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www.shamansociety.org5Rememberintheyear2012wheneveryonethoughttheworldwaseitherendingorascendingtosometypeohigherhumanconsciousnessTeworldturnedwarsstillrageandmyrentstillneedstobepaid.TatsameyearauthorJonathanalatPhilipswroteablogorTeHufngtonPostcalledTeRiseotheNewSpiritualCounterculture.InitPhilipspinpointsacoterieohip-stersmadeupotheWholeFoodssustainabilitycrewYogaJournalafcionadosorNewAgehealersasarisingplanetaryawarenesswithradicallypracticalsolutionstoaddressglobalchallenges.PhilipsisassociatedwiththeEvolverSocialMove-mentamovementthatIhavebeeninvolvedwithmyselovertheyears.Teyhavepublishedmanyomyarticlesaswellasmye-bookabouterenceMcKennahimselaprophetothepsychedelicneo-shamanicspiritualcounterculturethatseemstobegrowingexponentiallyontheringesoordinarysociety.WhereasPhilipsdubsthismovementasacollectiveopioneersengagedinspiritualactivismIhaveovertheyearscometodisagree.Althoughmanygoodthingshavesprungoutothisculturalmemelikeenvironmentalactivismandpromotionosustainablepracticesthereisadangerinthespiritualcomponentattachedtoit...particularlythehypeandpopularpromotionoshamanictrancestatesandsha-manicplantmedicinesotherwiseknownaspsychedelicsasamodernpanacea.InterestinglyenoughIamastrongproponentotheseparticularspiritualtraditions.HoweverIbrowsethisnewspiritualcounterculturewhichclaimstopromotetheconceptsoshamanicpracticeandIseeagreatdistortionoinormation.HavesomepractitionersturnedtheshamanicwayolieintoaadItsfnethatitispopular.Tereistruthullyaneedorareconnectionwiththenaturalpowersotheworld.Butwhatisbeingoeredardiersromthephilosophyandpracticeoanauthenticshamaniclie-walk.akealookaroundatmuchowhatthenewspiritualcounterculturehastooermusicestivalsayahuascaretreatsandworkshopspromisingtohealyourwoundsexpandyourconsciousnessandraiseyourkundalini.Wecannotassumethatwearespurringarevivaloarchaictheosophythroughourtribaltattoosanddrumcircles.Yetthereisamoietyamonguswhobelievethemselvestobethenextevolutiononeo-shamanusingtechnologyandhippsychologytomovehumanitytowardsspiritualprogressoneseminaratatime.SowhereistheutilityinallthisTHEISSUEShamanismcomprisestwointrinsicelementsthatmakeitorlackoabetteranthropologicaltermshamanic.WhatmakesshamanismdierentthanotherspiritualpathsOneomyavoritedefnitionsoshamanismcomesromDr.RogerWalshromtheUniversityoCaliorniaShamanismcanbedefnedasaamilyotraditionswhosepractitionersocusonvoluntarilyenteringalteredstatesoconsciousnessinwhichtheyexperiencethemselvesortheirspiritsinteractingwithotherentitiesotenbytravelingtootherrealmsinordertoservetheircommunity.1IhavepareddownthisdefnitionintotwopartsinordertopinpointtheintegrityowhatshamanismreallyisCommunioninteractingwithotherentitiesHealinginordertoservetheircommunityCommunionconsistsohavingacommunicationbetweenSelandOthertheOtherbeingthepowersandentitiesthatexistinNature.Healingconsistsousingthiscommuniononbehaloothersbetteringthecommunityswayolie.Com-munionandhealingmustexistsimultaneouslyinorderorapersonsactiontobetermedshamanic.Teproblemishealinghasbecomeseparatedromcom-munion.Healinghasbecomesynonymouswithalternativepsychologyalternativepsychologyhasbeennarroweddowntotheuseopsychedelictrancestates.Workshopsandhealersareoeringtosendpeopleintothesestatesomindorhealing.Andthisistheproblem.Apsychedelictrancestatewithoutcommunionisanunpro-ductiveandincompleteexperience.THEEXPLANATIONWhenMichaelHarnerpublishedTeWayotheSha-manandestablishedtheFoundationorShamanicStudiesitspawnedaresurgenceoshamanicpracticewithinspirituallyalternativecommunitiesspeakingtothosewhowerethirstyorknowledgeoindigenoushealingandreligion.TebeneftoHarnersworkwasprovidingacommonterminologyorsha-manicmethodologiesparticularlythedierentiationbetweenordinaryandnon-ordinaryrealitystates.TisisimportantasperWalshsdefnitionbecauseinordertoserveotherswithhealingashamanmusttraveltoESSAYANAGONIZINGREAPPRAISALThoughtsontheNewSpiritualityByDanielMoler