Visionary Shamanism: Ritual Healing in Peru

sanpedro curanderismo project...
Visionary Shamanism
by Jason Blaesing, Antoni Ansarov and Oscar Miro-Quesada

Tentatively begun in the Summer of 2005, the "Visionary Shamanism" film project has steadily evolved in scope, depth, and the participation of interested persons and institutions. Currently, the project is documenting the lives of five healers -- women and men -- practicing in the Northern Peruvian curandero tradition. As living heirs to the beauty, power, and wisdom of this work their presence on-screen is a testament to the human story of healing and their animated relationship with the sacred in life and nature.

The full participation of the world's leading scholars of this tradition has further opened a contextual space to situate these stories for the viewer. We have been granted unprecedented access to archives of film and photography dating back to the late 19th century along with massive collections of undisplayed artifacts that depict healing in the pre-Columbian cultures that are the root of modern practice. In the course of gathering material for specific inclusion in the film, we are compiling an archive of the entirety of this additional material -- including the full transcriptions of our interviews -- to make available to scholars and researchers in various formats. Our vision for the final result includes the primary documentary film, along with a secondary film of educational material, a DVD archive of material, and a possible full-color book for publication. This makes our venture unique in its scope of material and a lasting contribution to the sensitive preservation of this tradition. http://www.activetalk.net/healing/default.htm

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• shaman
• curandero
• sanpedro
• cactus
• healing
• entheogen
• peru

[brightwhitelight1]

Why does shamanism use catholic rituals and imagery?

[vegetalista]

This is a syncretic healing tradition. The shamans (or curanderros) themselves are catholic animists. so they work with a combination of catholic and traditional animist practices.

[spinboy8989]

When is this coming out??

[vegetalista]

im not sure...

[vegetalista]

still no sign of it... When i have free time i will look into it.

[jacalexia]

Unfortunately christians performed heavy witchhunts all over the world, resulting in many of the old wisdoms being more or less exterminated. Even more unfortunately, many parts of the world were forced to adopt christianity as their new beliefs and way of life. Today we see a rebirth of the very wisdoms and traditions the shamans live and perform, but christianty still lurks in the shadows...

[jacalexia]

Shamanism has been around for as long as humanity has been around. It's the oldest spiritual practice there is. Christianity/catholicism is about 2000 years old.

Which do you think imitates which...?

[itssocalvin]

Shamanism does not use catholic/christian images or rituals.

Christianity uses, or poorly imitates and industrializes, shamanic images and rituals. Though they only pick and choose what seems to fit.

The Bible, when originally written, contained the concept of reincarnation.

Shortly thereafter (I think within 300-400 years), it was written out, as it drew focus away from God being the all-powerful figure Christianity wanted him to seem.

[2222loko]

ridiculous white lame .lowlife ,old white lady dressed as an native ...WTF? ridiculous ,,, i am from peru ,, and we know there that non of the bullshit exist ,,, but rather a good way to make money from dumb white people like this dumb lady !!!!lololo

[TheBoysenexpirence]

@brightwhitelight1 Roman Catholic "influence" became prominent generation to generation. Pagan goes Catholic, kinda.

[TheBoysenexpirence]

@brightwhitelight1 quick answer yes.

[leii93nad]

I'm from Colombia and is a mixture of Spanish and Colombian Indian!

I have come in contact with my ancestor's by a force..

Colombia <3

[joannesel]

This has been an incredible undertaking to get this film made.

My teachers and friends who have undertaken this are remarkable people who are dedicated to keeping the Northern Peruvian Curandero tradition alive.

[dudecummon]

I'll go a step forward and say that Christ himself WAS a shaman by most definitions. I'm sure I'll get attacked for saying that out loud.

[spinboy8989]

I emailed them and they said they are looking to release it around hte new year. so we have a couple months left. they needed some more funding.

[thisisdoom]

is this dvd release yet ?