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The Strong Eye of Shamanism: A Journey into the Caves of Consciousness
An exploration of shamanism and the archetypal symbolism that sits at the foundation of all human life.
Not just an academic work. Helps the reader experience the actual mindset of the shaman.
Presents a cohesive view of the recurrent patterns of symbolism and visionary experience that underlie all religion.
The human psyche contains archetypal patterns largely lost to contemporary society but which shamans have employed for over 30,000 years to gain access to the spiritual world. Shamanic symbols both affect and reflect these durative patterns that exist, with uncanny similarity, in civilizations separated by expanses of time and distance. The Strong Eye of Shamanism draws together the many facets of the art of shamanism, presenting a cohesive view of the recurrent patterns of symbolism and visionary experience that underlie its practice.
The "strong eye" of the title refers to the archetypal symbolism that sits at the foundation of all human life--whether in Paleolithic caves or today's temples. The author asserts that society has become separated from the power of those symbols that lead us into deeper understanding of our spirituality. In today's world of splintered psyches, a world in which people are in search of their souls, shamanism survives as an age-old technology of soul recovery, a living Rosetta stone that reminds us of the shared foundation that exists beneath even the most radically different perspectives. Through its study of shamanism, archetypal psychology, and symbolism, The Strong Eye of Shamanism encourages individuals--and society--to look inward and remember that the deepest forms of awareness begin with the knowledge that the answers reside within us.
Not just an academic work. Helps the reader experience the actual mindset of the shaman.
Presents a cohesive view of the recurrent patterns of symbolism and visionary experience that underlie all religion.
The human psyche contains archetypal patterns largely lost to contemporary society but which shamans have employed for over 30,000 years to gain access to the spiritual world. Shamanic symbols both affect and reflect these durative patterns that exist, with uncanny similarity, in civilizations separated by expanses of time and distance. The Strong Eye of Shamanism draws together the many facets of the art of shamanism, presenting a cohesive view of the recurrent patterns of symbolism and visionary experience that underlie its practice.
The "strong eye" of the title refers to the archetypal symbolism that sits at the foundation of all human life--whether in Paleolithic caves or today's temples. The author asserts that society has become separated from the power of those symbols that lead us into deeper understanding of our spirituality. In today's world of splintered psyches, a world in which people are in search of their souls, shamanism survives as an age-old technology of soul recovery, a living Rosetta stone that reminds us of the shared foundation that exists beneath even the most radically different perspectives. Through its study of shamanism, archetypal psychology, and symbolism, The Strong Eye of Shamanism encourages individuals--and society--to look inward and remember that the deepest forms of awareness begin with the knowledge that the answers reside within us.
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 8, 2013
If you're looking for a feel good New Age summary of shamanic practices, this isn't it.
The book focuses on mobiliary and cave art of the Upper Paleolithic as it relates to artistic expressions of early shamanic experiences but the author takes it one step further and relates it to existing practices of modern disparate cultures. Having established its validity as a tradition by supplementing from classic experts such as Mircea Eliade, the author then turns to credible psychological analysis of those collected experiences.
Terms with which the reader may not be completely familiar are painstakingly explained and explored. The author often quotes primary resources and oral interviews for best effect in making his own points as well as illustrations, drawings, and photographs for visual confirmation. Detailed footnotes and an extensive bibliography enrich the text and give readers a comprehensive set of books and articles for further reading.
My only complaint is that the photos are of poor quality and in black and white. To truly grasp the author's points the artwork cited really should have been in full color ad high quality. Much of the explanations about shape and color meaning are lost or weakened by the black and white photographs.
The book focuses on mobiliary and cave art of the Upper Paleolithic as it relates to artistic expressions of early shamanic experiences but the author takes it one step further and relates it to existing practices of modern disparate cultures. Having established its validity as a tradition by supplementing from classic experts such as Mircea Eliade, the author then turns to credible psychological analysis of those collected experiences.
Terms with which the reader may not be completely familiar are painstakingly explained and explored. The author often quotes primary resources and oral interviews for best effect in making his own points as well as illustrations, drawings, and photographs for visual confirmation. Detailed footnotes and an extensive bibliography enrich the text and give readers a comprehensive set of books and articles for further reading.
My only complaint is that the photos are of poor quality and in black and white. To truly grasp the author's points the artwork cited really should have been in full color ad high quality. Much of the explanations about shape and color meaning are lost or weakened by the black and white photographs.
February 8, 2015
I've read several books on shamanism, and this one is my favorite. Learned in this book about the idea of the shaman as a holy eccentric, an artist-healer . . . the kind of stuff Joseph Beuys was about. Also loved the imagery of the cave as a metaphor for the psyche. This book changed my life.
Currently reading
September 5, 2012Graduate level study of Shamanic practice. Excellent, thought provoking, chewy.
December 22, 2018
Jung, shaman and you.
February 27, 2025
Interesting - both philosophically and in what you learn about history.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews