Shamanism (e-book) (used book) | Manvir Singh | bookbook.eu

Description

From a brilliant, young, Harvard-trained anthropologist and contributor to The New Yorker comes a fascinating investigation into the spiritual practice of shamanism from its beginnings through to the present day, for readers disaffected with organized religion who seek a more personal approach to spirituality.

"Shamanism" is broadly defined as a religious practice of spiritual transformation wherein a specialist (a shaman) uses initiations, drug-induced altered states, and deprivation to heal, divine, and otherwise tame life's uncertainties. Might shamanism--a centuries-old phenomenon--be a reservoir of ancient knowledge, an embodiment of our once-true spirituality and connection to nature, or is it a relic of a backwards era, mere "superstitious savagery" produced by crafty showmen to exploit naïve credulity?

Informed by the latest developments in cognitive science, evolutionary biology and anthropology--and relying on field research in remote Indonesia, the Amazon and the South Pacific--Manvir Singh holds a magnifying glass to the practice of shamanism, examining its long history, its pitfalls, and its potential benefits to today's society. At its core, this is a book about faith and healing and the universal hunger for god. Shamanism is a deep dive into archaic wisdom that feels uniquely relevant in a moment of specious modern religiosity.