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34 A Journal of Contemporary Shamanism VOLUME 6 ISSUE 2 FALL 2013 I am a third generation sha- manic healer born in 1969 to a Jewish family in Tehran Iran. I lived there with my family until early 1979 when the Islamic Revolution began. Overnight we packed our bags and fled to London to avoid possible imprisonment and perse- cution of religious minorities. We lived there for four years until 1983 when we immigrated to and settled in the United States. My story is much like the one of million other Iranians who ultimately immigrated to the United States. Iranian Jewish Cultural Background Jews of Iran have been living in the Middle East since Biblical times. Perhaps the earliest mention of this cultural group is narrated in the story of Purim which tells of the deliverance of the Jews from Persia and from the efforts of Persian leader Haman to destroy them. In the story Esther a Jewish Persian woman and a queen to King Xerxes I success- fully appeals to the King to spare the lives of the Jewish people. In present day Iran Jewish Iranians are but one of many minority groups occupying the region. Many other subcultures also are present including Armenian Assyrian Zoroastrian and Ba- haii Iranians. Each subculture is imbued with its own distinct richness and beauty including unique customs practices rituals dialects and belief systems. Each subculture is as distinct from any other as any two cultures could be. The one uni- fying force for many if not all Iranians is their attraction love and connection to Sufism including its philosophy poetry art music and symbolism. One only has to visit an Iranian home of any faith to find the Divan of Hafez or Rumis Mas- nawi placed beside their Holy book. Many Iranians also are steeped in religiosity fanaticism dogma and super- stition in addition to esoteric and folk healing practices. It is not uncommon for Iranians to consult a healer to mend a broken bone heal pain perform animal sacrifices for blessings remove or place curses and keep away the evil eye. My paternal grandmother although illiterate was very much involved in such practices alongside her devout practice in Judaism. Iranian Americans Despite Iranians rich cultural history similar to other immigrants Iranian Americans over the past 30 years have been preoccupied with assimilating into American culture and achieving the American dream typically through higher education social status and material wealth. Thus Iranians are well represented in high paying professions such as medicine law dentistry business information technology and engineering. Although assimilation generates some amount of quantifiable success many traditional Iranian belief systems and healing practices have gone underground and even possibly lost. Other practices such as Sufism may continue to be practiced in Iranian homes but often are altered to fit Western spiritual norms. For example traditional Sufism incorporated meditation contemplation reflection zikr chanting prayer rituals sama trance inducing dance and folk and herbal healing practices and remedies. In contrast contemporary Sufism is an intellectual pursuit studied in personal growth classes and lectures on Rumi Hafez and other Sufi masters by eminent Iranian Sufi scholars and teachers. The abandonment of traditional prac- tices may be most evident in healthcare. Many Iranians today would not readily acknowledge the existence or even the importance of traditional practices favor- ing instead Western models of health and healing. Iranian Americans may even express deeply rooted skepticism and negativity over the efficacy of the traditional practices. My Own Background in Eastern Shamanism My own initiation into Sufism came at age six on a school outing to a local museum in Tehran. Upon our entrance into a local museum I was immediately drawn to a dimly lit room in the corner of the vast building. Leaving behind my class I set off alone toward that room. As soon as I entered I was overtaken by a profound state of awe. The room was dedicated to artifacts clothes and para- phernalia of ancient Dervishes spiritual wayfarers of Iran. Presumed lost by my teachers I remained in that room for what seemed like hours taking in as much as I could until I was found. After school I rushed home and began asking my father as many ques- tions as I could about the Sufis and the Dervishes of Iran. Under my fathers tutelage I began learning about Sufism and the alchemical journey of the soul S H A M A N I C P R A C T I C E Shamanic Healing Within an Iranian Cultural Context by Elham Ellie Zarrabian Ph.D.