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Podręcznik psychomagii. Praktyka szamańskiej psychoterapii

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A workbook for using symbolic acts to heal the unconscious mind

• Provides several hundred successful psychomagic solutions for a wide range of specific psychological, sexual, emotional, and physical problems, from stuttering, eczema, and fears to repressed rage and hereditary illnesses

• Details how practitioners can develop unique psychomagic solutions for their patients

• Explains how psychomagic bypasses the rational mind to work directly with the unconscious for quicker and more enduring change

Traditional psychotherapy seeks to unburden the unconscious mind purely through talk and discussion. Psychomagic recognizes that it is difficult to reach the unconscious with rational thought. We should instead speak directly to the unconscious in its own language, that of dreams, poetry, and symbolic acts. By interacting on this deeper level, we can initiate quicker and more enduring change to resolve repressed childhood trauma, express buried emotions, and overcome deep-seated intimacy issues. Through the lens of psychomagic, illness can be seen as the physical dream of the unconscious, revealing unresolved issues, some passed from generation to generation.

In this workbook of psychomagical spells, legendary filmmaker and creator of psychomagic Alejandro Jodorowsky provides several hundred successful psychomagic solutions for a wide range of psychological, sexual, emotional, and physical problems from stuttering, eczema, and fear of failure to repressed rage, hereditary illnesses, and domineering parents. Each solution takes the same elements associated with a negative emotional charge and recasts them into a series of theatrical symbolic actions that enable one to pay the psychological debts hindering their lives. Explaining the shamanic techniques at the foundation of psychomagic, the author offers methods for aspiring practitioners to develop solutions for their own unique patients.

Jodorowsky explains how the surreal acts of psychomagic are intended to break apart the dysfunctional persona with whom the patient identifies in order to connect with a deeper, more authentic self. As he says in the book, “Health only finds itself in the authentic. There is no beauty without authenticity.”

312 pages, Hardcover

First published January 15, 2009

154 people are currently reading
478 people want to read

About the author

Alejandro Jodorowsky

694 books1,947 followers
Also credited as Alexandro Jodorowsky

Better known for his surreal films El Topo and The Holy Mountain filmed in the early 1970s, Alejandro Jodorowsky is also an accomplished writer of graphic novels and a psychotherapist. He developed Psychomagic, a combination of psychotherapy and shamanic magic. His fans have included John Lennon and Marilyn Manson.

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5 stars
105 (31%)
4 stars
93 (27%)
3 stars
82 (24%)
2 stars
31 (9%)
1 star
23 (6%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
Profile Image for ☘Misericordia☘ ⚡ϟ⚡⛈⚡☁ ❇️❤❣.
2,531 reviews19.2k followers
September 26, 2017
Either extremely crazy or extremely innovative or both.
Q:
“The consultant buys a bottle of fake blood at a theater supply store and once every lunar month, for four days, imitates having a period by putting some of this blood into the vagina and preventing it from gushing out by using a tampon. After repeating this for four months, the consultant’s period will return to normal.”
(c)
Q:
“Although often with good intentions, our parents and teachers attribute negative definitions to us, which last for many years and prevent us from developing ourselves with pleasure. In psychomagic, we call these definitions “labels” because they stick to the self. So that the consultant can free herself from them, I advise:
▶ The consultant writes on adhesive labels as many definitions as they gave her, for example: “You have no ear for music,” “You don’t know how to use your hands,” “You’re a freeloader, liar, thief,” “You’re egotistical, weak, dumb, fat, skinny, vain, ungrateful,” and so on. The consultant glues these labels to every part of the body— many of them to the face—and goes out in public that way for as many hours as possible. When the consultant returns home, she should remove the labels, roll them into a ball, take the ball to the city dump, and throw it on top of the garbage pile, having beforehand caressed her body with hands soaked in pleasant perfume.”
(c)

Brilliantly innovative. Though, obviously before practicing this unquestioningly illuminating advice one would have to consider the environment or one would risk getting mistaken for a loon and being taken to some mental health hospital where before long you would be more heavily medicated than an American athlete at a sport event. So, first try this at home.
123 reviews2 followers
September 2, 2016
A surprisingly easy book to read, in part because of the interview
format. Despite the complexity of some of the topics, Jodorwsky
has a way of making them approachable. I particularly enjoyed
the chapter on lucid dreaming. I enjoy his tweets and Facebook
postings - gems of wisdom for a broader audience.
This is a book for the curious and open-minded. I am strongly
drawn to science and logic, but the mystery of Magick whispered
alluringly in my ear as I read this book.
Profile Image for Folmus.
81 reviews2 followers
March 30, 2013
Es un libro que difícilmente se lee de principio a fin. Es un libro de consulta, de posibles soluciones a estancamientos puntuales. Los consejos psicomágicos son tan extraños y trasgresores que probablemente funcionan...
4 reviews
August 9, 2024
It is creepy but can be funny if you want to laugh with your friends.
Profile Image for Lord Battle.
60 reviews2 followers
July 1, 2022
Alejandro has confronted me with a plethora of new ideas and I genuinely feel I've grown from the exposure. I had carries a small amount of guilt for turning his teachings into a bit for a podcast, but I know realize that serious rituals work (perhaps even better) when the one in acting them laughs.

I'm also relieved to have finished another nonfiction book as I've lost my healthy lead on reading 50 books in 2022 and I can't just keep reading graphic novels. 😂
Profile Image for Magali.
66 reviews2 followers
May 27, 2023
Me interesa mucho la premisa de buscar un resultado diferente con acciones diferentes, Alejandro Jodorowsky invita al cambio a través de la búsqueda de una sanación en la liberación de las ideas que desde la infancia impiden el desarrollo emocional.

El libro busca dar consejos a personas con problemas emocionales los cuales me parecen parte de una fórmula muy generalizada que sí se busca aplicarla en un caso en particular podría no ser idónea.
Profile Image for Clivemichael.
2,509 reviews3 followers
Read
June 15, 2018
An indulgence or satire- ridiculous, bizarre and infantile "remedies" for a variety of concerns. Many illegal, immoral and highly questionable in effacacy.
"The metaphors and symbols should materialize into actions."
"Leaving the church she should go to a bakery and devour six cakes. Then she should dress from head to foot in new clothes and change her name." perhaps in another time....
36 reviews
November 12, 2020
Interesting as heck. Work through specific traumas by leaning into it and interacting with it through Jungian symbolic interactions, to allow your unconscious to feel satisfied by these otherwise unattainable reconciliations. Would love to see something like this with better-developed ideas of gender though.
Profile Image for Blas.
21 reviews1 follower
June 18, 2017
Imperdible la reflexión por la cual decide escribir el libro, que explaya al principio. Después el manual en sí es más para la gente que cree en eso.
Profile Image for Mariana.
378 reviews34 followers
December 6, 2018
Lo devoré, estuve de acuerdo en algunos ejercicios y otros no. No obstante, siempre existe la libertad de adaptarlo a las necesidades de la persona.
Profile Image for Charlotte.
430 reviews4 followers
Read
January 1, 2026
Alejandro Jodorowsky is a famous freakish film director. I've never been able to watch one of his movies all the way through. He is a proponent of surrealism, which makes me feel disoriented. He's written a stack of books on all kinds of psycho-occult topics, in which he offers means for exploring and resolving psychological issues with what he calls psychomagic.

In this book he offers prescriptions, which are actions he gives to the sufferer, who he calls the consultant (his work often begins with people consulting him for a tarot reading), to help break the spell of the problem. This books gives pages and pages of examples. Many (most) of them are actions no rational person would take, but he seemingly has been successful in finding takers, and they claim to have had success in resolving their problems with his various prescriptions, which include combinations of things like painting oneself gold, inserting assorted items in assorted orifices, and parading around the streets nude wearing masks of several kinds. Don't forget having your friends bury you alive! (but they are supposed to leave your face uncovered).

What I found interesting about this book, however, is that he is completely articulate at stating problems. That in itself is useful, if you don't really know what's wrong with you.

No rating on this one! Happy New Year!
21 reviews
March 1, 2021
Alarm bells ring whenever I come across loud proclamations like this is what I invented... the thing I like to call... I revolutionized...

Such proclamations came literally on page 1 and continued throughout.

Author claims to have invented something special. The reviews below hail the insights as super innovative and unique. They are not. Take the insights, remove the magic blabber, and you get what is now known as psychosomatic therapy. It's a huge (albeit still underesearched) field of study and practice. If you are curious to read more read something like 'The Body Keeps the Score'. Manual of Psychomagic is a water-down version of 'the body keeps the score', with all the scientific explanations and research taken out and replaced with 'I invented it' or 'do this weird sh*t'

Full disclosure: I haven't been able to bring myself to read more than a 1/3 of the book. Perhaps later on it suddenly makes a u-turn back towards sanity and respect for existing practices and research.

93 reviews
December 27, 2023
Mi chiedo come possa piacere un libro che risolve i problemi psicologici in questo modo: "Le donne che da piccole sono state separate dai genitori (orfane, studentesse in un convitto, bambine educate dai
nonni, adozioni tardive...), e la cui vita è stata segnata da frasi come: “Chi non lavora non mangia” o “Ti
guadagnerai il pane con il sudore della fronte”, magari avvertono una sensazione di abbandono e sentono di dover
combattere duramente per trovare un posto al sole, senza mai sentirsi felici né appagate. A loro consiglio di:
Comprare tre monete d’oro e fare jogging tenendone una nella mano sinistra, una nella mano destra e la terza in bocca. Finito di fare
jogging, devono bagnare le tre monete con il loro sudore, infilarle dentro un preservativo, introdursele in vagina, indossare abiti
seducenti e andare a spasso in luoghi molto frequentati. Si sentiranno benissimo"
Ma è l'ideologia di base che è aberrante

2 reviews
December 31, 2021
I was very concerned about some of the suggestions, such as placing gold coins, house keys, fake blood, etc. inside the vagina or anus as part of the spellwork/ritual. Those will land you in the Emergency Room. I’m a spiritual person who is open to suggestion as far as interesting or unconventional methods for magic and self-help, but a lot of this seemed like guessing and unsafe.

I gave it two stars because aside from the concerning suggestions, there was some interesting analysis of behaviors and where they stem from.
Profile Image for Letícia Uesugi.
2 reviews6 followers
May 10, 2021
If you wonder what is the relation between Magick and Psychology, please, go read this book! Jodorowsky explains it very well and gives great insights on HOW it can be done to RELEASE pain and suffering from one's mind.
If you're a magician, occultist, healer, psychologist (or not), go for it. It is a great resource.
Profile Image for Bicho.
Author 3 books7 followers
March 30, 2023
El año pasado leí un par de novelas de Jodorowsky que me parecieron geniales, por eso me animé a su manual de psicomagia.
El libro es interesante y divertido a la vez.
Muy recomendable.
A mí me dejó pensando.
Profile Image for Evelyn Amaral Garcia.
294 reviews24 followers
January 19, 2025
Molto divertente 😝 ed utile, sotto molti aspetti. Complementare con molte letture che ho fatto di psicologia, ma strano. Se la tua vita fa schifo, tagliati un dito, cospargilo di miele, sotterralo e piantaci sopra una rosa.
Profile Image for Gillian Harrill.
90 reviews2 followers
January 12, 2024
Jodorowsky has created his own version of Freud that combines theater, psychology, and the occult. Like Freud, most of it is hogwash, but 5% of it has a place in truth.
14 reviews
January 26, 2024
that's the most sick and perverted thing i've read but it warrants a good laugh
Profile Image for Angela.
19 reviews
March 27, 2021
Dopo un iniziale rifiuto, dovuto alla follia di Jodorowsky, per cui ho cacciato il libro in un angolo dopo poche pagine, ho ripreso in mano il libro e una volta di più mi rendo conto che per ogni libro esiste un momento giusto. Credo che, di alcuni problemi, non abbia conoscenza diretta (gli atti psicomagici che propone in caso di dipendenza da droga o alcol sono inattuabili secondo me). Quel che sembra inizialmente solo un manuale (così come dice il titolo) si trasforma pagina dopo pagina in un viaggio incredibile: centinaia di esperienze, di sofferenze, fanno comprendere come la nostra infanzia e persino la nostra genealogia influenzano tutta la nostra vita in modi che non sospettiamo, e quanto sia importante ripulirsi dalle falsità di cui siamo ricoperti e che non ci appartengono.
Profile Image for Vladimir Belmont.
4 reviews
May 3, 2013
Un libro donde Alejandro Jodorowsky nos explica su paradigma terapeutico de intervencíon psicologica.
El libro aun que lleva explicito en el titulo "Consejos para sanar tu vida" termina siendo mas un relato sobre las intervenciones que el autor realiza y la genesis de su paradigma.
El paradigma "Psicomagico" lleva implicito la fusion de dos paradigmas psicologicos en el aspecto terico esta totalmente basado en la explicacíon psicodinamica de Freud, ya que da mas carga a las pulsacíones reprimas así como al "Complejo de Electra y Edipo". En el aspecto de la intervencíon se basa en los estatutos del enfoque fenomenologico existencial de la Terapía Gestal de indole humanista, ya que la intervencion se basa en actos de indole metaforico que centran al paciente al darse cuenta de lo que siente y actua, centrandolo en el hoy y ahora.
Aun que el paradigma "Psicomagico" en el libro puede leerse como efectivo cae en su explicacion y metodo en el aspecto pseudocientifico ya que no tiene una consistencia logica y no logra una explicacion sistematizada sobre el fenomeno, no aporta pruebas empiricas, no es refutable osea es dogmatica ya que solo el autor y su familia pueden aceder a esta informacíon, carece de un rubro de autocritica ya que los casos que presenta siempre tienden al exito y proclama principios de entes sobre naturales especificamente el chamanismo.
Un libro interesante para quien le interese la ficción psicologica.
Profile Image for Felix Gomez.
315 reviews76 followers
January 5, 2016
I initially started reading this because a friend told me about how peculiar it was and the index certainly helped shaping that first perception, but after finishing I feel like while the book was indeed very peculiar, it was not worth a reading. I only picked it up out of curiosity, but dreaded finishing it and only did because of my slight OCD.
I don't understand how this manual helps anyone other than the author express these crazy ideas he has about a million topics and his obsession with people's genitals and pooping.
not worth my time or anyone's.
Profile Image for Raphael Fu.
10 reviews8 followers
May 14, 2015
La metáfora me parece una maravillosa propuesta de sanación. Pero considero que algunos actos deberían ser definidos por la individualidad de cada consultante y no necesariamente seguir el guión elegido por el autor de este manual.
Una oportunidad para manifestar nuestra vision artística en nuestra vida.
Profile Image for Jorge Crescente.
12 reviews
October 1, 2017
Un manual para salir de la norma

Abundante en ejemplos de traumas de la historia que afectan la vida cotidiana. Con indicaciones fuera de lo convencional, basadas en rituales, o actos Psico mágicos, como los llama el autor que sirven para cortar el el hechizo del pasado que afecta el buen accionar en el presente.
Profile Image for Davide.
7 reviews1 follower
February 26, 2020
J é uno di quelli che indica la stella dietro alla luna, e c'è chi guarda il dito e chi la luna...
Interessante confrontarsi con questi scenari, é un catalogo di disagi e azioni simboliche che agendo inconsciamente su chi le esegue, libererebbero dai pesi che li accompagnano... scioccante e divertente
13 reviews
June 22, 2020
Se necesita una mente abierta para leer sin juzgar, y más aún para practicar lo que ahí dice.
Me parece que si funciona, pues nuestro subconsciente es nuestro mayor enemigo cuando no hemos descifrado lo que necesitamos sanar.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews

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