Michael Harner

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MICHAEL J. HARNER (1929-2018)

Mit großer Trauer geben wir bekannt, dass Michael J. Harner, Leitfigur des Core Schamanismus und Gründer der Foundation for Shamanic Studies, am 3. Februar 2018 im Alter von 88 Jahren aus dieser Welt geschieden ist. Unser Mitgefühl gilt seiner Frau Sandra Harner, der gesamten Familie und den Hinterbliebenen.

Am 14.04.2018 wird von 22.00 bis 23.30 Uhr eine Gedenkfeier in Kalifornien stattfinden, die via live stream mitverfolgt werden kann: https://www.youtube.com/user/shamanicstudies/live

Finally on an evening in 1982

I approached the entrance of the cave alone, silently calling upon the spirits to have compassion for me and to confer greater power for my work in healing others. I used a flashlight to descend to a remote recess deep inside the cavern, which took about a quarter of an hour. There I extinguished the light. The darkness was thick and silent. Next, according to what I had learned, I was supposed to sleep until the middle of the night, wake up, eat a small amount of food, and not go back to sleep until something happened." Michael Harner >> Cave and Cosmos >> From Chapter 1: Spirit Power and the Cave

Cave and Cosmos

The Foundation for Shamanic Studies is pleased to announce that in February, Kirkus Reviews named Michael Harner's Cave and Cosmos: Shamanic Encounters with Another Reality, as the Nonfiction Indie Book of the Month.

Their review:

Cave and Cosmos by Michael Harner In 1980, anthropologist/shaman Harner published The Way of the Shaman, raising awareness of shamanic practice in the West. In this sequel, Harner, now in his 80s, notes that he has chosen to spend his limited time to share information that he feels is "really important, even urgent, to pass on to a fractious and perilous world willing to quarrel interminably about spiritual matters on the basis of belief in old stories."

In demonstrating the value of shamanic journeying, Harner draws on almost 5,000 reports of such journeys by present-day Westerners (Americans, Canadians, and some Europeans) collected over the last quarter-century through a project sponsored by his Foundation for Shamanic Studies.

The narratives largely focus on ascents to the Upper World, in which animal guides and mystical and/or historical spiritual teachers figure, as does a sense of "cosmic union," after which one can choose "to undertake the classic healing work of the shaman to help those who are suffering or in pain." Descriptions of descents to the Lower World are also included, with visitors reporting positive experiences of meeting guides and crossing beautiful terrains. (In shamanism cosmology, the Lower World is not a punishing hell but simply another spiritual dimension.) "Possibly the closest thing to hell," says Harner, "is in our own world, the Middle World."

In the appendices, the book outlines how to navigate one's own journeys, including tapping into ascent/descent portals (including rainbows and caves, respectively) and training resources. Harner's rich compendium gives many ways to consider and explore a powerful and inspiring view of the cosmos. His recommendation to develop one's own spiritual authority rather than depend on 'the cosmological dogmas of organized religion' may resonate with readers, and the diversity of accounts allows for inclusion of traditional religious figures (St. Francis, the Virgin Mary, etc.). While the amount of detail is at times overwhelming, this work offers a welcome message of universal healing. Kirkus Reviews

301 pages 10 illus. $19.95 paper ISBN: 978-1-58394-546-9 NORTH ATLANTIC BOOKS www.northatlanticbooks.com

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A Dialogue between Br. David Steindl-Rast and Michael Harner

> In this rare recording Brother David Steindl-Rast and Michael Harner > discuss the similarities and differences between shamans and monks and > their perspectives on reality. > Recorded at the Esalen Institute, Big Sur, California on January 28, > 1993 (58 minutes)

The Way of the Shaman: The Work of Michael and Sandra Harner

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNloOTQoRzA ... 1:07:42