Shamanism/Indigenous Peoples Record Type: Review   ID: 848
Shamans of the 20th Century Heinze, Ruth-Inge
In the Foreword, Stanley Krippner provides a grand overview of 20th-century shamanism, reviewing some of the work reported at Heinze's annual conference on shamanism. In Part I, Introduction, Heinze says she wrote this book "for all who want to know what shamanism is. It has been written not only to record research and life experience of over sixty years but to demonstrate how shamans work and how the shamanic view of reality can contribute to the modern world. The book discusses the importance, even the necessity, of that contribution which offers insights into how an individual can acquire access to the realities of a shaman, even if the reader does not expect to become a shaman him- or herself. Some suggestions are also made about directions into which the study of shamans and shamanism can and should continue" (p. 1). Part II consists of 12 profiles of 20th century shamans that document the shaman's call, initiation, training, and practice. The third part covers the "differences and similarities in call, initiation, training, trances, paraphernalia, rituals and symbolism of shamans practicing in Europe, Asia, the Americas, and Africa" (p. 17). Part IV is concerned with the specific needs that contemporary shamans answer. Also discussed is the use "of shamanic methods to solve problems on the physical, emotional, social, mental, and spiritual levels" (p. 18). Part V, "New Paradigms," "attempts to bridge the gap between science and religion, using the language of quantum mechanics and Bell's theorem" (p. 18). In her Introduction, Dr. Heinze provides an interesting autobiographical account of how she became interested in shamanism.
Publisher Information:	New York: Irvington Publishers, 1991. 259p. Bibl: 235-249; 1 fig; 20 illus; Index: 251-259

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