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40AJournalofContemporaryShamanismVOLUME7ISSUE1SPRING2014REVIEWAwakentheInnerShamanAGuidetothePowerPathoftheHeartbyJosL.StevensPhD.ReviewbyTerriMonroeEd.D.M.Div.SoundsTrueBoulderCO2014ThehighestcomplimentIcanpayJosStevensAwakentheInnerShamanAGuidetothePowerPathoftheHeartistorevealthatithasjustclaimedaspotonmyDesertIslandlistthefivebooksIwouldwantifIwereshipwrecked.Oneofmycriteriafortheseisthatabookshouldpointthewaytowardtheultimategoalofhumandesireforfulfillmentthegoalofallspiritualsearchingunconditionalawarenessandlovenotjustideasanddescriptionsofitbutexercisesandpracticesthatbearfruitandcanbereturnedtoagainandagain.WhatotherkindofbookcouldprovidemorevaluetoadesertislanddwellerAwakeningtheIn-nerShamanbyJosStevensfitsthecriteria.AsignificantsignofourtimesIthinkisthequesttomakeamoreexplicitleapofconsciousnessfromshamanicideologytoadeeperspiritualconsciousnessandprac-ticefromshamanictechniquestosomethingresemblingamorefull-heartedwayoflife.Thisbookisamajorcontributiontotheemerginginterfaceofshamanismsciencepowerhumandevelopmentevolu-tionandthewisdomcontainedintheworldsgreatreligiousandspiritualtraditions.Assuchitisasomewhatdenselycompactedworkofexpansiveintegrativescholar-shipwoventhroughwithheartandspiritthatisfullofvitalinforma-tionthatremainsasyettoolittleknown.Stevenssapproachinthisbookisinclusiveanditbor-rowsfreelyfrommanytraditionsandteachers.Itisprofoundlyshapedbytheauthorsdecades-longapprenticeshipswithShip-ibocuranderosandQeropaqosinPeruandHuicholmaracamesincentralMexico.Butitalsodrawsontheage-oldwisdomofthegreatreligionsandphilosophiesoftheworldgleanedfromhisyearsofstudyofwithJesuitscholarsKoreanZenMastersTibetanBuddhistlamasmetaphysicalteachersandNativeAmericanelders.Ahelpfulacknowledgmentofmanyofthesesourcescanbefoundinthebibliographyatthebackofthebook.Atthecoreofallthemajorspiritualtraditionsisthemystichearttheseatofourdivineessence.Diversenamesfrommanyspiritualtraditionsareusedtorefertothisrealitypureaware-nessnon-dualawarenesstheTrueSelfthegroundofbeingBuddhanatureChristconsciousnessandenlightenmenttonameafew.StevensusesthetermInnerShamantosignifythisinde-scribablebutdefinitelyrecognizablereality.Muchofthebookisdevotedtohelpingthereaderperceiveandopentothistransparentawarenessatthecenterofourbeing.HeexplainshowthisInnerShamanconnectsustotheheartoftheCosmosenablesustoaccessandworkcreativelywiththequantumfieldevolvetowardamaximumpotentialforthekindofworldwewishtoinhabitandperhapsmostimportantlyuncon-ditionallyembraceallwithloveandcompassion.Iespeciallyappreciatethewayheexploresthedirectrecognitionofnon-dualawarenessthroughthelensofshamanicpracticeusingavarietyofstoriesandstylesofexpression.ThepureawarenessassociatedwiththeInnerShamanisourbirthrightbutmostofusexperienceagapbetweenthiskindofpureconsciousnessandourordinaryawarenesswhichisfullofcontentconditionsandemotionsgeneratedbytheego.Furthermostofushaveinheritedthesensereinforcedbymostreligionsthatenlightenmentisatoo-far-offpossibilityforus.StevenshoweverproposesthatnowistimefortheInnerShamantobelitupinmanyofourheartsandbringstogethermyriadstrandsofwisdomthatcouldhastentheprocess.Whilenoteveryindividualwilllikelybeabletoaccessunityconsciousnessatthismomentitiswhereweareallheadedsoonerorlatersowemightaswellgoinamoreinformedmanner.