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Author Topic: Sandra Ingerman - What do you think of her books?  (Read 1188 times)

Waldhexe

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Sandra Ingerman - What do you think of her books?
« on: September 16, 2012, 11:35:12 am »
Hi,

I've read two of them, 'Soul Retrieval' and a couple of years ago 'Shamanic Journeying'.

She quotes Eliade and Harner a couple of times and her practice seems to be 'core shamanis' as far as I can tell and she tells some stories about different tribal societies for which I guess one should have a barrell of salt ready while reading...

but I have a good impression on the authenticity of her own experiences with journeying and healing and I think she suggests reasonable exercises for beginners / lay people.

As I'm really not very experienced with the whole subject of 'core shamanism' I wonder what other people think of her work?

Especially if you think the books are practically still usable although the details on the various tribal societies / people around the world might be all wrong...?

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Re: Sandra Ingerman - What do you think of her books?
« Reply #1 on: September 16, 2012, 12:19:34 pm »
Quote from: Waldhexe;74122


 
I've read some stuff from core-shaman types and I think hers has left me with the most positive impression.

Core shamanism is problematic on a number of levels, but those levels are orthogonal to whether or not the techniques are functional for what they are intended to do.  Ingerman strikes me - in what little I've read, which isn't all that much, honestly - as dealing with those techniques on their own terms, and using them for things they're useful for, rather than doing Harner's whole "and this is the secret commonality among all of these individual tribal practices and is thus the pure and uncontaminated way of doing it" schtick.
as the water grinds the stone
we rise and fall
as our ashes turn to dust
we shine like stars    - Covenant, "Bullet"

Owl

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Re: Sandra Ingerman - What do you think of her books?
« Reply #2 on: September 16, 2012, 04:19:16 pm »
Quote from: Waldhexe;74122
Hi,


 Mu husband has taken classes with her, and thinks she's great.  He comes at this from a slightly odd perspective.  His grandfather was Cherokee and when my husband was young he took him to the reservation and my husband went through some training and vision quest stuff at that time.  His grandfather died when my husband was still a child, but he had periodic visits that seemed random from 'old guys - mostly Native American' who checked up on him.  As an adult he found out about Michael Harner and took classes from him, and later Sandra Ingerman and others.  He has also over the years been involved with the Native American community in the Spokane area and in Canada.

He doesn't have any problem with the Harner approach, but many Native Americans do.  I don't know if it a difference of perspective or culture - because my husband doesn't look Native American and was raised as white except for the times with his grandfather - or if it is something else.  I know that the 'system' works for my husband and many others.  I also know that some people abuse it - not really surprising.

You have to make your own call on it, but always realize that you aren't  learning a culture or religion specific system.  This system stands on its own - as for example meditation does - and should always be viewed as such.  If it works for you, great.  Then go with it.  Because, in the end, it isn't the overall validity of a system that counts as much as whether it works for you.
Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.

Berserker

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Re: Sandra Ingerman - What do you think of her books?
« Reply #3 on: November 25, 2012, 12:52:08 pm »
Quote from: Waldhexe;74122
Hi,

?

 
As far as Harner and Ingerman is concerned I fill their books are good to get you started, especially when you don’t know where to start. I used them myself. We must understand that they do not try to focus into any particular culture or religion. That is not what shamanism is about. Their approach is a very practical one, aimed at giving you tools for you to start your own experience, just the same way our most ancient ancestors did in the past when they had to deal with their own environment and everyday life challenges in general. Understand I’m not trying to take importance away from the different forms of traditional shamanism out there. I’m just trying to say we don’t necessarily have to look into them obligatorily in order for us to start. Help from an actual person experienced in any form of the practice is most desirable however. In my opinion, shamanism is not learned in books, but by firsthand experience, in direct contact with the spirit world or whatever else you want to call it. Today I have gone far from some of the concept they present on their books based on my own gnosis as I've traveled the plains of what they call the none ordinary reality based in my own experience, not for that do I invalidate the tremendous role and help I found in their books in order for me to get started.

Hope my little two cents are helpful in any way.

Best regards.

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