Karel James Bouse - Neo-shamanism and Mental Health

Journeys bring power and love back into you. Rumi

This book is about the ancient technology of shamanism and its potential application in contemporary life as a means of enhancing wellbeing by integrating mind, body and spirit, and strengthening ones connection to nature, the sacred and the self. It examines traditional shamanism and Neo-shamanism in order to differentiate the two practices which are simultaneously similar and different. It details a research study undertaken in 2017 which examined the practices, beliefs and lifeworlds of some contemporary Neo-shamanic practitioners in order to serve as a basis for understanding how Neo-shamanism functions in contemporary Western culture. The book allows these practitioners to describe their lifeworlds through their own recorded journeys and responses to deeply personal interview questions. It explores the potential value that the ancient technology of the shamanic journey might have as part of a controlled phenomenological qualitative research protocol for consciousness studies, and how it might benefit self-exploration as part of a supervised multi-modal wellness curriculum or therapy. Further, there is a discussion about the possible pitfalls present in contemporary Neo-shamanic practice, including the effects of cultural dissonance and spiritual bypassing. Finally the book engages in exploring the way in which Neo-shamanic practices might act as a viable adjunct to standard clinical therapeutic practice.

Neo-shamanismand Mental Health is an examination and discussion of contemporary Neo-shamanic practice and the mental health benefits that might be derived from its application to the mental health field. It is based on peer-reviewed literature, the results of a 2017 research project investigating the lifeworlds of six American Neo-shamanic practitioners , and my own observations as a student, teacher, and practitioner of Neo-shamanism for nearly three decades. Chapter is an overview of the conclusions derived from the preceding chapters, as well as presenting possible avenues of further inquiry. It also examines the potential benefits of using Neo-shamanic practice as an adjunct to standard therapeutic practices. Anomalous findings discovered through such research might hold the potential to instigate a paradigm shift away from our sensory-cognitive based concept of reality and toward expanded models of consciousness and accepted reality constructs.

There are some specific terms used repeatedly throughout this book. Below is a Glossary of the most frequently used terms to facilitate clear communication and understanding of the material.

Altered State of Consciousness(ASC) : The term altered state of consciousness refers to any psychological state different from normal waking consciousness. Although dreaming is an altered state of consciousness, the ASCs under discussion here are those in which the individual retains liminal awareness and the ability to perceive phenomena usually imperceptible while in the normal waking state (Rock & Krippner, 2007; VandenBos, 2015).

Anomalous Experience : Refers to any experience or set of experiences that fall outside of the parameters and explanations of rational, sensory-based material cognition and societal reality constructs. These include out-of-body experiences, mystical experiences, shamanic journeys, and interactions with anomalous phenomena (VandenBos, 2015).

Dasein : Dasein is the term used by Martin Heidegger to describe a way of being manifested as human that enables us to inquire into the mysteries of being, and the manner in which they might perceive and exist in the world (VandenBos, 2015). Dasein also incorporates the process of ones becoming (p. 282).

Lifeworld : This term was used by Moustakas (1994a, 1994b) to describe the filters of personal history, emotional context, and memories through which individuals frame, perceive, evaluate and respond to the outside world. It is the same concept that Harrow (2002) referred to as the inscape of the individual (p. 72).

Magic : Magic is intent-motivated and result-focused ancient practices and systems of rituals and activities utilizing energy to modify or manifest something in the material world (VandenBos, 2015). It has been described as an ineffable force through which things manifest, and our minds perceive concepts and phenomena belonging to the realms of spirit (Bouse, 2017; James, 1902). Magic has survived into contemporary times as an underground esoteric tradition (VandenBos, 2015, p. 617), and has enjoyed a resurgence in some practices associated with the New Age Movement and Neo-paganism.

Mysticism : On the one hand, mysticism is a worldview through which an individual might attain wisdom, inspiration, and revelation by means other than those of rational thought and sensory-based cognitive experience and perception. On the other hand, it is also a means through which one might connect with the divine (VandenBos, 2015, p. 683) in a religious context. The definition refers to states of intense, deep, and/or entranced meditations, contemplations, and ecstasies recounted in the accounts and sacred writings of global religious and spiritual traditions over time.

Neo-shamanism