Encounters with Power: Adventures and Misadventures on the Shamanic Path of Healing

by José Luis Stevens

A Shamanic Odyssey of Discovery

When you leave the beaten path of civilization, you enter the world of primal and mysterious forces—and encounter wonders you never thought possible. This is the territory of the shaman. To learn the secrets of shamanism, José Luis Stevens has traveled to the remote and wild places where the oldest human spiritual practice still exists in its purest form. With Encounters with Power, this respected teacher invites you to experience his journeys to meet shamans around the globe—and share in the wisdom he received. Join this master storyteller as he recounts his meetings with Spirit in its many guises, including:

• India and the Life-Changing Reading—at a turning point in his life, Jose receives a startlingly accurate prophecy
• Lost in Mexico—a humbling education in the difference between "power" and "control"
• The Guatemala Test and Initiation—the power of being frugal with judgment and generous with forgiveness
• Encounters with the Power of Aborigines and Songlines Down Under—sometimes the teacher appears when the student is not ready
• Journeys for Power with Medicine—visions with the plant spirit of ayahuasca
• A Magical Andes Wedding—an unforgettable ceremony attended by people, spirits, and the forces of nature
• The Dolphin Brujos—nature’s tricksters teach a sharp lesson in responsibility and humility
• Encounters with the Dark Shaman—a perilous jungle journey reveals the ferocity of nature and the dangerous side of shamanic practice
• Nevado Aconcagua: Pilgrimage to a Sacred Mountain—how a holy place can be both a dangerous trial and a source of limitless support

Power is everywhere—encounters with power can happen any time. "In my travels to meet these extraordinary healers," writes José, "I’ve had terrifying, enlightening, and at times hugely entertaining adventures. Power can destroy us or it can raise us up by teaching us and nourishing us. I may not be a master, but I have learned a few things that you may find helpful on your own quest."

Genres: Spirituality

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2017

Reviews

[Jeffrey Rindskopf · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a decent book of stories about the author's experiences with shamanic practices and sensing phenomena beyond the veil of what we know as reality, loosely tied together by the theme of power. Thanks to the loose structure, there were some chapters that had me riveted while others left me a bit cold. One highlight was the one recounting how he witnessed his mother making peace with herself and her admittedly restrictive Roman Catholic spiritually before dying, perhaps because there is a greater emotional weight we can relate to than, say, fasting for a week in preparation for an Ayahuasca ceremony deep in the Amazon jungle. Not that this was in any way uninteresting, of course. Another chapter sticks out in my memory, wherein the author narrowly avoided death in a skydiving accident by opting out of going as planned based on a dream suggesting unfinished business from a past life. I appreciated the author's candidness in including lessons and questions for reflection at the end of each chapter to sum up the stories, but the writing otherwise seemed a bit perfunctory -- better for listening to a story than reading it perhaps.

In short, this isn't essential reading from my view, but worth it for anyone interested in how shamanic healing practices manifest in modern life and plant medicine ceremonies.

[Axel Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

A transformational book that will invite you to see beyond the veils of illusion and feel the mechanisms of the sacred web we live through. It has helped me immensely in connecting with All That Is and tuning into the energies, allowing me to become a greater participant in this life.

I also own a copy of 'Awaken the Inner Shaman', which I would recommend for those who are seeking a deeper understanding of what Shamanism is. (Castaneda's books are also an obvious option).

I came to know about José through Tami Simon's 'Insights At The Edge' Podcasts (link here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAVra...), where you'll get a taste of who he is.

After having just finished reading it, I have some homework to do, following his Postscript and Question sections after each chapter. If you want to change, you gotta do the work!

Bless you all.

[Chris Devine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty ok book, he's a really good story teller, and he's lived an adventurous, interesting life. I'm not really into shamanism, but reading this as a travelogue I enjoyed a lot of it. The stories with the various plants were my favourite, as I've tried a few of them, and he describes the effects quite well. If you're really into shamanism you will love this, but even if you're not, it's still pretty good.

I won this from a goodreads giveaway

[Gail Coffey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Stevens tells a number of his own shamanistic journey tales, shares his own experiences, and does a fantastic job of describing the many different settings...from trekking through jungles to climbing mountains. You can feel the emotions -- especially those of Dr. Stevens, as he goes through initiations or passages or stages of learning. Delightful bedtime reading as each story is complete in its own telling.

[Eve Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting stories.

[Michelle Olms · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

[Daria the Onion · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to read this book after meeting a Mayan healer serendipitously during my trip through Yucatan, Mexico last month. I wanted to find out more about shamanic healing. Unfortunately, I do not recommend this book for those purposes. Out of the 15 chapters, I only found parts of ch. 7 and 8 to be useful, where the author does describe a bit about ayahuasca ceremonies and various dietas. However, I think a more complete picture can be put together by doing a bit of research online and reading about different people's accounts of such ceremonies.

Why I don't recommend this book is because I found the author's tone throughout the book to be too self aggrandizing, which honestly feels very uncomfortable as he repeatedly calls himself a spiritual healer. I also found him to be patronizing towards women, including his wife, whom he barely mentions in a positive light throughout the book (an autobiography of sorts). Instead, he does commend himself for not cheating on her with another "more active" woman to whom he was attracted. All and all, the book left me feeling like if I had an option to share a cup of tea with the author, I would chose to take a walk solo instead. Not a likeable character.

Also, for me there was very little wisdom in this book, something I hoped to find. If you are further along your own spiritual path, I would pass on this. What it is, is an autobiography stitched out of various events, a mediocre piece of literature at best. I found his writing to be quite poorly, actually. Sorry, folks.

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating read. At times just so far out, but Stevens does touch on some incidents I can relate to. At one point there was a sense of synchronicity; the chapters resonated with what was happening. I really am fascinated by centres of power and the transformations they generate. In this sense, the book is both mind expanding and spiritual.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

[D.D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jose Stevens has many insightful articles on their website Powerpath.com if you've never heard of him before. He's right on point with the bigger picture of what's going on behind the scenes and what our world and soul journey is about. I've been subscribed to his articles for a couple years but this is the first of his books that I read. It's highly interesting. I enjoyed his vulnerable, humble style and apparant sense of humor. Though I've studied many energetic healing systems and am no stranger to the real world beyond our illusion, I've not explored shamanism much. Reading this helped me see there really are so many paths to Source. Which is to say, so many paths to Love. I very much enjoyed Dr. Stevens' personal stories.

[Brandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I saw this book almost 2 years ago but only just got around to getting a copy & reading it. When I picked it up it was with the hope that the stories within would remind me that there’s more to this world than can be seen, and to not lose hope... I’d say that it accomplished that, nicely.