Traveling between the Worlds: Conversations with Contemporary Shamans

271 Pages·2004·0.95 MB·English

by  Hillary S. Webb

“From this diversity of modern shamanic teachers, a truth emerges; we
need to connect with the sacredness of everyday life in order to learn
how to deal with the problems of today. Traveling between the Worlds
shows us how.”
--Arnold Mindell, author of
The Shaman’s Bodyand
The Quantum Mind and Healing
“A thorough and thoughtful introduction to shamanism and its practi-
tioners, this is recommended for all libraries.”
--Nancy Almand,
Weld Lib. Dist., Greeley, CO
“Shamanism is alive and well in the twenty-first century. Anyone who
doubts this should read Traveling between the Worlds, which paints a vivid
picture of contemporary shamanism with all of its harmony and its contra-
dictions, its fantasy and its rigor, its inner journeying and its devotion to
community. Hillary S. Webb has collected a series of interviews that is as
provocative as it is fascinating, and she mirrors the shamanic devotion to
service by sharing these stories with her readers.”
—Stanley Krippner, Ph.D.
Coauthor, ExtraordinaryDreams
and How to Work with Them
“. . . a precious harvest of answers concerning the under-studied, multi-
faceted phenomenon of neo-shamanism.”
—JeremyNarby
Author, The Cosmic Serpent
and Shamans Throughout Time
“Traveling between the Worldsis a remarkable opportunity to ‘sit with’ mod-
ern teachers and healers walking the path of shamanism, and learn from
them to awaken those same innate abilities within you. Each one expresses
with dedication how important it is to love the Earth, to serve All Our
Relations, to dance with joy in the presence of such power and beauty.
Reading this book can open you for some wonderful journeys of your own.”
—Brooke Medicine Eagle
Author, Buffalo Woman Comes Singing
“This is an inspiring rainbow of experiences showing the various and
colorful entries into the realm of the otherworld. Anyone should find
his/her point of entry by knocking at the plethora of doorways available
in this compilation. Each one takes us into the realm of otherwordliness
with assurance and gentleness. This is a testimony of hope for those who
think that spiritual experiences are for others and a gift to those who
yearn to broaden their horizons.”
—Malidoma Somé
Author, The Healing Wisdom of Africa
Also by Hillary S. Webb
Exploring Shamanism: Using Ancient Rites to Discover
the Unlimited Healing Powers of Cosmos and
Consciousness

Copyright ©2004
by Hillary S. Webb
All rights reserved,including the right to reproduce this
work in any form whatsoever,without permission
in writing from the publisher,except for brief passages
in connection with a review.
Cover design by Jane Hagaman
Cover painting ©2004 “Journey Into Ancestors”
Susan Cohen Thompson
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Webb,Hillary S.,1971-
Traveling between the worlds :conversations with contemporary
shamans / Hillary S. Webb.
p. cm.
ISBN 1-57174-403-7 (pbk. :alk. paper)
1. Shamanism. 2. Shamans--Interviews. I. Title.
BF1611.W4 2004
201'.44--dc22
2004007804
ISBN 1-57174-403-7
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
Printed on acid-free,recycled paper in Canada
To all seekers of wisdom:
past, present, and future.

Author’s Note
The chapters that follow come from more than forty-five hours
worth of taped conversations with shamans from a variety of tradi-
tions around the world. Needless to say, the transcripts in their
entirety would fill up several volumes. Due to space constraints, as
well as for ease of reading, the conversations that follow have been
edited. In cases where even the slightest editing was needed, I con-
tacted the subject of the interview so that both of us could be
assured that the meaning had not been altered in any way. I would
like to thank all of them for their help with that process.

Table of Contents
Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xi
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xiii
Conversations with Contemporary Shamans:
The Interviews
Oscar Miro-Quesada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
John Perkins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Rabbi Gershon Winkler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Alex Stark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
Geo Trevarthen, Ph.D. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
Serge Kahili King, Ph.D. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
Gabrielle Roth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66
Brant Secunda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76
Ipupiara Makunaiman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86
Hank Wesselman, Ph.D. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95
Ken Eagle Feather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105
Christina Pratt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116
OmeAkaEhekatl (Erick Gonzalez) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .127
Lewis Mehl-Madrona, M.D. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .137
Malidoma Patrice Somé . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .146
Larry Peters, Ph.D. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .157
Tom Cowan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .167
Elena Avila . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .177
Evelyn C. Rysdyk and C. Allie Knowlton . . . . . . . . . . . . .188
Simon Buxton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .198