Shamanic Healing: Traditional Medicine for the Modern World

This book is wonderful for someone who is curious about shamanic healing or is a seasoned practitioner. I read this on my way back from Ecuador and was very happy to have some explanations for some of the healing techniques I experienced with the powerful, indigenous shamans there. This book has enough information that I will be able to incorporate some of the teachings into my own practice. Itzhak's style is conversational and effective - I look forward to reading more of his work.

I have been waiting for this book! Having read pretty much all the great "western shamans", I am somewhat well versed in what is out there and while I loved and learned from all the other material I have read, this book has answered more questions for me, than it raised. It was exactly what I was waiting for! Thank you for writing this book!

I started reading this book couple days ago and I haven’t finished it yet but so far it was mind blasting!!!!! I always have respect to our indigenous brothers and sisters but this book made me have a deepest gratitude to them for holding our Ancestor’s wisdom. 🙏🙏🙏

Enjoyed reading about the author’s experiences. Gave more insight and detail of traditions on traditions that I’d only known and touched on. Great look into the shaman traditions of the Americas.

I liked his client studies and description of the process.Very interesteing.

Excellent! an incredible wealth of knowledge related to shamanic healing and a wealth of personal examples of the positive results clients experience. A must read for any healer and for anyone searching for methods of healing that as is stated in the book" puts the fire out not the smoke"

very interesting

So far so good.

A practical introduction into Amazonian (Peru, Ecuador, and Brazil) shamanism in “applying earth based techniques with vibrational energy and unseen spirits” drawn from the cosmology and practices Itzhak has studied on his journey from a modern-day advertising executive to indigenous wisdom healer and teacher.The section describing the eleven processes of ‘La Limpia’ is a special highlight - an energy cleansing ceremony in full or comfort level disrobement - which must be a fascinating experience to behold: the burning of sage or copal sticks, the blowing of distilled sugarcane alcohol (trago), being brushed with a fan of dry palm leaves (shacapa), and poked or stroked with takuma needles; as well as having eggs, carnations and roses rubbed on one’s body and hearing black volcanic stones clicked together for negative energy absorption.A chonta (Brazilwood) spear is then pushed in to the hands to “find the strength of one’s spine” and sever invisible attachment cords - all this, while tobacco smoke is blown to bring a spirit’s blessings to the invisible inner warrior. Throughout the ceremony, the sounds of drumming, bells, chanting, songs, prayers, or whistles are used to induce a state of shamanic consciousness (dream time) and interact with the body’s vibrations for healing - allowing contact with internal organs. The end is marked by a small, high-pitched ceramic ocarina blown behind the head to open the top of the crown to the heavens so as to retrieve the traveling soul.The last chapter describes a set of short healing stories. These provide many instances of Itzhak’s diagnostic and divination skills (mainly palm and candle reading) called into action in the service of carrying out soul retrievals and spirit extractions where “to deal with the spirit world you need to be a strong warrior, powerful negotiator, completely practical.” It is stated a shaman makes no distinction between the physical and emotional, assigning no labels to disorders for fear of negative identification of social stigma, which can inhibit the healing” and to this end the stories presented are brimming with compassion, and uplifting moments of humanity.Itzhak is a believer that healing wisdom offered in conjunction with what he terms Western ‘hit-and-run’ medicine is needed more than ever with : “its sick-based model, profit-minded assembly line, speed-dating-like, impersonal human interactions, and use of medicine by trial-and-error methods.” Playfully spinning out this theme more into the eco-political reaches of Richard H. Thaler’s behavioural science and his distinction of econs versus humans, surely ‘homo economicus’ in shamanic terms can be characterised by “negative, low frequency energy, that is information-laden, diagnostic-seeking and transactional” (eg. digital social media); whereas ‘homo shamanicus’ is characterised by the transmutation of “positive, high-frequency healing energy that is intuitive, wise and transformational (eg. empowerment practices of Intention)?My sense is these two distinct types of behaviour are going to make interesting bedfellows over the coming decades, creating brand new energetic based models in the fields of business, education and particularly medicine, where dedicated and ‘appropriately’ gifted doctors will feel compelled - as the blurb on the back cover suggests - to integrate both ancient and modern healing systems. Ever more so with the inexorable rise and no doubt over-reliance on “digital diagnostic methods and robotic surgery” medicine it would seem is in need of being gently reminded of one of the most important principles of shamanic healing outlined in this book (and many others like it): “to be in balance with yourself; be in balance with your family and community; and be in balance with Mother Earth.”

I absolutely love this book! I wasn’t sure what the layout would be I think I was imagining a layout of healing techniques like a sort of guidebook but it is laid out as a story which also incorporates methods and general practice information. It’s a great introduction if you’re New at looking into Shamanism. Very simply written, spreading much needed knowledge.

An amazing book that introduces the reader to traditional healing techniques. The personal healing stories demonstrate the power of those techniques and methods.

I’m really interested in learning abot shamanism, so I bought this book hoping ti find useful information, and so I did. I hate books that go around the bushes a lot and the information is poor. This is not the case, I really enjoy ir because ir is a mix of the author’s personal experience and tips to work in your shamanic practice. Congratulations and thanks to the author.

I enjoyed this book, found it very informative and interesting.