Shamanic Living Today: Terence McKenna

WELCOME!

This is an ongoing US and global project to help enthusiasts, scholars, practitioners, and curious parties learn more about shamanic living in a contemporary culture. The space here is devoted to sharing info, experiences and opinions about all forms of shamanic expression covering shamanism's multiple permutations. Among subjects explored are traditions, techniques, insights, definitions, events, artists, authors, and creativity. You are invited to draw from your own experiences and contribute.

What is a SHAMAN?

MAYAN: "a technichian of the Holy, a lover of the Sacred." CELTIC: "Empower the people...by changing the way we think." MEXICAN APACHE: "Someone who has simply learned to give freely of themselves..." AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINAL: "...a teacher or healer, a wisdom keeper of knowledge... (who) takes people to a door and encourages them to enter." W. AFRICAN DIAGRA: "views every event in life within a spiritual context." HAWAIIAN: "...human bridges to the spiritual world and its laws and the material world and its trials..." QUECHUA INDIAN: "embodies all experience." AMAZON: "...willing to engage the forces of the Universe...in a beneficial end for self, people, and for life in general."

-- from Travelers, Magicians and Shamans (Danny Paradise)

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Terence McKenna

The apprenticeship is over :( The blog is a resource and a repository of information for those with an interest in Shamanism. Is there any objection to continuing with posts?

A good friend recently introduced me to Terence McKenna. I've collected a few of his talks and think he's an important philosopher and writer of the psychedelic movement. He frequently lectured about the corrupting influence of Western culture and ideologies, and he believed shamans were bearers of "spiritual technologies," which could be used to help improve the consciousness. To me his main message is that we can explore the world's mysteries and unlock the mind's potential through restoring our relationship with the earth and the plants. Here is an excerpt from one of his talks complemented with some beautiful graphics.