Jesus, Psychedelics, Tech Bros: The Surprising Forms Shamanism Takes and Why its Become so Popular.
Shamanism and shamanic healing are having a very long moment. In the last decade or so, the number of people who report their religion as shamanism and who seek shamanic healing services have gone up dramatically.
A recent interview with anthropologist Manvir Singh explores some interesting and, not surprisingly, ancient aspects of shamanism in a fresh and engaging way. Mostly, you can read it for yourself if you’re interested. I won’t paraphrase much, but a few things were notable for me.
Jesus
The author describes “three defining features of shamanism: engagement with unseen realities, services like healing and divination, and altered states.” He thinks Jesus fit two of the three, and probably all, of these categories. I agree that Jesus likely fit the definition of a “shaman.” Although “shaman” wouldn’t have been the word used in his part of the world at that time.
Psychedelics
I appreciate that Singh points out that traditionally when using entheogens in spiritual healing ceremonies it was more often the practitioner who entered the altered state, not the client. Of course, there are many culturally specific words for the people highly trained to lead ceremonies with many different kinds of plant medicine around the world. “Practitioner” is a generic word we are using to get the point across. Today, in psychedelic-assisted therapy in clinical settings, and generally in other psychedelic ceremonies, it is often the client entering the altered state. Quite different.
Tech bros
While not everything in this article aligns with my experience (and the tech bro part made me cringe a bit), it is an interesting perspective.
Should Women Be Allowed to Vote?
Hard to imagine this is a topic floating around in the US in 2025, but here we are. Apparently, the leader of our military thinks it might be better for us gals to sit the whole voting business out.
As you are likely aware, our country is on the precipice of becoming a dictatorship. The current administration is supporting white supremacy, misogyny, and fascist principles.
As I work in the areas I have for the last 30 years, appreciate and spend time with my family, and have gratitude for so many things, what is happening to our extraordinary country is ever-present. Hopefully, you are getting accurate news from the many, although dwindling, available sources. I may sometimes include resources that feel relevant for staying informed and making it through this perilous time together, as I did in this post.
