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44 A Journal of Contemporary Shamanism Volume 6 Issue 1 SPRING 2013 them could apply to the clinical encounter. Through conversations and collabora- tion between Michael Harners Founda- tion for Shamanic Studies and the owner and publisher of Alternatives Therapies in Health and Medicine a small group of physicians convened a medical conference on shamanism in medicine in 2002 to provide a forum for medical practitioners to exchange ideas and creative forms for applying a shamanic framework into the healing equation. At the 3-day conference in a natural setting surrounded by the spirits of nature participants grappled with issues such as ethics professional- ism lack of research and disparate frameworks of medicine and healing. Together they remembered the larger Order of Things in which health and fall- ing ill reside and used ritual ceremony presentations and informal conversations to connect with each other and with the spirits. These conferences continued for three years through 2004. From this series the Society for Sha- manic Practitioners was conceived and implemented in 20032004 to recognize and support the integration and practice of shamanism not only in medicine but also in its re-emergence in other aspects of modern life education ecology business the creative arts. Its mission statement included 1. the creation of an alliance of diverse shamanic practitio- ners to function as a circle of peers 2. gathering and disseminating knowledge about shamanic practice 3. promot- ing personal responsibility in doing the inner work necessary to live and practice with integrity 4. focusing resources and shamanic energies to bring healing and unity to the world 5. encouraging a dy- namic exchange around how people use shamanism as spiritual practice in their personal daily lives and how to bring shamanic practices into their profes- sions 6. supporting education through an annual conference regional gather- ings and a journal of shamanic practice 7. maintaining a repository of stories and clinical case studies of successful shamanic interventions and 8. facilitat- ing research evaluating the outcome of shamanic healing. Several years ago the Society sent out a call to its members for essays on how shamanically trained western medical providers were integrating shamanism in their practice of allopathic medicine. The collection of these essays developed into a book released in January 2013 entitled Spirited Medicine Shamanism in Contem- porary Health Care.4 The book is a treasure trove of inspi- ration practical wisdom methodology and research. It illustrates the integration of shamanic practice into urban and suburban medical clinics hospitals and private practices by a broad representa- tion of medical disciplines physicians osteopaths naturopaths psychologists and specialties obstetrics physiatry family medicine urology psychiatry cardiac rehabilitation hospice as well as the application of traditional indigenous shamanisms into these settings African Peruvian Celtic. And it brings to life the process of returning soul to medical care as it lays out such diverse topics as surgery as sacred ceremony psychopomp escorting the souls of the dead to the Light in hospice care shamanic parallels to psychotherapy expanding the clinical framework in which to understand the delivery of healthcare and the structure of healing stories. Another function of the book is to connect of the thousands of medi- cal providers now trained in shamanic methods many operate in relative isola- tion. The book is designed to open doors for medical providers to find colleagues and maps and ideas that can extend the mundane practice of health care into a sacred pursuit. There is a growing awareness of shamanism in this country. An increas- ing number of people have their own shaman as part of their healthcare team at least three journals are devoted to the practice of shamanism and a conference of shamanism in medicine co-sponsored by the Society and by Omega Institute is scheduled for October 2013. The spirits are guiding us transforming and adapt- ing shamanism to a variety of cultures and healers and contexts. We know there are many roads up the proverbial spiritual mountain shamanism is but one though its methodologies and sacred underpin- nings provide a means of spiritual engage- ment that is extremely accessible.5 I have been struck by the power of this particular spiritual methodology to dig down to the essence of the healing required for a given person at a given time. We are moving beyond the secular and sacred split created by Descartes in the 1600s recognizing that whether seen or unseen acknowledged or unacknowl- edged soul issues are a major part of both illness and health and the spirits can be accessed as a resource for these deep questions. We can build on the momen- tum for integration of mind and body and spirit of these past several decades allow the wings of the caduceus to stretch and reach beyond the secular the pinion feathers to spread and the serpents scales to grip the staff in our ascent. Endnotes 1 Fenkl Heinz Insu Wikipedia. 2 Henderson J. Ancient Myths and Modern Man in Jung C. Man and His Symbols. 3 Fenkl op. cit. 4 Carson C ed. Baltimore Otter Bay Books 2013. 5 Carson op. cit. p. 263. About the Author Cecile Carson MD is editor of Spirited Medicine Shamanism in Contemporary Healthcare. A former internistpsychiatrist and academic physician with the U of Rochester medical school her focus presently is on addressing the souls response to illness and translating the spiritual methodology of shamanism into a practical framework for clinicians in caring for their patients.