and/or near death, and others, and in this book he shares some of the experiences that shaped his "reality" or consciousness. Whether you believe one can be a shaman or not, his story is amazing and a great read.

Mindell suggests most people never leave the world of consensus reality--the 'ordinary' world. In an age when a plethora of amusements and diversions entertain and/or numb reflective consciousness, the path of heart appears (if it appears at all) as a weird activity at best and downright dangerous at worst. Most folks are terribly unhappy if their world view or version of reality is threatened by conflicting information and so they avoid it where possible. And yet, as one moves through life beliefs continue to be challenged. As one approaches death, a new reality begins to form. The way of the shaman involves suffering. Most of us try to avoid suffering, but no one succeeds. To be alive is to experience pain. My philosophy is this--if you are going to feel the pain anyway, why not let it work for you?

Mindell is a Jungian psychologist, physicist, and process-oriented therapist and teacher working in Portland Oregon. He and his wife Amy have traveled all over the world to met and interact with traditional healers in Africa and Latin America, gurus in India, Zen monks in the far East, and other folks who walk the path of heart. Mindell relates how he found his heart path in Zurich Switzerland where he went to do physics but ended up studying psychology. One afternoon in a café, he casually engaged in a conversation with a fellow customer. After several months of encountering the same fellow at the same café and spending a pleasant afternoon chatting with him, Mindell discovered the man was Jung's grandson and the current head of the Jung Institute. From there Mindell was led to the teachings of Jung, Castenada's Don Juan, and to find his own heart path.

Everyone of us has a spirit guide or Ally. Sometimes the guide communicates via an inner voice, as was the case for Joan of Arc. Sometimes another individual enters your life and becomes the voice of the Ally. Sometimes, the Ally visits you in a dream. If you choose to do so, you can find your own heart path. This is a great book and I highly recommend it, especially if you work a 12-step program.

Rating:
Summary: Transforming Self via the Energy Body/Shaman's Body
Review: Shamans are highly respected indigenous healers ... who most often have experienced some extraordinairy event that is symbolic of death or which was a true near-death experience ... which they survived. The experience "changed" them energetically to be more in touch and in tune with "the Unknown" or "the Great Principle of Life". Using myth and symbols they help guide people to develop a "double" ... a sense of self that is more in touch with their personal energy and personal path in life but which is independent of society, time and space. The shaman helps the person who is seeking to reclaim their 'energy' find their "path of heart" ... what is meaningful and important to them ... in the midst of chaos and uncontrollable events in life.
A person's 'healing' is intimately connected to their environment and the relationships within that environment ...
In essence ... it is tracking one's energy and source of power ... how it is driven by events and experiences. The seeker on this path ... is on the quest for self-knowledge ... which ends ... only upon physical death.

The author, Arnold Mindell, uses the symbols of shamanism in the manner of a psychologist who is facilitating "process work" in a client to attain personal growth. Personal development is the predecessor of everyone who uses the world "healer" or identifies with the role. Growth and learning can not occur without doubt and feelings of inferiority ... these areas need to be recognized and explored. Everyone who journeys into self - discovery becomes one of the following roles/types depending on their life situation ... "hunter/warrior" .. "average man" .. "seer". They are all ways of being -- none is better than the other. He tells us, "Who becomes which type is not a personal choice ... but who becomes a shaman becomes a matter of dreams and heritage." [Harper San Francisco, c. 1993, p. 78]. This book is about developing the "Shaman's Body" ("Dreaming Body") --- which is the name for energy states or altered states of concsiousness that arise as signals ... body symptoms, feelings, impulses, messages from the environment.

In this book Mindell uses shamansitic terms and experiences from several sources to allow the reader to access more of one's personal energy/power and discover one's personal preferences and develoment for "ways of being". The terms he uses are based on the books by Carlos Casteneda. Mindell uses the words, personal history, path of heart, hunting, dreaming, power, the ally, courage, detachment, sorcery, and path of knowledge ... all of which will guide the reader into become more focused and aware ... there is "everyday attention" and there is the "second attention". This book is about developing the "second attention" which is the access to the dreaming body. The ultimate goal is to become a "seer', a person who has a fluid and flexible life. It is a person who walks a spiritual path in life. Erika Borsos (erikab93)

Rating:
Summary: A powerful book, even for non-shamanic readers
Review: The sub-title, which contains the phrase "new shamanism" may throw off many readers, but Mindell is definitely not another "shake'n'bake shaman teacher;" _The Shaman's Body_ is an insightful, no-nonsense book which can teach nearly everyone something new about themselves. At the risk of sounding cliche, I'll also say that Mindell brings the mystical into everyday life. His training has been through personal experience with African, Native American, Australian aboriginal, and Hindu teachers, which rounds out his perspective nicely.

Unlike many other authors writing on the subject of shamanism, Mindell doesn't feel like he's commercializing this spirituality - rather, he's simply demystifying it, and bringing it down to a more practical level with the really great exercises he includes. The exercises are, perhaps, the most valuable part of the book, because they allow the reader to take the book's lessons and immediately apply them to his or her own life. The exercises are at once simple and profound, and easily done simply by closing one's eyes and following the easy directions. I found that they lead to powerful insights about myself, body and spirit, and many of them remain in my conscious mind, even though it has been quite awhile since I've performed them.

Mindell also talks about perhaps the most important aspect of shamanism, and that is helping others; after helping you teach yourself *about* yourself, he then beings teaching you how to assist others; "After you have learned to hunt and think about yourself, you study your behavior and dreams and begin to comprehend others. The next step is to leave the banks of the river fromwhich you have been observing and get into the stream."

Always, Mindell insists upon compassion, both for reader, and for others. He does not try to force anything upon the reader, and is only making offerings, suggestions. If an exercise does not feel "right" for some reason, he reminds the reader that it is of course ok not to perform it.

Unlike some other published authors who write about shamanism, I feel Mindell really has his heart in the right place, and has a lot to offer anyone seeking insight into themselves or the world in general.

Rating:
Summary: Very psychologically based
Review: This is a good book for someone into psychology and who has not read alot about shamanism before. But it is not a work focusing on the mystical or healing side of shamanism. The language is a bit too academic, even clinical, for shamanic work. The author refers to psychological principles and Carl Jung too many times.

If you are interested in Shamanism you should first spend lots of time outdoors connecting with nature. The Book of the Shaman by Nicholas Wood is a great overview if you have not read about shamanism before. If you want more advanced information from books then look to Carlos Castenada or Ted Andrews (Animal-speak, but not the other magical stuff he does). Serge Khali King's Urban Shaman is worth a read as well. Woman Who Glows in the Dark by Elena Avila has some great information.

I can't recommend Ingerman or Harner because they are the same school and are a bit rigid related to technique of drumming and are still learning/changing their minds about technique in soul retrieval. I feel that their techiques are dated and not widely influenced by traditional shamanism. I have not found solid 'advanced' Toltec information yet including Don Miguel Ruiz or Theun Mares.

If you are at all interested in Huna (Hawaiin Mysticism) then Fundamentals of Hawaiian Mysticism by Charlotte Berney is the best overview.

Rating:
Summary: Moving and Ecstatic!
Review: This is the most important book I have ever read, and definitely the most challenging to incorporate into daily living. If you are looking for a way to fully live an integrated and spiritual life, this book is the one to read, absorb and live by. Thank you Arnie for having the courage to write what we all need to hear. May I have the strength to fully explore the terrain you hint at....