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Amazon Wisdom Keeper: A Psychologist's Memoir of Spiritual Awakening
With captivating lyricism, Amazon Wisdom Keeper transports us into the multicultural upbringing and transformation of Loraine Van Tuyl, a graduate psychology student and budding shamanic healer who's blindsided by startling visions, elusive drumming, and her inseverable mystical ties to the Amazon rainforest of her native Suriname.
Is she in the wrong field, or did her childhood dreams, imaginary guides, and premonitions somehow prepare her for these challenges? Did Suriname's military coup and her family's uprooting move to the US rob her from all that she knew and loved at thirteen to help reveal her soul's purpose, or is she losing her mind by entertaining far-fetched questions and hunches that can't be answered or proven—like wondering if her perplexing life story is shedding light on the double binds in her field on purpose, and suspecting that her soul's daunting blue print was plotted long before she was even born?
Van Tuyl wrestles with these questions and more as she embarks upon her risky quest, enduring test upon test in search of her true self and calling while enrolled in a rigorous academic program that regards intuitive healing methods as unscientific—and even unethical.
Is she in the wrong field, or did her childhood dreams, imaginary guides, and premonitions somehow prepare her for these challenges? Did Suriname's military coup and her family's uprooting move to the US rob her from all that she knew and loved at thirteen to help reveal her soul's purpose, or is she losing her mind by entertaining far-fetched questions and hunches that can't be answered or proven—like wondering if her perplexing life story is shedding light on the double binds in her field on purpose, and suspecting that her soul's daunting blue print was plotted long before she was even born?
Van Tuyl wrestles with these questions and more as she embarks upon her risky quest, enduring test upon test in search of her true self and calling while enrolled in a rigorous academic program that regards intuitive healing methods as unscientific—and even unethical.
- GenresMemoirSpirituality
352 pages, Paperback
Published October 24, 2017
8 people are currently reading
32 people want to read
About the author
Loraine Y. Van Tuyl
2 books14 followers2017 USA BEST BOOK AWARDS: Amazon Wisdom Keeper became a finalist in the following categories: Psychology/Mental Health, Multicultural Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction Book Cover.
About the author: Born and raised near the edge of the Amazon rainforest in Suriname, Loraine assumed that her deep connection to nature was as commonplace as the ancient mysticism and exotic wildlife around her. Her multiracial heritage—consisting of the four races on the medicine wheel: Chinese, Jewish Portuguese/Dutch, and Creole (West African and indigenous Surinamese) ancestry—richly nourished and rooted her until a military coup upended her life at the tender age of ten.
Three years later, at the height of ordinary adolescent mayhem, her family immigrated to Miami, Florida, to escape ongoing threats, censorship, kidnappings, and violence in her native country. Not until her potent daily sanctuary was gone did the magnitude of her loss sink in. Her attempts to reclaim what she imprinted on as a child funneled into a passionate interest in clinical psychology until she realized that her field placed much greater emphasis on wounding than on wholeness than she was comfortable with.
Today, in her roles as holistic psychologist, shamanic healer, and Depth Hypnosis practitioner, Loraine helps clients to re-discover their self-healing potential and dynamic wholeness and align them with their soul’s purpose. She relies on her heritage, deep training and skills, intuition, and spirit guides when collaborating with their healing dream team at her holistic practice, www.thesacredhealingwell.com.
About the author: Born and raised near the edge of the Amazon rainforest in Suriname, Loraine assumed that her deep connection to nature was as commonplace as the ancient mysticism and exotic wildlife around her. Her multiracial heritage—consisting of the four races on the medicine wheel: Chinese, Jewish Portuguese/Dutch, and Creole (West African and indigenous Surinamese) ancestry—richly nourished and rooted her until a military coup upended her life at the tender age of ten.
Three years later, at the height of ordinary adolescent mayhem, her family immigrated to Miami, Florida, to escape ongoing threats, censorship, kidnappings, and violence in her native country. Not until her potent daily sanctuary was gone did the magnitude of her loss sink in. Her attempts to reclaim what she imprinted on as a child funneled into a passionate interest in clinical psychology until she realized that her field placed much greater emphasis on wounding than on wholeness than she was comfortable with.
Today, in her roles as holistic psychologist, shamanic healer, and Depth Hypnosis practitioner, Loraine helps clients to re-discover their self-healing potential and dynamic wholeness and align them with their soul’s purpose. She relies on her heritage, deep training and skills, intuition, and spirit guides when collaborating with their healing dream team at her holistic practice, www.thesacredhealingwell.com.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
December 24, 2021
I have had this in my pile for over a year, possibly more and had been waiting for the perfect time to read it. As a psychologist who blends spirituality and psychotherapy, I knew it would be an interesting read. But I actually also knew, that the best reading of it would be with one of my patients, who is a doctoral student in psychology also finding herself amidst psychotherapy and its rigor in graduate school and professional environments, and a deep interest and commitment to spirituality. So we read it together. We enjoyed parts of it, the most of it really, and had really interesting discussions about the topic, and deepened for her the questions she was asking for herself. It was very interesting in the last pages, for her to share works of our field's professionals with whom she feels aligned. Some are the same for me, some others different. I too have written and presented an extensive paper on this topic, and it was curious to see her take. I also feel like perhaps that blend came easier for me, it has felt less fraught and more natural. That in fact was one of the things I was taken with. The intensity of the author, in so many directions. Wondering if the journey might appear to others (me perhaps) in quite a softer way. But however our stories or experiences, the point to me is the same. If we are not working with spirituality for our patients and in our lives, we are missing out on something incredibly rich and transformational. That we must be beyond ourselves, and even more deeply "connected" than previously imagined. I liked the book a lot. I recognize its importance. I am glad the author has found peace, and I am thrilled for the emerging role of spirituality in our work and lives.
July 28, 2017
"Amazon Wisdom Keeper" is both a thoroughly engaging memoir and a timely, illuminating infusion of earth-centered wisdom. Loraine Van Tuyl has interwoven her rich and multilayered experiences and insights with stunning finesse, creating a ripple effect that continues to move deeply within me. I feel at once validated, strengthened, and inspired. ~ Julie Suzanne Brokken, artist, poet, and photographer
October 27, 2017
With great honesty, integrity, and thoroughness Loraine takes us on her journey to reclaim herself, her Amazon wisdom, her truth. Along the way we learn about the jungle in Suriname, what it's like to land in America as a refugee from a coup, and that no round peg representing deep intuition will ever fit into the traditional psychology square hole. I honor Loraine for her courage, for her vulnerability and for her wisdom. She has written this book for anyone who has, at one point or another, felt alienated, crazy, or overwhelmed by mystical experiences and spiritual bleed-throughs in childhood or beyond. Read this book if you feel like a black swan surrounded by a sea of white swans. Read this book if you are a professional searching for ways to help alienated clients. Read this book if your soul yearns for purpose, or a place that you know as home.
September 17, 2017
***This book was reviewed by independent request and via Netgalley
Amazon Wisdom Keeper is the inspiring story of one woman's life, as she struggles to find her place amidst the turmoil of revolution, culture shock, and family who has a hard time understanding and appreciating her sensitive, empathic nature. As a child, Van Tuyl lived in Suriname, a small country mostly covered by Amazonian rainforest. With her perceptive nature, she was drawn at a young age to the rainforest, with an instinctive knowledge of the rich wisdom it contained, of harmony and balance and the living spirits that exist everywhere. She also learned at a young age to not let people see how sensitive she was to things. By sensitive, I mean empathic, but those born this way get overwhelmed easy by emotion, their own as well as others.
All too soon, revolution overcame the country, driving her family away to Florida, for fear of being killed by government brutes. This move meant safety for her family, but it also meant leaving the cradle of the rainforest behind, with so many lessons yet unlearned, and it meant facing a new culture where she didn't speak the language as well. Tumultuous times in Miami were followed by a move to California where Van Tuyl began to blossom again. College led to the discovery of the field of psychology, eventually leading to another soul crisis as she struggled to reconcile the (white) Western-dominated theories with the rich inner knowing she had cultivated, and the lack of multicultural perspectives within psychology. Thankfully, she had met a wonderful man who was supportive of her work. Van Tuyl eventually returned to Suriname, to conduct a research project focused in the values she held most dear. She would continue to make strides in this arena, teaching others how to open to intuitive wisdom, and the beautiful lessons of nature.
I cannot even imagine living in a country where there are people 'disappeared’ by their own government, and where flight to a new country is necessary. Van Tuyl’s abrupt relocation to Miami, with its patently Western culture, sent her into a tailspin. It took several years to accept, and work out the damage. I loved the shy reunion with her inner child. It was a touching reminder that we all have inner children that keep a part of our intuitive wisdom. Indeed, children themselves have less prejudices, and can see with clearer eyes.
Her da's views on religion, how there is no 'absolute’ that is the only right view resonated with me on a deep level. There are many perspectives. If one insists they are the only true thing, FLEE! Van Tuyl’s reasons for studying psychology echo why I chose to study anthropology- to understand and continue to integrate the wisdom first cultivated in me by my grandmother. My grandmother raised me with respect for the Great Spirit, and a love of Earth Wisdom. Her grandmother was Cherokee, and passed many lessons to her. She was able to do as Van Tuyl, synthesizing a harmony between Western thought, and Indigenous American beliefs. Those lessons she passed to me, and I continue that synthesis. Van Tuyl seems to have had another turning point when she learned of the Lakota medicine wheel. This became encouragement to continue following along paths misunderstood or openly ridiculed.
📚📚📚📚📚 Highly recommended. For any with a love of or interest in Earth Wisdom, memoirs, or psychology.
Amazon Wisdom Keeper is the inspiring story of one woman's life, as she struggles to find her place amidst the turmoil of revolution, culture shock, and family who has a hard time understanding and appreciating her sensitive, empathic nature. As a child, Van Tuyl lived in Suriname, a small country mostly covered by Amazonian rainforest. With her perceptive nature, she was drawn at a young age to the rainforest, with an instinctive knowledge of the rich wisdom it contained, of harmony and balance and the living spirits that exist everywhere. She also learned at a young age to not let people see how sensitive she was to things. By sensitive, I mean empathic, but those born this way get overwhelmed easy by emotion, their own as well as others.
All too soon, revolution overcame the country, driving her family away to Florida, for fear of being killed by government brutes. This move meant safety for her family, but it also meant leaving the cradle of the rainforest behind, with so many lessons yet unlearned, and it meant facing a new culture where she didn't speak the language as well. Tumultuous times in Miami were followed by a move to California where Van Tuyl began to blossom again. College led to the discovery of the field of psychology, eventually leading to another soul crisis as she struggled to reconcile the (white) Western-dominated theories with the rich inner knowing she had cultivated, and the lack of multicultural perspectives within psychology. Thankfully, she had met a wonderful man who was supportive of her work. Van Tuyl eventually returned to Suriname, to conduct a research project focused in the values she held most dear. She would continue to make strides in this arena, teaching others how to open to intuitive wisdom, and the beautiful lessons of nature.
I cannot even imagine living in a country where there are people 'disappeared’ by their own government, and where flight to a new country is necessary. Van Tuyl’s abrupt relocation to Miami, with its patently Western culture, sent her into a tailspin. It took several years to accept, and work out the damage. I loved the shy reunion with her inner child. It was a touching reminder that we all have inner children that keep a part of our intuitive wisdom. Indeed, children themselves have less prejudices, and can see with clearer eyes.
Her da's views on religion, how there is no 'absolute’ that is the only right view resonated with me on a deep level. There are many perspectives. If one insists they are the only true thing, FLEE! Van Tuyl’s reasons for studying psychology echo why I chose to study anthropology- to understand and continue to integrate the wisdom first cultivated in me by my grandmother. My grandmother raised me with respect for the Great Spirit, and a love of Earth Wisdom. Her grandmother was Cherokee, and passed many lessons to her. She was able to do as Van Tuyl, synthesizing a harmony between Western thought, and Indigenous American beliefs. Those lessons she passed to me, and I continue that synthesis. Van Tuyl seems to have had another turning point when she learned of the Lakota medicine wheel. This became encouragement to continue following along paths misunderstood or openly ridiculed.
📚📚📚📚📚 Highly recommended. For any with a love of or interest in Earth Wisdom, memoirs, or psychology.
February 2, 2018
Fascinating story told by an insightful, intuitive Psychologist, Loraine Van Tuyl that you just won't be able to put down! This book of memoir's captures the reader immediately to explore further into the Spiritual Awakening of the author and her amazing stories growing up in Suriname. A Must Read!
August 30, 2018
I found her life's journey authentic and amazing. What experiences she encountered. As a young child. And the life's experiences travelling. Her book opens your eyes to what is possible opening up your "inner warrior." In a kind, caring and compassionate way of understanding with much love to all of us "Warriors" . You feel her love and caring as she wrote this.
September 29, 2017
This is an important book. With honesty and integrity, Dr. Van Tuyl bridges gaps between modern psychology and mystical experiences, which modern American society has often overlooked or devalued. Amazon Wisdom Keeper authenticates some of our deepest experiences: dreams, visions, and meditations, by Van Tuyl's bearing witness to those stories that don't always fit in a cultural box.
I expect her work will continue to awaken its readers, and "hold space" for those of us who seek the absolute truth of our inner healing journeys. I am deeply grateful this book fell into my hands when it did, and recommended it to anyone who is seeking a more magical connection to their own everyday reality, or, to anyone who has been afraid to share their truths with their therapists or spiritual leaders, for fear of sounding 'crazy.'
I also hope her work will become part of modern psychological study in universities sooner than later. New generations of psychology students and teachers will benefit from Van Tuyl's ability to be open to that which has not been personally experienced, as well as that which cannot always be categorized.
Van Tuyl is an impressive and humble teacher who bravely examines her own heart and motivations in context to her patients and peers, in the name of discovery and healing for all of us.
I expect her work will continue to awaken its readers, and "hold space" for those of us who seek the absolute truth of our inner healing journeys. I am deeply grateful this book fell into my hands when it did, and recommended it to anyone who is seeking a more magical connection to their own everyday reality, or, to anyone who has been afraid to share their truths with their therapists or spiritual leaders, for fear of sounding 'crazy.'
I also hope her work will become part of modern psychological study in universities sooner than later. New generations of psychology students and teachers will benefit from Van Tuyl's ability to be open to that which has not been personally experienced, as well as that which cannot always be categorized.
Van Tuyl is an impressive and humble teacher who bravely examines her own heart and motivations in context to her patients and peers, in the name of discovery and healing for all of us.
November 7, 2017
A triumph of the heart! Amazon Wisdom Keeper reminds us of the essential need to connect to our authentic wholeness in order to provide service in the world. Dr. Loraine Van Tuyl has vulnerably and powerfully laid out her own journey along this path, inspiring growth, faith, and hope along the way.
July 30, 2017
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this one, but I’m glad I took the chance to read and review it. The spiritual memoir isn’t my usual fare, at least not recently. I read many spiritual awakening memoirs in the 90s, so at least I had those to compare.
I enjoyed very much reading about the author’s childhood on the edge of the Amazon rainforest, in Suriname. The family had to move, and once she was separated from her beloved home, it feels as if she was always trying to get back to what she had lost.
I don’t truly feel the author had anything new to say, though her experience is unique and a compelling story. I loved the part of her trying to develop a multicultural dynamic to aid her thoroughly western education in psychology and psychotherapy; her dedication, despite a growing sense of isolation, is impressive.
I think the big lesson for me was a reminder, as a creative person, of the need to not only trust intuition and deeper feelings, but to continue to develop them until we can rely on them, until they’re second nature, to trust that the intuitions and dreams aren’t just a symptom or sign of a delusional psychosis. As a psychologist, though, the author had to struggle with the fear of hurting someone inadvertently, as illustrated by her interactions with Paloma.
There are gems of insight in the author’s prose, though I don’t think she meant this memoir as a “teaching” guide or system of belief, as she studied many of them in her quest to integrate native wisdom with psychology. I recommend this if you like spiritual memoirs.
I enjoyed very much reading about the author’s childhood on the edge of the Amazon rainforest, in Suriname. The family had to move, and once she was separated from her beloved home, it feels as if she was always trying to get back to what she had lost.
I don’t truly feel the author had anything new to say, though her experience is unique and a compelling story. I loved the part of her trying to develop a multicultural dynamic to aid her thoroughly western education in psychology and psychotherapy; her dedication, despite a growing sense of isolation, is impressive.
I think the big lesson for me was a reminder, as a creative person, of the need to not only trust intuition and deeper feelings, but to continue to develop them until we can rely on them, until they’re second nature, to trust that the intuitions and dreams aren’t just a symptom or sign of a delusional psychosis. As a psychologist, though, the author had to struggle with the fear of hurting someone inadvertently, as illustrated by her interactions with Paloma.
There are gems of insight in the author’s prose, though I don’t think she meant this memoir as a “teaching” guide or system of belief, as she studied many of them in her quest to integrate native wisdom with psychology. I recommend this if you like spiritual memoirs.
August 9, 2017
I highly recommend reading Loraine's memoir that vividly introduces you to her life in Suriname then to changes in her life at age 13 when her family uprooted to Miami. Her candidness, choice of metaphors and dynamic life written with boldness is a must read. I learned about the Surimase culture, adaptation and what it takes to reach personal goals through trials. If you know of anyone going through transition, Amazon Wisdom Keeper would make a great gift, a dish of inspiring chutzpah.
October 25, 2017
I don't think it's a coincidence that Amazon Wisdom Keeper is being released to the the collective at this moment in history. In an increasingly frenetic, polarized sociopolitical climate, Dr. Van Tuyl's lyrical storytelling invites each of us to consider what it would take (or has taken) to break from narratives and paradigms that do not serve our journey towards integration and sovereignty. Amazon Wisdom Keeper is an ally to those called into the heart and truth of their own intuitive center.
July 30, 2017
I loved this book so much. It tells the author's story wonderfully and at the same time is wonderfully relevant to us all. This is a captivating and enlightening memoir.
September 12, 2017
Loraine Van Tuyl's memoir vividly places the reader in magical and exotic settings, while at the same time navigating a magical and exotic inner landscape. The narrator is very likeable and relatable, and her fierce energy is enticing. For me, the biggest gift of the book was the camaraderie with a like-minded soul and being with a narrator who not only understood the "reality" of magic and intuition, but stood in its power.
August 27, 2017
This memoir kept me interested as I have always had an interest in the different holistic methods of healing.
Loraine, the author born and raised up to the age of 13 in Suriname, South America, until a military coup forced them to leave the country and go to the USA. She had grown up to that point very in tune with her surroundings and the people and animals of the Amazon jungle and following her intuitions.
Once in Miami, their first home and a place where she spent a lot of her formative years feeling different and isolated from her peers, and where not until she realized what she had lost from her childhood in Suriname, did she begin to change.
The family moved to California, where her father found a job and Loraine got into The University of California, Davis and began a career in Clinical Psychology as she found that, that was an area where she could help people face-to-face. What she really wanted was to take a more holistic approach to psychology and that is what the second part of her book delves into. She takes many workshops and connects with people that have that kind of background, and her same belief systems, and they really helped her get in touch with her own gifts. It was fascinating to read about all of the different paths she was exploring and how they helped her find her true self. From indigo children, to Lakota Indian wisdom, to the rainbow path and much,much more. This book for me was very educational.
I love the cover of this book!
I would like to thank NetGalley and She Writes Press for the ARC of this book.tes Press
Loraine, the author born and raised up to the age of 13 in Suriname, South America, until a military coup forced them to leave the country and go to the USA. She had grown up to that point very in tune with her surroundings and the people and animals of the Amazon jungle and following her intuitions.
Once in Miami, their first home and a place where she spent a lot of her formative years feeling different and isolated from her peers, and where not until she realized what she had lost from her childhood in Suriname, did she begin to change.
The family moved to California, where her father found a job and Loraine got into The University of California, Davis and began a career in Clinical Psychology as she found that, that was an area where she could help people face-to-face. What she really wanted was to take a more holistic approach to psychology and that is what the second part of her book delves into. She takes many workshops and connects with people that have that kind of background, and her same belief systems, and they really helped her get in touch with her own gifts. It was fascinating to read about all of the different paths she was exploring and how they helped her find her true self. From indigo children, to Lakota Indian wisdom, to the rainbow path and much,much more. This book for me was very educational.
I love the cover of this book!
I would like to thank NetGalley and She Writes Press for the ARC of this book.tes Press
September 4, 2017
An amazing story about the journey of finding oneself, and the conflicts that arise when staying true to a felt sense of what is the right path. Beyond this core, important message, the book is filled with vivid and lively stories; I had many "what's going to happen next?" moments as I devoured page after page.
August 26, 2021
This book did a lot for me, mainly because Dr. Tuyl is a powerful person. Not everyone will connect with her and her experiences, but after reading her work it would be clear to anyone that this selective appeal is typical of her unique course.
I’d recommend this book for anyone interested in gaining confidence in their own spirituality, or if they’re feeling a pull to trust their own intuition more than they are currently. Her story is inspiring in that respect. Since starting and finishing Amazon Wisdom Keeper, I’ve felt motivated to do more inner work than I have in years.
Hearing a trailblazer share her experiences, her reaction to moving on from old support systems, and how she recognized and embraced new guidance, can give curious people with high potential the courage to let their path take some important turns.
The reading experience did get a bit rough there at the halfway mark. Memoirs that progress chronologically can be a tough sell, at least for me, as the stages of childhood can feel predictable. I’m more engaged by memoirs that play with structure and the unique relationship between the current self, past self, and reflective self. I do feel Dr. Tuyl’s voice is a necessary one for many people, but the chronological structure seemed to hold it back. I found it interesting she picked it, since so many of her existential experiences are so pointedly outside of time.
I’d recommend this book for anyone interested in gaining confidence in their own spirituality, or if they’re feeling a pull to trust their own intuition more than they are currently. Her story is inspiring in that respect. Since starting and finishing Amazon Wisdom Keeper, I’ve felt motivated to do more inner work than I have in years.
Hearing a trailblazer share her experiences, her reaction to moving on from old support systems, and how she recognized and embraced new guidance, can give curious people with high potential the courage to let their path take some important turns.
The reading experience did get a bit rough there at the halfway mark. Memoirs that progress chronologically can be a tough sell, at least for me, as the stages of childhood can feel predictable. I’m more engaged by memoirs that play with structure and the unique relationship between the current self, past self, and reflective self. I do feel Dr. Tuyl’s voice is a necessary one for many people, but the chronological structure seemed to hold it back. I found it interesting she picked it, since so many of her existential experiences are so pointedly outside of time.
December 12, 2017
A heartfelt and interesting story by a psychologist with the gift of second sight. She’s a good writer without much experience in storytelling. It seems that someone advised her to put her background biography in it, so one half tells of her childhood, then the second half her psychospiritual experiences. The latter is quite compelling.
May 22, 2019
A book to read slowly and savor
I confess, I haven't finished this book yet, but it is one of those rare stories that ask to be read slowly and carefully and savored word by word. It is a sweet and fiercely passionate autobiography, unflinchingly honest but self-compassionate. The reader is taken along on the author's path of Becoming, in all its mystery and wonder, and there is the sense of being gifted with the honor of being entrusted with this story.
I confess, I haven't finished this book yet, but it is one of those rare stories that ask to be read slowly and carefully and savored word by word. It is a sweet and fiercely passionate autobiography, unflinchingly honest but self-compassionate. The reader is taken along on the author's path of Becoming, in all its mystery and wonder, and there is the sense of being gifted with the honor of being entrusted with this story.
August 28, 2018
A beautiful memoir. I loved following this author's story, which is equal parts coming of age, young immigrant story, love story and tale of spiritual awakening.
February 2, 2018
A book that bursts open conceptual boundaries.
Loraine Y. Van Tuyl's memoir explores the embodiment of "knowing" from various modalities of being--childhood, parenthood, immigration, student life, the "scientific rationality" of academia, psychology, ancestral medicine work, etc.--to show the wisdom of self knowledge, and the development of this knowledge over time and space.
The book unfolds, page by page, like an ever flowing river; each wave and ripple offering reflection and the truth of our connection with the natural world.
Loraine Y. Van Tuyl's memoir explores the embodiment of "knowing" from various modalities of being--childhood, parenthood, immigration, student life, the "scientific rationality" of academia, psychology, ancestral medicine work, etc.--to show the wisdom of self knowledge, and the development of this knowledge over time and space.
The book unfolds, page by page, like an ever flowing river; each wave and ripple offering reflection and the truth of our connection with the natural world.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews