The Beauty of the Primitive: Shamanism and Western Imagination

[naparyaq]

The Beauty of the Primitive: Shamanism and Western Imagination
By Andrei A. Znamenski

http://books.google.com/books?id=JFgelrgGSIMC&lpg=PA273&ots=QAj96OFrCI&dq=Daniel%20White%20Eagle%20Lupinski&pg=PA434#v=onepage&q&f=false

A nice work, justifying why it's all okay. And all spiritual. All good things.

Chapter 8 - Sources of Inspiration

p. 273:

The smells of burning sage and cedar fill the air as the shaman continues his rhythmic drumming. Everyone in the room is silent, lying still on blankets. Soon, the drum is accompanied by the voice of a man who hums an unknown song, said to be the voice of a summoned spirit. Believers say the rhythmic beating of the shaman's drum can take a person on a journey to meet spirit guides and seek answers to questions that have gone unanswered.
This is a scene of a shamanic session performed by Daniel "White Eagle" Lupinski, a biomedical engineer at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, who also teached shamanic journeying at the town of White Lake in Ohio.
...

His interest began when he read a book about American Indians fifteen years ago. So he went to live on a Navajo reservation "to learn the ways of a shaman, or medicine man." Lupinski eventually completed his training in the archaic techniques by taking classes at Michael Harner's Foundation for Shamanic Studies (FSS).


p. 281: Figure 8.2 Celtic shaman Lighthawk still uses her Hopi-made rattle, which was acquired when she was pursuing Native American spirituality.

p. 294:

Many neo-shamanism practitioners are very sensitive to the criticism of Indian preservationists. Medicine Hawk Wilburn: "If you are afraid that a false form of your religion will harm your religion in any way, then there is something wrong with your religion."

p. 295: Cultural and Intelluctual Blend, North American Style - a chapter on why this all works.