Shamanism with Ruth Inge-Heinze, Ph.D. - Part 1 of 3

NOTE: In my personal opinion, anyone who calls themselves a "Shaman" and does not use entheogens is not a Shaman. As Terence McKenna once said, "Shamanism is not a religion, it's a set of techniques, and the principal technique is the use of psychedelic plants."

Ruth Inge-Heinze, Ph.D. (bio from assacon.com):
With a Ph.D. in Comparative Religion and Psychological Anthropology from the University of California, Berkeley, Ruth-Inge Heinze has devoted her life to spirituality and healing. She is teaching and conducting research in Asia, Europe, and the United States since 1960. Her work is reflected in six books, e.g., The Role of Buddhism in Modern Thailand (1974); Tham Khwan: How to Contain the Essence of Life (1982); Shamans of the 20th Century (1991); Trance and Healing in Southeast Asia Today (1988/1997); The Nature and Function of Rituals (2000); The Search for Visions (2001), and over a hundred of essays in professional journals.
Ruth Inge-Heinze is a long-term meditator and has been president of a meditation society in the Bay Area. She also holds licenses in Chinese herbal medicine, acupuncture, Reiki I and II. Aside from her regular presentations at national and international conferences, she is also the founder and moderator of the Annual International Conference on the Study of Shamanism and Alternative Modes of Healing since 1984. Currently she is involved with a monthly Dream Group and designs the lectures for the Universal Dialog series and two other organizations. She is, furthermore, the founder and national director of Independent Scholars of Asia, Inc.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Shamanism
• Shaman
• Culture
• Anthropology

[TDP788]

@BounceMC2000 maybe your right that the majority of shaman cultures don't use psychedelics, but their techniques may be rooted in ancient entheogenic rituals.

[BounceMC2000]

McKenna is not right,

Heinze said that the majority of shaman cultures worldwide does not use psychodelics, if you read her book, Healing in South East Asia its discribed why, because you can not trust 100% on the effect on substances, on concentration and meditative technics you can, thats the reason why voodoo, sufism, meditation, etc works without substances. Read the book and you will see the difference between des altered states of concsuissness. Peace and Love

[BounceMC2000]

She brings it absolutely to the Point!!!! thank you for the post

[satinhooks]

probably not.

there are so many shamanic cultures that use entheogens, it is obvious that some cultures abandoned the tools that established the practice in the first place.

there were entheogens here long before man.

[SilentBud420]

MAny problams *

[SilentBud420]

who cares anyways either way, all i care about is the ultimate truth of reality.. and how we are gonna stop violence and bring peace on earth. who cares how you cultivate ultimate peace in yourself // as long as you do it.. mabey problams in the world today,

[YamTwvHuab]

Brainwashed by modern culture? I think you fail to see that shamanism isn't all exactly alike across cultures. Maybe you haven't studied it enough...maybe you've only studied it in native American tribes? or Latin American tribes? Shamanism is by definition granted through the spirits, therefore why would you need plants/drugs? You know drugs are needed because you've only studied those cultures that use it. Many others you are ignorant about. You should study more than just two or three.

[SilentBud420]

all i know is entheogenic plants are a main part of shamanism...if you disagree your lying to yourself and problly brainwashed by modern culture. ya you can reach the same states with repetitive drumming and chanting.. but if there a plant in the area where they are that induced spiritual expirences and trances...they will use it, they dont see it as "drugs" ...only to outsiders that cant understand the practices have negative feeling towords that type of thing

[YamTwvHuab]

If shamans are chosen by birth? by spirituality? a drug is and should not be necessary...if a drug can induce spirituality.....is it the drug? or is it that the person is chosen? if anyone can experience it? are they just high on drugs?  The use of a drug is demeaning to shamanism. This is my opinion.

[YamTwvHuab]

I do not believe u are correct on this. Shamanism is very ancient and varies across cultures. You are making a general statement which is untrue. I believe shamanism doesn't require drugs. Doing so demeans the nature of shamanism. SOme may even say that the drug is inducing the trance, and there is no spirituality at all. Thus, the requirement for a drug takes away the essence of the practice.