JUNG AND SHAMANISM IN DIALOGUE:
Retrieving Soul / Retrieving the Sacred
By C. Michael Smith, Ph.D.

 

From the Back of the Book -- In this highly original study, C. Michael Smith draws on phenomenological resources and hermeneutic dialogue to explore the affinities and distinctions between shamanism and Jungian psychology, both rooted ultimately in a heart-centered way if life, and both having highly intricate maps of the human psychic interiors. As the reader adventures through this book he or she will encounter shamanic initiation, dismemberments, disassociation, grief, despair, and soul loss, the healing power of ritual, ecstasy and other altered states. The book explores many rich topics including the role of talismans and amulets, the various levels of the collective unconscious, the archetypal and imaginal perspectives on such phenomena, and implications for psychotherapeutic practice today. In the new preface, the author argues that in the end "It isn't the fascinating and powerful techniques that are the essential thing, but the person inside, its capacity to live from the heart in Earth-honoring and Nature- attuning ways that is the essential center of the Jung/shamanism interface."

Mikkal is a dear friend and part of our shaman family. If you are interested in either Jungian Psychology or Shamanism, his books are a must read.

To order this book go to: http://www.cmichaelsmith.com/books_by_cmichaelsmith.html