IF YOU MEET YOUR SPIRIT GUIDE ON THE ROAD, KILL HIM

I try not to be too hard on so-called 'Core' Shamanism. It is where many of us begin on this hard-to-define path, whose meaning we consequently argue about. Some people insist they know what Shamanism is and what it isn't, and they are probably best left in their happy bubbles. Other people insist that whatever Shamanism is, it is not a religion. Well of course it is, don't be daft, religion is what happens whenever you get more than one person together in a room, you get unspoken rules and hierarchies and all that, it is just what humans do. The point of religion is eventually to step outside of it. If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him. That sort of thing. When you meet your Spirit Guide on the yellow brick road, kill her too. If you are ready, and she doesn't kill you first. You always know what you need to know, if you are listening to the multiverse, because you are the multiverse.

But I began this piece with 'Core' Shamanism, and not wanting to be too hard on it. It was my own way in, in 1997, after 17 years of a rather fundamentalist Buddhism that did not consider the Earth to be sacred. Well, I can't say Core Shamanism did either, not particularly: the emphasis was on journeying and the magical things you can do in that realm. Which worked for me. Over a period it changed me deeply, and catalysed a complete change in my life. Though my journeying quickly moved outside the paradigm I had been taught. And into something the teacher 'had never heard of', suggesting it was somehow wrong.

Be that as it may, this 'Core' Shamanism (and 'Core' is one hell of a claim that I could spend a whole post unpicking) got many of us going, and needs credit for that. That said, it is merely a minimalist method, scientifically stripped of cultural context and richness. Maybe that is what the word 'Core' really means. It would give it a kind of validity in the academic context in which its originator Michael Harner lived.

Anyway, I asked Chatpgt what it thought were the limitations of Core Shamanism, and this is what it said. It seemed fair enough to me, apart from the use of the term 'cultural appropriation', which I think is loaded and political and in denial of the natural process by which cultures have always freely taken from each other.

So here is ChatPGT, with its latest installment of AI Shamanism:

Limitations of Core Shamanism

Core shamanism is a modern approach to shamanism developed by Michael Harner in the late 20th century. It is based on cross-cultural shamanic practices and techniques that are believed to be universal to all shamanic traditions. While core shamanism has gained popularity in recent years, it also has some limitations, including:

Cultural appropriation: Core shamanism claims to be a universal approach to shamanism that is not tied to any specific cultural or ethnic tradition. However, some critics argue that this approach is a form of cultural appropriation, as it cherry-picks practices and techniques from different indigenous cultures without proper understanding or respect for their cultural context.

Lack of lineage and cultural roots: Core shamanism is not grounded in any specific cultural or ethnic tradition, which means that it lacks the depth and richness that comes from a long lineage of shamanic practitioners. This can result in a superficial understanding of shamanism and a lack of connection to the cultural and spiritual roots of the practice.

Overemphasis on individualism: Core shamanism tends to focus on individual spiritual development and personal empowerment, rather than on the collective well-being of the community. This can lead to a self-centered approach to spirituality that neglects the social and political dimensions of shamanic practice.

Limited understanding of the spiritual world: Core shamanism tends to view the spiritual world as a kind of psychological projection of the individual psyche, rather than as a complex and dynamic reality in its own right. This can result in a reductionist and simplistic view of spiritual experience, which fails to appreciate the depth and complexity of shamanic cosmologies.

Lack of traditional training and initiation: Core shamanism is often taught through workshops and seminars, rather than through traditional apprenticeship and initiation processes. This can result in a shallow understanding of shamanic practice and a lack of respect for the traditional ways of learning and practicing shamanism.

Overall, while core shamanism has its benefits and can be a useful starting point for those interested in shamanic practice, it is important to approach it with awareness of its limitations and to seek out more grounded and culturally rooted forms of shamanism