Cave and Cosmos: Shamanic Encounters with Another Reality

When Michael Harner began to read selections from his new book, "Cave and Cosmos" at the most recent Foundation for Shamanic Studies (FSS) Council meeting, I saw spirits surrounding him, supporting him as he read. You can understand why I was excited to read this book - as if waiting for years for it to come out wasn't enough! The spirits were here to celebrate the moment, and to continue to support him in his work. Perhaps seeing those supporting spirits so clearly was just a message for me, this was truly someone embraced by the spirits! Cave and Cosmos was written with everyone in mind, not just experienced practitioners like those of us at that meeting. It offers a generous invitation to all who crack its pages to rediscover the extraordinary spiritual practices shamanism has to offer. Every chapter and paragraph hold nuggets for neophytes as well as experienced practitioners. While its subject is astounding in its breadth and significance, the material always feels comfortably accessible. Of course this book would feel this way, because Michael writes as he teaches, from his humanity. That allows him to take transformative experiences, a deep understanding of cultures and their histories, and communicate the relevant lessons directly to our hearts. Doubters be warned - this book is rife with common sense and grounded wisdom! There is so much to report on in this book for posterities sake - I won't even bother to try. I think reviews like mine are useful to the extent they are honest and personal. So please consider my notes here within my perspective as a student of Michaels and as a faculty member of the FSS. In short when they served the Kool-Aide, I asked for seconds and thirds (this is metaphor of course, we use Sonic Driving). I loved getting more of a feeling of Michaels personal journey into shamanic work. He contextualizes not only the loss of shamanism in the West, but the explosive energy of the 60's that invited it back in (to his life and subsequently the lives of so many of us). For those of us who have sat in circle with Michael, we'll find the other piece to stories we've heard, the puns (if you will) to his notorious jokes. From the mystery of two dimes to almost bumping into Alan Ginsburg while in the Amazon, the personal anecdotes are many and delightful. Its through these personal notes that we really get a tangible sense of the passion that drives Michael. He sees the extraordinary gifts the spirits have to offer us all regardless of culture or ethnicity, and understands them within the potential of our age. His passion for the gifts of the spirits saturates this book. While reading, I came to understand that the work of the FSS and of core shamanism has really just begun. Many of us who have trained with the FSS tend to see its work as complete and encompassing so much of what we need in our modern world. Through Michaels eyes I understood his work to be the ignition point of a cultural transformation, a wildfire, that has yet to fully take off. You can see this in the recorded journeys of various Western students, which are such an integral part of this book. Its so startling to realize that though their experiences, individually are extraordinarily profound, they are only the archival remains of a handful of journeys. Imagine each transformation echoed and reverberating millions of times over. That is our work and that of future, shamanically inspired generations. When you participate in this work, thats one of the things that never gets old, the joy of witnessing the profound experiences of your fellow travelers. I was struck by the strength of each persons voice, the uniqueness and depth of their experience. Through each recorded journey I was called back to sit in circle, I was called to embody more fully my own practice. As a full time parent, bread winner, teacher and shamanic practitioner, I rarely have time to read anything longer than the latest kindergarden class bulletin. The stack of books I absolutely HAVE to read is almost taller than me. Yet I know I will read this book again and again. These stories need to soak into my bones, to feed each cell. I know that each time I read this book, something magical will happen, just like it did this time: my circle will get much bigger. As faculty for the FSS I have the privilege of sitting with teachers from many countries, just as we students often get to train alongside peers from around the world. Yet the circle of people and spirits I'm now connected to has grown exponentially. I am connected across time and space to all those people that fed Michaels work and all of those many thousands of people it has touched. We are reminded of our place in the now, and how it connects us to everything. I will always cherish the memory of Michael standing there, wrapped in spirits as he (with some obvious excitement) read aloud from a small stack of manuscript pages. It was such an honest, tender moment, yet monumentally historical for many of us. May we all be held so lovingly as we work with the spirits. I'll leave you with Michaels invitation from page 218: "Yet these have only been words. Its up to you, the reader, to enter the hidden reality of spirits and encounter the real thing."

I have never received a book so carefully packaged. Thank you to the seller. The book's author is a renowned authority on shamanism and I'm finding the book interesting and informative.

I devoured this entire book in a single sitting. Like Harner's previous masterpiece, The Way of the Shaman, Cave and Cosmos is an instant classic. Harner's writing is clear and easy to read, yet immensely intelligent. His knowledge of shamanism and how it is practiced in a variety of cultures around the world is immense. But that's not the best part of the book. The Way of the Shaman offers many accounts of journeys to the Lower World, yet Upper World experiences are nowhere to be found. Cave and Cosmos picks up where Way of the Shaman left off in this regard. And the accounts of Westerner's journeys to the Upper World are... extraordinary. Sure, there are heavenly realms complete with clouds, crystals, and deities, but there's more. It has become fashionable to consider the formless and nondual experiences cultivated by disciplines in the East as more "evolved" or superior to shamanic experiences. Several accounts in Cave and Cosmos indicate that this is incorrect. I will let the accounts speak for themselves here: "I travel away, fast, upwards I go. I am nothing but a speck of consciousness in a vast Universe. Like a particle of stellar dust, I travel through infinity... I sense that perhaps I can stay in the "nothingness" or return to near Earth and assist with the great white rings of light. But no, I must go through an opening in the vastness in which I encounter myself... I enter and, once again, I become Light. Incredible warmth and peacefulness fulfill my senses, my body, and my mind. Now I experience pure joy! I see a Buddha. Earth is the first chakra within Buddha. There are other Buddhas within the first Buddha, just like a babushka doll. The joy and laughter of the Buddha within a thousand Buddhas fills eternity..." "I heard flutes, other music, and singing. Light was streaming past. I lost my sense of self-- was dispersed with what seemed to be the Life Force, heard hmmmm, thunder, and more hmmmm..." "I began to feel like there was no more "me" in the sense I was accustomed to. How curious this was... I would hear babies crying, people talking, and I felt like I was part of everything. I felt like animals, plants, people, air, dirt, and God. I was everything. I was bubbling in and out of myself, bubbling from within myself out into myself. I felt like a huge ball on top of another ball. I said, "Where am I?" I heard in my mind, "The one mind, the one all..." Then I saw the Great One..." These experiences hit my like a lightning bolt, and this is only a small sample of some of the most mind-blowing experience reports. People have been meditating for years to have experiences like this, and these people had them in half an hour. In fact, an entire chapter is devoted to cosmic union and dismemberment experiences (Buddhist no-self interpreted through shamanic paradigms??), which are considered lofty goals in many spiritual disciplines. Yet it is all in a day's work for a sky shaman. Union with the Beloved (Christ), becoming one with the Universe, the Sufi dissolving in Allah, becoming nothing yet everything, having the entire universe contained in one's being, cosmic dismemberment, psychospiritual death and rebirth, and even meeting with deceased loved ones... it's all here. It's all been done for thousands of years. Cave and Cosmos shows that shamanic practices are just as "sophisticated" as the disciplines of the East. My only criticism of Harner's approach is that it seems to center around inducing light altered states through drumming. Why not cultivate more vivid visions through hypnagogia like Jung? Or induce out-of-body experiences like Robert Monroe? Maybe some lucid dreaming or Tibetan dream yoga would be a worthy addition to core shamanic practice. There's nothing wrong with daydream-like experiences, but I suspect stronger altered states may be more effective. And of course, you don't need psychedelics or weeks of fasting to have stronger experiences. Fred Aardema's Explorations in Consciousness is recommended for those interested in full-blown OBEs. That said, this book has changed my spiritual practice. Up until yesterday I believed that I would have to meditate for years to experience cosmic union or no-self. It's not true! Consciousness isn't "evolving," shamans have been doing it for 50,000 years. Thank you, Michael Harner.

If you've ever wondered what shamanism is all about, read this book. It's not a "how-to" (which is probably covered in Harner's "Way of the Shaman"). Rather, it's an accounting of real shamanic journeys around the globe from the typically cross-cultural perspective of a trained anthropologist - who is also a shaman. The only reason I give four stars instead of five is that the anthropology-focused aspect can be heavy reading at times. But there are so many gems of knowledge and excitement in here. Read only if you're ready to have your worldview expanded!

Admittedly, I am one of Michael Harner's biggest fans. A cheeky comment because he has so many, but his work has shaped and changed my soul, and my shamanic work. So I was predisposed to love this book. And may have been one of the first people to pre-order it. I have read it carefully now - three times. Harner is a masterful writer. He is spare when he could tip to sentimental. Elegant when he could so easily slip into hyperbole. And, as he is in person, a fine raconteur. As a student of his for many years, I know and have wondered at the vast intricacy of the work he originated, the reality he gave us all - core shamanism. The fine subtleties of that work (through the Foundation for Shamanic Studies) amaze me more and more as decades pass. There is meaning in every experiential journey you do when you work with Dr. Harner's curriculum. The deepest nuances only can be felt when you have taken all of his workshops -- with the denouement of MICHAEL HARNER'S THREE-YEAR PROGRAM OF ADVANCED INITIATIONS IN SHAMANISM AND SHAMANIC HEALING(tm). I am still learning from that class, and recently repeated another of the FSS weekend workshops. Again and again, I see the intention building, the through line of his life's work -- the gift he has given us all. A depth that finally lives and can be cultivated only through honest and measured (albeit often ecstatic) exploration of the practice itself. But this book comes as close as any could, and so must be on the shelf of any experienced practitioner as well as those who are just learning about shamanism. Holding and rereading this book brought the sound of his voice into my ears. I can feel how I sat cross-legged, hands resting on cool wood floors as I listened to him speak. To darkened halls where I danced and sang and journeyed with so many others. I hear the drum in his words, and feel the spirits close by. In many ways, I felt this book to be a true representation of what it was like to sit with him. He is encyclopedic in his shamanic experiences - in both realities. With a heart I plainly and unapologetically adore. In addition to being a writer's writer, his wit, depth of thought, and humor sing you through what is an immense journey of a tale. As the thousands of us know who have learned directly from him, he is a veritable bridge between two worlds - and a master of both teaching, and of knowing when to let the journeys speak for themselves. I will be re-reading this book many times more throughout my life. And if you never had the supreme honor and pleasure of learning from him through time-honored oral tradition, here's your best chance of knowing what it was like to have him as a teacher. There is only one thing I really wanted to see that I didn't. All of the writing that DIDN'T get into this book. Many times, I've thought of writing him to ask one well-honed question: How can I become a teacher and writer of your singular caliber? But I think I know the answer. He would probably - and simply - say, "Journey on it."

This is the book for you if you want to understand as much as possible about the shaman; who they are, how they do the work that they do and the worlds that they travel to. It is like Mircea Eliade's "Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy" in scope and depth but extremely user friendly as it is is written from the point of view of the practitioner AND scholar. I think of this book like a series of first hand reports from the first sailors who set off for the new worlds and reported that the world was not, in fact, flat. Harner wants to show you this new world/other reality- and to show you its maps. The many encounters noted reflect a universality of experience and give ample support for the existence of another reality. Of course, I needed no convincing of this as I am a practitioner myself. I am also a student of Harner's. The book contains a bit of memoir from Harner as well as hundreds of examples of shamanic experiences from his students. Do not read this book if you like to be surprised and you have not yet undertaken such journeys and plan to do so. As a person who has dedicated my life to this work, I read this book with great interest. Harner is a master story teller and this book may ignite your interest in exploring this other reality if you have not yet done so. Don't take Harner's word for it. In the appendix, instructions for making your own forays into this other reality are also there. I keep very few book and send most to the library or give to friends.. This is going in the permanent collection as this will be a resource I return to again and again.

Classic book on drum journey. All the teachers and masters recommend Michael Harner. I appreciate that harner keeps the experience open ended while still giving the practitioner the structure they need to begin. This is a great roadmap for any beginning journeyer. Also, on an ethical note, please remember that if you are considering obtaining sacred drum, to honor the being that gave its body for your sacred journeying. Please take pains to ensure that your drum is sustainably and ethically sourced. 🙏🏽

Michael Harner does it again! Hi first book is a classic in Shamanism and The Cave and the Cosmos presents Shamanism in a whole new light - the ancient, original and true way to recognizing we are not what we think we are. The Cave and the Cosmos presents a compilation of Harner's own, and various other people's life changing journeys, healings and discoveries in the Upper worlds of "Heaven" and the Lower worlds of Animal Totems, guides, and Paradisical scenes where we discover there really is no "Hell".This is a seminal book of the Changing Age, the move away from structured, controlling religions, and it provides each of us the opportunity to explore Spirituality and will bring us back to our true being. One of the best understandings of this material is the idea that there is no need for mind altering drugs to get us to have a true Spiritual experience - it is easy and safe to use the simplest of all ways, the rythmic drum beat of 120 beats per minutes. All one needs is an mp3 recording of the drumming, some light blocking eye shades, and a focused determination to travel up or down to worlds that are wating for us, with our Soul's natural guides wating to help us have more joy-filled lives by knowing that we are absolutely loved by the universe and can awaken to our true nature as infinite spiritual beings on a great journey in physical reality.

Las experiencias y técnicas que Michael Harner comparte en sus libros son, ante todo, auténticas. Es muy de agradecer un texto así, que acerque esta temática a todo el mundo que pueda estar interesado.

a great book .Michael Harner blazed the trail to the worldwide revival of shaminsm and he was a great shaman himself, a must to have if you are interested in shamanism.I am glad I bought it.

Very good. Even though it's not of the core shamanism itself, it explains all the important stuff.

Explications très précises et très claires pour bien se préparer avant de voyager dans le monde du bas ou dans le monde du haut. Le livre est bien pensé, on peut le lire dans l'ordre qui nous convient le mieux. Pour ma part, je n'ai lu les témoignages qu'après avoir voyager moi-même afin de ne pas être influencée. Je l'ai nettement préféré à "La voie du chamane" qui traite du monde du bas.

Harner provides a study of interest to both the anthropologist and the theologian. The development of initiatory rites has a profound reflection upon the development of the human mind. There is sufficient evidence here to suggest a direct link between the adrenal surge which accompanies such initiatory experiences of native Americans with those that suggest a death and rebirth in the Khemetic mysteries. Read this in conjunction with the work of Leary, Hancock and of Strassman on DMT and the potential for a link between such experience and the surge of DMT in the mind to alter consciousness is tangible. Harner's style is informative and entertaining. A great work and significant too.