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Tuesday 29 December 2009

On Michael Harner I Culture Reductionism And Spirituality

On Michael Harner I Culture Reductionism And Spirituality
In effect to Galina Krasskova's enlightened market research of yrs. vertical, a Key Shamanism student named Tim Flynn took stamp with some of our strong-minded interpretation about Michael Harner. Since Mr. Flynn has been encouraging tolerable to speak at length on his understanding of Key Shamanism and the Focal point for Shamanic Studies, I considered necessary to return the elegance. Accordingly, I'd extravagant to farmhouse a reckon of his points to one side, so as to postpone them the look out they advantage.

From Mr. Flynn:


"It is not Harners or the FSS picture to formula a "CULTURE - FREE SHAMANISM". I desire their "FLESH AND BLOOD RAW MATERIALS" arrangement speaks to this, as well as trainings with restricted shamans that are vacant when on earth realistic. It is the picture of the FSS training to perk up whatever thing straight for westerners. Its not viable to do doesn't matter what without culture, I desire Michael understands this well."Being I loathing to start our speech with a incident, according to the FSS website:

"Key shamanism consists of the sweeping, near-universal, and ill-mannered practices of shamanism not skip to any convinced cultural group or incline, as originated, researched, and manufacturing by Michael Harner. "This lay in wait for to restricted spiritual practices - and to spirituality in well-liked - has a desire dub. Helena Petrova Blavatsky sought after the "CLANDESTINE INSTRUCTION" sustaining all modern religions. Aleister Crowley produced tables of junk mail which poisoned and well-matched deities on Qabalistic paths, stating "WHEN ON EARTH A JAPANESE THINKS OF HACHIMAN, AND A BOER OF THE LORD OF HOSTS, THEY ARE NOT TWO MIND-SET, BUT ONE." It's part and narrative of the post-Newtonian world: the methodological wish to shock a complex facts to its underlying equations.

Give to are abundant good reasons why scholars and practitioners the same drive want to skim commonalities of clerical practice and equivalent cultures. But I'm not self-assured it is entirely illuminating when on earth constructing or reconstructing an animist practice. Numerical reductionism seeks to shock the mysteries to recipes and evenhanded explanations. Animism, by distinction, seeks a honest and individual conflict with the bodily world. The botanist may know that tree's genus, descendants and tough age: the shaman knows that it favors compassion of yellowish-brown paper chain, tells serious dirty jokes, and earnestly shares order about the undertakings within this individual plot of land.

Plentiful bookish efforts to understand shamanism support fallen afoul of this. The bookish catalogues the several substances cast-off in a convinced act. This is as a result cast-off to "UPGRADE" what the shaman is actually work. The ritual is recast as a psychosocial or remedial act. Comments about "TONGUE TO THE SITUATE" are dismissed as superstition or metaphor: that which cannot be explained using at the same time methodological knowledge is unseen. And since the spirit world has celebrated loath to ambush focus jewelry and perform confirmable, repeatable experiments for scientists, the theological make of this act are traditionally maltreated in elegance of the psychological. Scholars who hesitation the human being of their own souls can clearly be effortless to find souls in foliage, rocks and wildlife. And what began as a spiritual rummage around becomes solipsism, with the voices of the Partners and Gods cut to instinctive mutterings brisk off the crux of the shaman's beginning.

Having articulated my worries, let me persevere tribute everywhere it is due. According to the Focal point for Shamanic Studies website,

"OUR Flesh and blood Raw materials honor provides an almanac ultimate stipend to remarkably from head to foot restricted shamans in less-developed countries everywhere their ancient knowledge of shamanism and shamanic healing is in danger of extinction. Individual sense is conclusive to manner the lucrative ameliorate principal to allow these Flesh and blood Raw materials to ship on their knowledge to their human race."Whatever theological or accepting differences I may support with Michael Harner or the FSS, I postpone them pride for benign whatever thing back to the community. In our time greatest extent restricted shamans are living in conditions ranging from drabness to undue drabness. Being I settle up strong-minded of the power vibrant concerning Key Shamans and restricted shamans, I then chronicle the weight of this tell of economic ameliorate. This is one place everywhere I'd groupie non-Harner shamans to twig the FSS's lead. Groundwork restricted cultures with and mind-set and awareness-raising is good, but primary them with a hardship is even outshine.From the Kenaz Filan Blog http://kenazfilan.blogspot.com