Category: Shamanism

Hank Wesselman: The Re-Enchantment

Hank Wesselman is a paleoanthropologist and a shamanic practitioner who has devoted his life to exploring the mysteries of human origins. He has authored several books and articles detailing his adventures in altered states and shamanic journeys. With Sounds True, Hank has published The Re-Enchantment: A Shamanic Path to a Life of Wonder, which offers a path for reclaiming a sense of wonder at the many joys of life and the universe. In this episode of Insights at the Edge, Tami Simon and Hank speak on his interpretation of the soul—including the personal over-soul and a world-soul that communicates through every living being. They discuss the imperative need for humanity to return to a more balanced relationship with nature. Finally, Hank describes the qualities he sees as necessary for someone to step onto the shamanic path as a teacher. (69 minutes)

Damien Echols: Magick

Damien Echols was wrongly convicted of murder in 1994 as part of the infamous “West Memphis Three” trials. He spent almost two decades in prison, until new DNA evidence exonerated him in 2011. In this fascinating episode of Insights at the Edge, Tami Simon speaks with Damien on how he rejected bitterness at his mistreatment by the justice system and used his incarceration to explore the practice of hermetic magic. They talk about what it took for Damien to survive prison and what brought him to the path of the magician. Finally, Damien leads listeners on a guided practice of hermetic magic he calls “The Middle Pillar.” (65 minutes)

Andrew Holecek: Dream Yoga, Part 2

Andrew Holecek is an author and spiritual teacher whose work blends a background in ancient Tibetan Buddhism with the leading edge of contemporary Western thought. With Sounds True, he has released the book Dream Yoga: Illuminating Your Life Through Lucid Dreaming and the Tibetan Yogas of Sleep. In the fascinating second part of his interview on Insights at the Edge, Andrew speaks with Tami Simon about pressing beyond lucid dreaming and into the actual nighttime practice of dream yoga. They talk about illusory form yoga and invoking specific imagery within dreams to cultivate positive qualities. Finally, Andrew describes the ability to actually meditate within dreams—as well as the doorways to personal inquiry this practice can unlock. (78 minutes)

Andrew Holecek: Dream Yoga, Part 1

Andrew Holecek is an author and spiritual teacher whose longtime study of Buddhism blends ancient wisdom with contemporary knowledge and insights. With Sounds True, he has published the book Dream Yoga: Illuminating Your Life Through Lucid Dreaming and the Tibetan Yogas of Sleep. In this episode of Insights at the Edge, Andrew and Tami Simon speak on the practice of dream yoga and the foundational practice needed to plumb its depths: lucid dreaming. They discuss how to train to induce lucid dreaming, including daytime practices one can use to awaken in a dream. Finally, Andrew talks about the innate need for healthy sleep and how beginning a new spiritual practice during the nighttime hours is not something to be undertaken lightly.
(67 minutes)

Listen to Dream Yoga, Part 2 »

Sandra Ingerman: The Power of Ceremony

Sandra Ingerman is an award-winning author and internationally recognized teacher of shamanism and ceremony. Sandra will soon join many other leading shamanic teachers—including don Oscar Miro-Quesada, Luisah Teish, and José Luis Stevens—for Year of Ceremony, a Sounds True-hosted online gathering that will take place each full moon for the next 13 months. Intended to form an international community devoted to the power of ceremony, each gathering will highlight different shamanic concepts, rituals, and diverse traditions. In this episode of Insights at the Edge, Tami Simon speaks with Sandra Ingerman about the preparations essential for and the role intention plays in an effective ceremony. They also discuss the advantages of calling in the aid of the primal elements and their invaluable role in ceremonies of transformation. Finally, Sandra shares stories of some of the most powerful ceremonies she has presided over—as well as the pitfalls that can impede shamanic practice.
(60 minutes)

HeatherAsh Amara: Becoming an Artist of the Spirit

HeatherAsh Amara is the founder of Toci—the Toltec Center of Creative Intent—which is an organization devoted to the development of an authentic and aware global community through a blend of Toltec wisdom, European shamanism, Buddhism, and Native American ceremony. With Sounds True, she has created The Warrior Goddess Online Training: Becoming the Woman You Are Meant to Be, an eight-week training filled with insights, meditations, and question-and-answer sessions for embracing one’s divine womanhood. In this episode of Insights at the Edge, Tami Simon and HeatherAsh discuss the concept of “stalking oneself” and how to explore the challenge of everyday moments. They also speak on the necessity of becoming intimate with oneself no matter the discomfort that may cause. Finally, HeatherAsh talks about her apprenticeship with don Miguel Ruiz and her days as a firewalking instructor—as well as how each helped her to embrace every aspect of her being.
(67 minutes)

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