Shamanism: Indigenous Peoples

Indigenous Peoples:

It’s clear that if modern humanity is to absorb and integrate indigenous spiritual technology and the practices and memes (see note under “ordinary state of consciousness”) of the shamans, this suggests that nature needs to be re-sanctified; there needs to be an alliance of mankind and nature, and a religiosity which is at the same time more naturalist and more humanist as well.

This approach has been maintained continuously by indigenous cultures, and therefore, in our mysterious search for reintegration, indigenous peoples are our teachers; they represent the link which transmits the discipline, the methods and the teachings necessary to cure the schizophrenia of our general culture; they act as therapists.

If we remember the homeopathic theories of Hanemann – his laws of similarity – it is perhaps no accident that shamans have been seen by our society as “schizoid”.

Since our dysfunction is severe – as shown by the magnitude and constancy of the conflicts and misunderstandings in our history – we need both a doctrine (the doctrine of the forests, the plains and the mountains) and medicine to heal ourselves; we need the doctrine alongside the medicine, like the two pillars of a temple.

So the medicine is natural and is given to us by indigenous peoples; the basic practice is theirs. We owe a great deal to indigenous peoples, and we thank them profoundly in all our rituals.

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