Why Shamans Stand Apart

This is one of those realms that is hard to penetrate with traditional hypothesis-based scientific study. I doubt we will ever get to a point where we can do some type of double-blind study as to the efficacy of shamans and shamanism. The data will largely be anecdotal and will thus easily lead to speculation.

The result? I'm not entirely sure. Perhaps it's one of those things we will have to explore on our own, individually. Each of our experiences will be unique, and more likely than not, in contradiction with one another.

I applaud and respect those, particularly in academia, who can both acknowledge the boundaries of their knowledge, and yet be open to the idea that there remains a lot beyond our understanding currently. And those that partake in these substances, via anthropological study or for personal reasons, can let the experience speak to them for what it is, beyond the need or reflex to break it down in an academically rigorous, scientific manner.

The author of the article tries to make some analogy between shamans and financial money managers. I don't think anything could be further off. It's speculation like this that results in the ill-informed decisions that lead to potentially life-saving treatment modalities being branded as Schedule I restricted substances. In any case, an academic trying to make sense of the ancient healing mystic wisdom traditions is like Einstein trying to make sense of a Dali painting. Maybe you can get somewhere, but you're not going to really get it until you voyage there yourself.

Anyhow, whether it's Golden Teachers, or Bufo Alvarius, may your experience be enlightening, magical, and transformative!

I’d argue that the sleep deprived decade-long social isolation of modern physicians make them science’s equivalent of a trance practitioner.