Strong Message Here Strong Recommend: Shamanism, The Timeless Religion by Dr Manvir Singh
Aug 14, 2025
Dive into the fascinating world of shamanism and its relevance today. Explore how traditional practices inform modern spirituality and leadership. The discussion challenges whether ayahuasca retreats are ego-driven or enlightening. Discover the connections between ritual, authority, and our fascination with figures like Thatcher. Unpack the shift from medical authority to patient empowerment and question our ongoing search for spiritual experiences in a contemporary context. This conversation blends ancient wisdom with modern cultural critiques.
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Xenising: Ritualised Otherness Builds Authority
- Shamanic figures deliberately make themselves strange to signal authority and otherness.
- Manvir Singh calls this process "xenising," showing ritualised otherness builds credibility.
Ceremony Restores Trust In Experts
- Visible ceremony and costume restore a sense of expertise and agency in disempowered situations.
- Singh describes doctors 'putting on the bird head' to perform reassuring authority in hospitals.
Shamanism Persists Across Traditions
- Shamanic behaviours persist inside major religions and modern movements, not just 'primitive' cultures.
- Singh rejects the 'Pokemon theory' that societies simply evolve beyond shamanism.
