Join Deborah Bryon on her continuing quest to learn the sacred teachings of the Inca shamans and our non-ordinary connections to Mother Earth, mountain spirits, and each other. Discover how we can become part of something greater by moving beyond individualism to become part of a healing community. Twelve exercises show you how to begin your own shamanic journey. Book jacket.
A woman's dream of being trapped in a black nightgown reveals a dread that dominates her psyche and blocks her development as a self. In her story and others, Jungian analyst Nathan Schwartz-Salant reveals how the same complex characterizes our society as a whole. This archetypal pattern is the Fusional Complex. The Fusional Complex is like the Renaissance alchemists' prima materia, said to be vile and worthless, ubiquitous and easily discarded, and yet essential for the creation of that most highly prized goal of the alchemical opus: the lapis, a symbol of the self. Like the prima materia, the Fusional Complex is found everywhere--in addiction and codependency, in masochistic submissions that sacrifice essence and potential, in the dark corners of relationships that are fixed in old patterns and simmer in contempt and resentment, and in the array of the character disorders. Because it generally goes unseen, however, these disorders do not transform. Through the theory of the Fusional Complex, and with the non-ordinary perception that detects it, we can learn to make transformative discoveries that are rarely possible through usual analytic procedures. And through the cultural and individual examples of The Black Nightgown, we will see that the Fusional Complex is the doorway through which any new form of consciousness and associated self--the structure that bestows a sense of identity and order within human life--must pass.
Deborah Bryon describes her ongoing experiences, lessons, and initiations she receives from Inca shamans in Peru. The central teachings the shamans now wish to pass on to Western culture include the interconnectedness of all creatures (ordinary and spiritual) and our connection with Pachamama (Mother Earth). The book continues the story of Dr. Bryon's personal journey as she receives more training with the medicine people of the Andes. Included in the training are sacred initiation rites where she receives energy from the mountain spirits. She also participates in dialogs with the spirits who are allies of the healers she is working with.
American psychologist Alberto Villoldo recounts his journey to Peru to explore the visionary ceremonies of the Quecha shamans. In this magical realm of enigmatic sorcerers and powerful animal totems, Villoldo confronts the hidden powers of his own mind as he unlocks the secrets of the human psyche.
Contained within the pages of this book are the sacred teachings and guiding principles the Pachakuti Mesa Shamanic Tradition from Peru. Founded by kamasqa curandero don Oscar Miro-Quesada from Lima, Peru, this traditional wisdom is expressed through the ceremonial use of a complex altar system, known as a Pachakuti Mesa. This book functions as a compendium of this altar's ceremonial use amidst the backdrop of Peru's rich pre-Columbian history, cosmology, mythology, and centuries of healing artistry. The Pachakuti Mesa tradition is a living, breathing, evolving, holistic spiritual practice that is designed to build bridges between cultures, while honoring the universal wisdom of nature itself. This book seeks to unveil the methodology of this particular form of tribal shamanic practice in a way that is accessible to the western aspirant by offering parallels and cultural comparisons as well as references from leading scholars in the field of anthropology. Ultimately this book is designed to provide a "behind the scenes" account of the ritual practices and teachings of this tradition, while also offering the reader practical and pragmatic tools for applying this traditional wisdom to one's modern day life. Note: This book (originally published in 2002) was written over the course of four years while immersed in a direct shamanic apprenticeship with renowned Kamasqa Curandero don Oscar Miro-Quesada from Lima, Peru. This current version has been recently updated and fully revised (2017) to include over 100 pages of new information, photos, diagrams, and illustrations.
One of the pioneers in the areas of energy healing and shamanism recounts twelve stories of miraculous healings; twelve stories in which, through the use of shamanic energetic techniques, people experience extraordinary physical and emotional healings. Meet a dancer who could barely walk until a series of sessions with Villoldo, a business woman who is freed from headaches and discovers the benefits of an integrated interior life, and a young woman who confronts her past and recovers from crippling depression. Each of these stories is rooted in Villoldo's experience as a healer, a traditional mental health professional, and a devotee of indigenous wisdom and lore from around the world. Having devoted 25 years of study to the healing practices of the Amazon and Andean shamans, Alberto Villoldo, PhD, is teaching people how to actually grow new bodies. By learning the ancient Shaman wisdoms from Alberto Villoldo, you can heal disease, eliminate emotional suffering and even grow new bodies that age and heal differently. The stories in this book are amazing and inspiring.
After 'Hit Man' The New York Times bestseller Confessions of an Economic Hit Man documents John Perkins’ extraordinary career as a globe-trotting economic hit man. Perkins’ insider’s view leads him to crisis of conscience--to the realization that he must devote himself to work which will foster a world-wide awareness of the sanctity of indigenous peoples, their cultures, and their environments. Perkins’ books demonstrate how the age-old shamanic techniques of some of the world’s most primitive peoples have sparked a revolution in modern concepts about healing, the subconscious, and the powers each of us has to alter individual and communal reality. This groundbreaking book is John Perkins’s firsthand account of his experiences with the shamanic technique of psychonavigation--a method of traveling outside the body by means of visions and dream wanderings--and his encounters with the Shuar of the Amazon, the Quechua of the Andes, and the Bugis of Indonesia. Shuar shamans psychonavigate for the purposes of hunting and healing, while the Bugis, among the most renowned sailors of the world, use these techniques to navigate without the aid of charts and compasses. Perkins explains how these techniques work and how the people of these indigenous cultures psychonavigate to both distant physical destinations and sources of inner wisdom. Throughout history, psychonavigation has been practiced by highly creative minds such as Beethoven, Jung, and Einstein. Perkins’s riveting narrative takes us on a journey of personal discovery as he learns the great value of these techniques and their relevance not only to individual well-being, but to the health of the environment and of the world at large. He reveals how by attuning to the positive forces in nature and communicating with our inner guides we all can become psychonavigators, finding our way to wise decisions and developing innovative approaches to the challenges we face as individuals and a world community.
The Illumination Process guides the reader on a healing journey, forged by the timeless wisdom of indigenous cultures and the latest theories of neurobiology. Through various stages in this journey of initiation, we grow to understand the causes of our suffering and how to free ourselves from the pain and drama of our unhealed emotions. Life itself invites us to be initiated through many means—the possibility of love, the loss of a parent or friend, the birth of a child, or a serious health crisis. True initiation is empowered by facing personal challenges and experiencing the spiritual rebirth—or illumination—that follows. Unifying this book is the sacred process of transforming toxic emotions into sources of power and grace. The Illumination Process shows us how to bid a joyful good-bye to the people and places we have met, discovering a sacred space where the spirit inhabits, uniting the body and soul. When we learn to let go from difficult situations and problems, to accept our lives as they are, we can begin to identify with a self that is eternal. Recounting his own experiences, tracing the mythologies of an array of cultures, and expanding his inquiry into the field of neurobiology, best-selling author Alberto Villoldo shows readers how they can benefit from these sacred practices.
