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The Gift of Shamanism: Visionary Power, Ayahuasca Dreams, and Journeys to Other Realms
Discover the shamanic powers within each of us
• Explores ayahuasca rituals in the Amazon, messages from power animals and plant spirits, intuitive dreams, soul retrieval, and holograms of past lives and spirits
• Explains the shamanic way of “seeing” to diagnose spiritual, emotional, and physical ailments via candle readings, remote viewing, and shamanic journeys
• Details how the author has helped individuals communicate with loved ones who have passed on and release themselves from negative spirits
Each and every one of us has shamanic powers. Glimpses of them can arise at any age in the form of intuitive dreams, déjà vu, spontaneous visions, and out-of-body experiences. Most people dismiss these experiences. However, by embracing these gifts, we can unlock our shamanic potential to change ourselves and the world around us.
Revealing his transformation from skeptic to respected shamanic healer, Itzhak Beery explains how, after countless prescient dreams and visions throughout his life that he brushed off, a series of synchronistic events led to his first shamanism workshop with Michael Harner, renowned shamanism scholar and teacher. This, in turn, led to a trip to South America with John Perkins to work with indigenous shamanic healers.
Beery shares his experiences with ayahuasca rituals in the Amazon, messages from power animals and plant spirits, dreams that foretold future events, and holographic sightings of past lives and spiritual entities, both evil and benign. He details his shamanic way of “seeing” to diagnose spiritual, emotional, and physical ailments via candle readings and remote viewing. Explaining how we are always surrounded by spirits, he recounts helping people communicate with loved ones who have passed on and shares powerful stories of soul retrieval during shamanic journeys to other worlds.
Through his true stories of visions that manifested in reality, Beery reveals that we are all shamans. By igniting our natural intuition and developing trust for our inner powers, we can each connect to the oneness of nature where all knowledge is found.
• Explores ayahuasca rituals in the Amazon, messages from power animals and plant spirits, intuitive dreams, soul retrieval, and holograms of past lives and spirits
• Explains the shamanic way of “seeing” to diagnose spiritual, emotional, and physical ailments via candle readings, remote viewing, and shamanic journeys
• Details how the author has helped individuals communicate with loved ones who have passed on and release themselves from negative spirits
Each and every one of us has shamanic powers. Glimpses of them can arise at any age in the form of intuitive dreams, déjà vu, spontaneous visions, and out-of-body experiences. Most people dismiss these experiences. However, by embracing these gifts, we can unlock our shamanic potential to change ourselves and the world around us.
Revealing his transformation from skeptic to respected shamanic healer, Itzhak Beery explains how, after countless prescient dreams and visions throughout his life that he brushed off, a series of synchronistic events led to his first shamanism workshop with Michael Harner, renowned shamanism scholar and teacher. This, in turn, led to a trip to South America with John Perkins to work with indigenous shamanic healers.
Beery shares his experiences with ayahuasca rituals in the Amazon, messages from power animals and plant spirits, dreams that foretold future events, and holographic sightings of past lives and spiritual entities, both evil and benign. He details his shamanic way of “seeing” to diagnose spiritual, emotional, and physical ailments via candle readings and remote viewing. Explaining how we are always surrounded by spirits, he recounts helping people communicate with loved ones who have passed on and shares powerful stories of soul retrieval during shamanic journeys to other worlds.
Through his true stories of visions that manifested in reality, Beery reveals that we are all shamans. By igniting our natural intuition and developing trust for our inner powers, we can each connect to the oneness of nature where all knowledge is found.
- GenresSpirituality
256 pages, Paperback
First published March 13, 2015
23 people are currently reading
158 people want to read
About the author
Itzhak Beery
5 books20 followersItzhak Beery, the Amazon bestseller author of:
-The Gift of Shamanism: Visionary Power, Ayahuasca Dreams, and Journeys to the Other Realms
-Shamanic Transformations: True Stories of the Moment of Awakening
-Shamanic Healing: Traditional Medicine for the Modern World
Itzhak contributed to other books:
- The Way of Abundance and Joy: The Shamanic Teachings of Don Alberto Taxo, by Shirley Blancke
- What Is The Meaning Of Life?: A journey into the wisdom of life, by Nicolai Tanase;
- Siberian Shamanism, by Virlana Tkacz
- Shamanism: Spiritual Growth, Healing, Consciousness, by Christa Mackinnon
He is a leading shamanic teacher, speaker, and community activist. He bridges the indigenous shamanic traditions his teachers entrusted with a contemporary shamanic approach relevant to modern life.
Born in Israel, he is a New York-based practitioner who conducts shamanic healing ceremonies, teaches seminars internationally, and co-lead trips to Ecuador and Brazil's Amazon.
Itzhak apprenticed intensively and initiated by don Jose Joaquin Diaz Pineda, an Ecuadorian Quechua Yachak from Iluman, into his family tradition and the Sacred 24 Yachaks Circle of Imbabura. He was also was initiated by Shoré a Kanamarie -North Amazonian Pajé in Brazil. He studied with and assisted Ipupiara Makunaiman, a Brazilian Amazonian Pagé from the Uru-eu-wau-wau tribe for 12 years until his passing and with his wife, a Peruvian Curandera, and also with other indigenous and contemporary elders and shamans from around the world.
He is on faculty at the Kripalu Center, NY Open Center, The Shift Network, Faiths Seminary International, The College of Psychic Studies, -London, and a staff teacher at the Omega Institute, where he was a Hermitage Program honorary guest.
He is a co-founder of the NY Shamanic Circle (NYSC) in 1997. He is a member of the Society of Shamanic Practitioners (SSP), The Foundations for Shamanic Studies. (FSS). He's the publisher of www.shamanportal.org, the most comprehensive global shamanic resource website today. Itzhak received the 'Ambassador for Peace Award’ from The Universal Peace Federation and the UN.
Itzhak's work has been featured in various worldwide publications, including the NY Times, radio and video interviews, and he is often invited to speak on panel discussions, press conferences, and festivals and to host and participate in Shamanic Webinars.
He was featured in the feature film "The Hindenburg Omen" and Parashakti's "Dance of Liberation" documentary. He is also the featured shaman in the upcoming TV show "Soul Search."
Itzhak also developed and facilitated a special program geared to high school students called The Bridge.
-The Gift of Shamanism: Visionary Power, Ayahuasca Dreams, and Journeys to the Other Realms
-Shamanic Transformations: True Stories of the Moment of Awakening
-Shamanic Healing: Traditional Medicine for the Modern World
Itzhak contributed to other books:
- The Way of Abundance and Joy: The Shamanic Teachings of Don Alberto Taxo, by Shirley Blancke
- What Is The Meaning Of Life?: A journey into the wisdom of life, by Nicolai Tanase;
- Siberian Shamanism, by Virlana Tkacz
- Shamanism: Spiritual Growth, Healing, Consciousness, by Christa Mackinnon
He is a leading shamanic teacher, speaker, and community activist. He bridges the indigenous shamanic traditions his teachers entrusted with a contemporary shamanic approach relevant to modern life.
Born in Israel, he is a New York-based practitioner who conducts shamanic healing ceremonies, teaches seminars internationally, and co-lead trips to Ecuador and Brazil's Amazon.
Itzhak apprenticed intensively and initiated by don Jose Joaquin Diaz Pineda, an Ecuadorian Quechua Yachak from Iluman, into his family tradition and the Sacred 24 Yachaks Circle of Imbabura. He was also was initiated by Shoré a Kanamarie -North Amazonian Pajé in Brazil. He studied with and assisted Ipupiara Makunaiman, a Brazilian Amazonian Pagé from the Uru-eu-wau-wau tribe for 12 years until his passing and with his wife, a Peruvian Curandera, and also with other indigenous and contemporary elders and shamans from around the world.
He is on faculty at the Kripalu Center, NY Open Center, The Shift Network, Faiths Seminary International, The College of Psychic Studies, -London, and a staff teacher at the Omega Institute, where he was a Hermitage Program honorary guest.
He is a co-founder of the NY Shamanic Circle (NYSC) in 1997. He is a member of the Society of Shamanic Practitioners (SSP), The Foundations for Shamanic Studies. (FSS). He's the publisher of www.shamanportal.org, the most comprehensive global shamanic resource website today. Itzhak received the 'Ambassador for Peace Award’ from The Universal Peace Federation and the UN.
Itzhak's work has been featured in various worldwide publications, including the NY Times, radio and video interviews, and he is often invited to speak on panel discussions, press conferences, and festivals and to host and participate in Shamanic Webinars.
He was featured in the feature film "The Hindenburg Omen" and Parashakti's "Dance of Liberation" documentary. He is also the featured shaman in the upcoming TV show "Soul Search."
Itzhak also developed and facilitated a special program geared to high school students called The Bridge.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
June 13, 2015
Itzhak Beery's THE GIFT OF SHAMANISM is a wonderful, and wonderfully gentle, introduction to the magic, mystery and mysticism inherent in real shamanic practice--and I'm not just saying this because I painted the image on the cover. Which I did, by the way. I also painted the image that will be on the sequel, which I look forward to reading as well ...
I especially appreciated that this wasn't a how-to-be-a-shaman book (as if we need another of those) but rather a text composed mostly of a series of delightful vignettes to stimulate the mind and spirit with the extraordinary possibilities presented by the Nagual to the would-be shaman.
A breath of fresh air to a tired (and sometimes tiring) genre, THE GIFT OF SHAMANISM stands out as an open invitation to explore the vast field of human potential through--as Don Juan would phrase it--nonordinary reality.
NOTE: The author's name is unfortunately misspelled as "Berry" here on Goodreads.
I especially appreciated that this wasn't a how-to-be-a-shaman book (as if we need another of those) but rather a text composed mostly of a series of delightful vignettes to stimulate the mind and spirit with the extraordinary possibilities presented by the Nagual to the would-be shaman.
A breath of fresh air to a tired (and sometimes tiring) genre, THE GIFT OF SHAMANISM stands out as an open invitation to explore the vast field of human potential through--as Don Juan would phrase it--nonordinary reality.
NOTE: The author's name is unfortunately misspelled as "Berry" here on Goodreads.
December 2, 2017
The voice/tone seemed somewhat self absorbed and this turned me off on the book a bit.
However, I enjoyed the travels to Ecuador and meeting the people there. Lots of interesting events and material to discover within this book.
Worth the read if interested in traveling and Shamanism. Looks like most readers rated it 5 stars so I stand alone in my 3 star rating.
However, I enjoyed the travels to Ecuador and meeting the people there. Lots of interesting events and material to discover within this book.
Worth the read if interested in traveling and Shamanism. Looks like most readers rated it 5 stars so I stand alone in my 3 star rating.
December 4, 2018
Many interesting stories from the life of Itzhak Beery and how his found his path to shamanism from his prior life as an advertising executive. Fascinating but the narrative is poorly organized and towards the end becomes choppy and dissatisfying.
August 26, 2015
A Wonderfully Inspiring Read
I’ve known Itzhak Beery since early 2001, when I first attended the New York Shamanic Circle (“NYSC,” then actually called the “New York Drumming Circle”). I had gone there at the suggestion of Edy Nathan, a powerful healer in her own right, because she felt that shamanism would do me some good. It certainly did!
I was an active member of the NYSC for a good twelve years before becoming what you might call a “lapsed shamanic student,” participating in the monthly circles only intermittently (at best), and rarely attending workshops and other special shamanic events as I had in the past. (I do keep up with my daily morning shamanic ritual, however, calling in the spirits from the seven directions, and offering thanks while seeking continued protection and assistance.)
From my time at the NYSC, what I remember most about Itzhak, a founding member of the group, was his warmth and friendliness, and how he made me and others feel so at home from the very beginning, month after month, year after year. At some point, I learned that Itzhak was a shamanic practitioner, but I had no idea of the depth of his involvement until I read his inspiring book, “The Gift of Shamanism.” Nor had I ever heard Itzhak (or other members of the NYSC leadership) share his (or their) own shamanic journeys or mystical experiences. Till now.
In his thoroughly enjoyable book, “The Gift of Shamanism,” Itzhak shares his awesome experiences as a shamanic healer, providing so many wonderful insights along the way. Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in, or curiosity about, shamanism, as well as for those deeply immersed in this ancient spiritual practice.
In the introduction, Itzhak reveals that he has gone from skeptic to believer. This was news to me. Nor did I realize that Itzhak had been raised as a Jewish atheist. I’d never heard of Jewish atheists before!
In the intro, Itzhak also writes that “[T]he shamanic experience is truly about learning to surrender to the magical and join in the workings of life’s mysterious forces.” This resonates with me completely, tho, as an editor, I’d change “surrender to” to “accept.” It’s a subjective matter. I don’t like the idea of surrendering, and I don't see a need to here.
Later in the introduction, we encounter a subchapter on “WHY A BOOK OF STORIES?” Itzhak answers his own question with, “I choose to write a book of stories that might connect with you emotionally and guide you indirectly into the shamanic way of ‘seeing’.” I agree wholeheartedly with this approach, an approach I followed in my 2007 book “Journey Into the Mystic (From the Streets of Brooklyn)” which (in the interests of full disclosure) Itzhak had so generously endorsed.
In the first chapter on “How It All Started,” Itzhak begins with a story about a chance encounter at a local bookstore, which rings so true. The author mentions how his upbringing (as an atheistic Jew on a kibbutz ) was the “perfect introduction to the basic principles of shamanism: deep connection to nature, close encounters with death, boundaries of imagination, a sense of history, and the importance of community and storytelling.” The tie-ins are, in a word or two, highly synchronistic. His Albert Einstein quote falls right into place.
In Chapter 2, “Dreaming,” Itzhak begins with a John Lennon quote on how John believed in everything, “until it’s disproved.” I love Lennon, but can’t go along with his philosophy here. As a lawyer (okay I’m a lawyer, I confess), I understand that the burden of proof never rests on one to disprove a negative. It is the responsibility of the person offering the positive version (e.g. “Fairies exist”) to prove his or her point. All that aside, in this chapter, I found particularly interesting Itzhak’s account of a “scary dream that followed me on and off for more than eight years.” The details are intriguing.
Chapter 3 presents Itzhak’s work with past-life regression. I’ve been down this road myself. As the author notes, “Most indigenous societies hold a deep belief in reincarnation.” So do I. And the stories that the author relates support the premise that we have all lived past lives. Captivating!
“Soul retrieval” is the basis of Chapter 4. As Itzhak notes, “It’s hard to describe exactly what a soul is,” yet he achieves that objective. His stories and experiences regarding soul loss and soul retrieval are most illuminating.
Chapter 5 is about plant medicine to which I have never been drawn. Quite the contrary. The plant medicine promise reminds me of the Sixties’ rap which proffered that LSD was the gateway to Nirvana. Didn’t turn out that way, at least, not for me. More like a horror trip thru Hell. From the messages and lessons that Itzhak reports he came back with from his ayahuasca trips, well, frankly, I already knew all that. Granted, it’s one thing to know, and another to experience. And thanks to Itzhak for sharing his ayahuasca experiences which confirm to me that, I’d rather take a walk along the summer shore of Brighton Beach after a glass of wine on at Tatiana’s on the Boardwalk, then embark on a trek thru the Amazon jungle to ingest ayahuasca.
In Chapter 6, the focus is on shapeshifting, with which I am very familiar. Here, as elsewhere, Itzhak’s description of his experiences is very detailed and vivid, adding even more credulity to his accounts.
I very much enjoyed the chapter (7) on “Seeing,” with the mind’s eye. I have never heard the concept expressed more effectively than how Itzhak describes it. Impressive is the stat which Itzhak gives, indicating that “In my workshops…96 percent of the participants successfully see one or true elements about their partner.” I appreciate statistics like this—could have used more of them (e.g., for X number of success stories presented here, there were Y number of failures).
Chapter 8 is about shamanic journeying, the hallmark of the NYSC. The chapter begins with a quote from Michael Harner, who spearheaded the interest in shamanism among Westerners. ‘All of nature has a hidden nonordinary reality,’ Harner states (via Itzhak). Yes, to be sure. Itzhak writes of journeying to other realities, and while this may sound far fetched to the uninitiated, Itzhak’s experiential stories demonstrate, individually and collectively, how effective and healing shamanic journeying can be.
Candle reading is the topic of Chapter 9. This is a process in which we have occasionally engaged at the NYSC. I like Itzhak’s intro, stating that “[A]round each person’s physical body there is an invisible energetic body or illuminated body, sometimes called the aura, which houses our memories, emotions, traumas, and the spirits of our ancestors and the living. ” The personalized stories are quite moving.
In Chapter 10, Itzhak embarks into psychonavigation, i.e., long distance viewing. Interesting in particular how Itzhak recalls one experience that “had a strong impact on me and that was quite terrifying.” It’s not all a ride down Easy Street, as Itzhak points out (and as I have learned, the hard way).
The experiences Itzhak shares in the chapters on holographic experiences, house clearing, healing ceremonies, Aztec seeing, and using shamanic vision in business, are—like all of the discussions in the book—easy to read, crystal clear, and highly inspiring. I especially appreciate how, throughout the book, Itzhak humbly admits that he continually experienced self-doubt, and would at times dismiss his visions as “a fluke.” Been there, felt that.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Itzhak’s illustrations, which are interspersed throughout the book. His artwork effectively captures shamanism in the act, something I’ve never witnessed before.
“We Are All Shamans” is the title of the book’s epilogue, which begins, “Learning from my clients’ life stories and from my own childhood, I believe that as young children we come into the world highly open to the world of magic and mystery.” I couldn’t agree more. Itzhak continues with “a few suggestions to help you develop your intuitive skills,” including “Take notes of your life’s strange ‘coincidences,’ [aka, synchronicities] accidents, or flukes. Nothing happens without a reason…” I tend to agree, for the most part, but as Itzhak indicates in his book, sometimes it takes a while to figure out the reason.
In sum, Itzhak Beery’s “The Gift of Shamanism” is a book well worth reading for anyone at all interested in learning about the shamanic way. For those of us who’ve been at it for years, the book is an insightful excursion into, and meaningful validation of, that which we have experienced.
“I love this book,” says premier shamanic teacher/author/anthropologist Hank Wesselman, on the acknowledgements page.
“Ditto!” say I, here.
I’ve known Itzhak Beery since early 2001, when I first attended the New York Shamanic Circle (“NYSC,” then actually called the “New York Drumming Circle”). I had gone there at the suggestion of Edy Nathan, a powerful healer in her own right, because she felt that shamanism would do me some good. It certainly did!
I was an active member of the NYSC for a good twelve years before becoming what you might call a “lapsed shamanic student,” participating in the monthly circles only intermittently (at best), and rarely attending workshops and other special shamanic events as I had in the past. (I do keep up with my daily morning shamanic ritual, however, calling in the spirits from the seven directions, and offering thanks while seeking continued protection and assistance.)
From my time at the NYSC, what I remember most about Itzhak, a founding member of the group, was his warmth and friendliness, and how he made me and others feel so at home from the very beginning, month after month, year after year. At some point, I learned that Itzhak was a shamanic practitioner, but I had no idea of the depth of his involvement until I read his inspiring book, “The Gift of Shamanism.” Nor had I ever heard Itzhak (or other members of the NYSC leadership) share his (or their) own shamanic journeys or mystical experiences. Till now.
In his thoroughly enjoyable book, “The Gift of Shamanism,” Itzhak shares his awesome experiences as a shamanic healer, providing so many wonderful insights along the way. Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in, or curiosity about, shamanism, as well as for those deeply immersed in this ancient spiritual practice.
In the introduction, Itzhak reveals that he has gone from skeptic to believer. This was news to me. Nor did I realize that Itzhak had been raised as a Jewish atheist. I’d never heard of Jewish atheists before!
In the intro, Itzhak also writes that “[T]he shamanic experience is truly about learning to surrender to the magical and join in the workings of life’s mysterious forces.” This resonates with me completely, tho, as an editor, I’d change “surrender to” to “accept.” It’s a subjective matter. I don’t like the idea of surrendering, and I don't see a need to here.
Later in the introduction, we encounter a subchapter on “WHY A BOOK OF STORIES?” Itzhak answers his own question with, “I choose to write a book of stories that might connect with you emotionally and guide you indirectly into the shamanic way of ‘seeing’.” I agree wholeheartedly with this approach, an approach I followed in my 2007 book “Journey Into the Mystic (From the Streets of Brooklyn)” which (in the interests of full disclosure) Itzhak had so generously endorsed.
In the first chapter on “How It All Started,” Itzhak begins with a story about a chance encounter at a local bookstore, which rings so true. The author mentions how his upbringing (as an atheistic Jew on a kibbutz ) was the “perfect introduction to the basic principles of shamanism: deep connection to nature, close encounters with death, boundaries of imagination, a sense of history, and the importance of community and storytelling.” The tie-ins are, in a word or two, highly synchronistic. His Albert Einstein quote falls right into place.
In Chapter 2, “Dreaming,” Itzhak begins with a John Lennon quote on how John believed in everything, “until it’s disproved.” I love Lennon, but can’t go along with his philosophy here. As a lawyer (okay I’m a lawyer, I confess), I understand that the burden of proof never rests on one to disprove a negative. It is the responsibility of the person offering the positive version (e.g. “Fairies exist”) to prove his or her point. All that aside, in this chapter, I found particularly interesting Itzhak’s account of a “scary dream that followed me on and off for more than eight years.” The details are intriguing.
Chapter 3 presents Itzhak’s work with past-life regression. I’ve been down this road myself. As the author notes, “Most indigenous societies hold a deep belief in reincarnation.” So do I. And the stories that the author relates support the premise that we have all lived past lives. Captivating!
“Soul retrieval” is the basis of Chapter 4. As Itzhak notes, “It’s hard to describe exactly what a soul is,” yet he achieves that objective. His stories and experiences regarding soul loss and soul retrieval are most illuminating.
Chapter 5 is about plant medicine to which I have never been drawn. Quite the contrary. The plant medicine promise reminds me of the Sixties’ rap which proffered that LSD was the gateway to Nirvana. Didn’t turn out that way, at least, not for me. More like a horror trip thru Hell. From the messages and lessons that Itzhak reports he came back with from his ayahuasca trips, well, frankly, I already knew all that. Granted, it’s one thing to know, and another to experience. And thanks to Itzhak for sharing his ayahuasca experiences which confirm to me that, I’d rather take a walk along the summer shore of Brighton Beach after a glass of wine on at Tatiana’s on the Boardwalk, then embark on a trek thru the Amazon jungle to ingest ayahuasca.
In Chapter 6, the focus is on shapeshifting, with which I am very familiar. Here, as elsewhere, Itzhak’s description of his experiences is very detailed and vivid, adding even more credulity to his accounts.
I very much enjoyed the chapter (7) on “Seeing,” with the mind’s eye. I have never heard the concept expressed more effectively than how Itzhak describes it. Impressive is the stat which Itzhak gives, indicating that “In my workshops…96 percent of the participants successfully see one or true elements about their partner.” I appreciate statistics like this—could have used more of them (e.g., for X number of success stories presented here, there were Y number of failures).
Chapter 8 is about shamanic journeying, the hallmark of the NYSC. The chapter begins with a quote from Michael Harner, who spearheaded the interest in shamanism among Westerners. ‘All of nature has a hidden nonordinary reality,’ Harner states (via Itzhak). Yes, to be sure. Itzhak writes of journeying to other realities, and while this may sound far fetched to the uninitiated, Itzhak’s experiential stories demonstrate, individually and collectively, how effective and healing shamanic journeying can be.
Candle reading is the topic of Chapter 9. This is a process in which we have occasionally engaged at the NYSC. I like Itzhak’s intro, stating that “[A]round each person’s physical body there is an invisible energetic body or illuminated body, sometimes called the aura, which houses our memories, emotions, traumas, and the spirits of our ancestors and the living. ” The personalized stories are quite moving.
In Chapter 10, Itzhak embarks into psychonavigation, i.e., long distance viewing. Interesting in particular how Itzhak recalls one experience that “had a strong impact on me and that was quite terrifying.” It’s not all a ride down Easy Street, as Itzhak points out (and as I have learned, the hard way).
The experiences Itzhak shares in the chapters on holographic experiences, house clearing, healing ceremonies, Aztec seeing, and using shamanic vision in business, are—like all of the discussions in the book—easy to read, crystal clear, and highly inspiring. I especially appreciate how, throughout the book, Itzhak humbly admits that he continually experienced self-doubt, and would at times dismiss his visions as “a fluke.” Been there, felt that.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Itzhak’s illustrations, which are interspersed throughout the book. His artwork effectively captures shamanism in the act, something I’ve never witnessed before.
“We Are All Shamans” is the title of the book’s epilogue, which begins, “Learning from my clients’ life stories and from my own childhood, I believe that as young children we come into the world highly open to the world of magic and mystery.” I couldn’t agree more. Itzhak continues with “a few suggestions to help you develop your intuitive skills,” including “Take notes of your life’s strange ‘coincidences,’ [aka, synchronicities] accidents, or flukes. Nothing happens without a reason…” I tend to agree, for the most part, but as Itzhak indicates in his book, sometimes it takes a while to figure out the reason.
In sum, Itzhak Beery’s “The Gift of Shamanism” is a book well worth reading for anyone at all interested in learning about the shamanic way. For those of us who’ve been at it for years, the book is an insightful excursion into, and meaningful validation of, that which we have experienced.
“I love this book,” says premier shamanic teacher/author/anthropologist Hank Wesselman, on the acknowledgements page.
“Ditto!” say I, here.
April 5, 2015
Itzhak Beery is a gifted storyteller. In his newly released book, The Gift of Shamanism, Itzhak Beery recounts his journey from a skeptical New York advertising executive to an accomplished shamanic practitioner and teacher. Through his riveting stories of visions that manifested in reality, Beery reveals that we all have dormant visionary powers waiting to be realized. This capacity to bring knowledge and healing from alternative realities and parallel dimensions is "the gift of shamanism." It is a gift that all we humans share. By embracing this gift, we can actualize our shamanic potential to change ourselves and the world around us. I highly recommend that you read this insightful book and apply its teachings to your life.
August 5, 2015
wonderful stories and perspectives from shamans of other cultures.
January 7, 2016
This wasn't a bad book, just not what I was expecting/hoping for (I wanted more of a guide book, while this offers stories of the experiences).
April 28, 2023
This was a tough book to finish for me. I’ve been devouring books recently on Ayahuasca and the shamanic paths revolving the use of that medicine and other plant medicines. Itzhak barely mentions it in passing (a short chapter that felt somewhat dismissive of it), even though it’s in the title.
This book really requires a suspension of disbelief, which is a fruitful exercise. But it feels like it’s full of self-absorbed, very selective anecdotes. I feel it would help the skeptical reader suspend disbelief if he balanced his miraculous healings and visions with some more anecdotes of how he completely missed the mark, and had been more realistic about the prolonged work of healing. This book lacks much portrayal of his humility, which is a core component of the spiritual life. It feels very laced with ego, but perhaps this is my projection.
I don’t want to dismiss the people he’s helped or his path. His intentions seem to be very good, and I did find some of his experiences interesting and enlightening, even if a bit repetitive.
This book really requires a suspension of disbelief, which is a fruitful exercise. But it feels like it’s full of self-absorbed, very selective anecdotes. I feel it would help the skeptical reader suspend disbelief if he balanced his miraculous healings and visions with some more anecdotes of how he completely missed the mark, and had been more realistic about the prolonged work of healing. This book lacks much portrayal of his humility, which is a core component of the spiritual life. It feels very laced with ego, but perhaps this is my projection.
I don’t want to dismiss the people he’s helped or his path. His intentions seem to be very good, and I did find some of his experiences interesting and enlightening, even if a bit repetitive.
July 14, 2020
Fascinating and often unbelievable real-life stories from all different perspectives regarding the Shamanic powers, healing potential and skills.
More than the stories, loved the most the parts where the author was describing and teaching different methods and how people could tap into their very own “Shamanic” knowledge.
More than the stories, loved the most the parts where the author was describing and teaching different methods and how people could tap into their very own “Shamanic” knowledge.
January 30, 2018
A great anecdotal work, consisting the author's personal experiences in shamanism. No how-tos or instructions, but a book that opens the imagination to possibilities beyond this reality.
July 30, 2025
In The Gift of Shamanism, Itzhak Beery offers a compelling and accessible window into the world of contemporary shamanic practice. Drawing from his own unexpected journey from highly successful advertising businessman to shamanic healer, Beery blends personal narrative with practical insights, mythic symbolism, and healing traditions from around the globe.
The Gift of Shamanism is both a memoir and a manual—a guide for those curious about shamanic healing, and an affirmation for those already walking a spiritual path. Whether you’re a seeker, a healer, or simply intrigued by the unseen layers of reality, this book may spark a deeper understanding of the inner and outer worlds we navigate every day.
The Gift of Shamanism is both a memoir and a manual—a guide for those curious about shamanic healing, and an affirmation for those already walking a spiritual path. Whether you’re a seeker, a healer, or simply intrigued by the unseen layers of reality, this book may spark a deeper understanding of the inner and outer worlds we navigate every day.
December 20, 2015
Great book that gives excellent scope and detail to the world of Shamanic healing. I really appreciate that he didn’t only focus on plant medicines, as there is so much more to Shamanism than just Ayahuasca. Easy to read.
November 4, 2015
Interesting stories, REALLY poorly edited.
February 12, 2016
Author's personal stories.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 12, 2017
illuminating Drink more Ayahuasca
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