Shaman, Healer, Sage: How to Heal Yourself and Others with the Energy Medicine of the Americas

This book has completely changed my life, as well as the lives of the many people I have touched, since reading Shaman, Healer Sage in late 2003. After finding myself (totally unexpectedly) on the path of shamanism, I found and read this book. I will admit, I did have many reservations on much of the books teachings. Frankly, it just didn't seem possible that such a profound level of healing, could be so simple. I mean, if it was this easy, why hadn't I heard of it before, or come across someone who was a shaman and could do these wondrous things. At 50 years old, I really didn't know what a shaman was, short of the 1992 Sean Connery movie "Medicine Man", in which the diminutive shaman (who Connery had made very angry) scared the hell out of me. Not a good start for me. Anyway, I had just spent several months, looking for someone to teach me about shamanism. After reading his book, I decided that the good Dr. was probably a very good place to start. I read two more of his books, just because I'm an eternal skeptic, then I reread Shaman, Healer Sage again. Did I mention that I'm a skeptic??? I began formal study with Dr. Villoldo and his staff of shaman instructors in July of 2004. The work of the south was true to the teachings of the book, and I saw (and experienced) healing work that I still find unbelievable. The teachings are just as simple and eloquent as the book that led me to these classes. I found the same to be true about the next two classes. The gifts of healing I have learned so far, have allowed me to heal people of both physical and psychological ailments. In some cases, these people have been treated for, and suffered from these illnesses, for several years. I do not take credit for this work. If you have read the book, you will know why. I am leaving for two more weeks of study in March of 2005. I read Shaman, Healer Sage before I leave for every class. I noticed that many of my fellow students who took the class on the teachings of the west, seemed to have their copy of the book with them. I believe that not only does the book serve as a helpful reference to what we are learning, but it also serves as an inspiration to those of us who have dedicated our lives to this calling. Before I close this, I would like to say that I do not intend what I write in this review, to make anyone think this road is an easy one to follow. Much to the contrary. To learn, and apply Dr. Villoldo's teachings take total commitment, and intentions that must be pure. It isn't something you do on a whim, as your entire life will never be the same, and you won't either. This is a serious way of life, that is sometimes a heavy weight to carry. I will say that to be able to do something about someone's suffering, instead of standing by and watching them suffer, is a gift that goes beyond any gift I could ever imagine. I can think of nothing more wonderful to do for someone, than to help them to remove their pain. If you are going to read one book on shamanism, read Shaman, Healer Sage. You will be glad you did. To Dr. Villoldo, who has taught me so much, as well as all of the teachers who taught him, and the people who are instructors in his classes, I (and the people I have helped to heal themselves) thank you. Please pray for the healing of the earth and all of her people. Scott Walker

This is one of the best books available- for years and years now! It gives you SO much to actually work with and doesn't beat around the bush...worth every single penny. I have been practicing a few traditions for several decades, I can't tell you how many books I've read, so my word is valuable here. Sure, you can get ( and should) get other books that may go into great detail about histories, many examples of different tribal practices, but this is the first book that I child pick up and apply immediately without reading a whole bunch of anthropological/ historical stuff! People are unique, so I can't guarantee that YOU will love it! I suspect that most people who actually want to " work it" and start using a complete framework will love it. Personally, I and an fellow practitioner did a healing where I applied these techniques, and the person we worked on had an amazing experience of healing, she stood straight and jumped up and down, something she couldn't do before!- sounds crazy but it did happen- for whatever is worth. I never met the woman before, and this happened.

'Shaman, Healer, Sage' is perhaps Villoldo’s best book. It was anyway the book that made him famous, a real bestseller. It has given me an ultimate peak of reading enjoyment and illumination, and it has also emotionally touched me. The author comes over in this book as a really honest, competent, emotionally mature, wistful and empathetic person who went through a personal transformation that only few people in these times can say to have accomplished. This book is not only highly recommended lecture; it can perhaps be considered as one of the best books so far in the century on the issues of shamanic healing and the challenging task to render an outlandish practice of Inka shamans comprehensive to the modern mind! The literary abilities of the author, besides his expertise, are out of question, and the book is an easy read despite the complex and unusual subject. This might be due to the author’s penetration of the subject and his sense for vivifying theoretical content by practical and often uncanny experiences, and because of his highly developed sense for poetic language and expression. This being said, I would like to start the discussion of this book with the term infinity. Dr. Villoldo explains that infinity is not eternity and that it is not a stretching of time but as it were a realm of ‘no time’, a sort of transliteration of another vibrational dimension, that is reigned by laws more majestic and more complex than our own, and of which our space-time reality forms only a tiny part. One of the intentions of the author in this book was to render comprehensive the fact that being in touch with shamanic healing means to be in touch with infinity. This appears to be the key to understanding the miraculous effectiveness of shamanic cures. And as he went through traditional medical training in the United States at first, Dr. Villoldo then was going to look at that medical science tradition he was coming from, and that he had left when departing to the Andes in order to learn with the Inka shamans. The other main purpose of the book is to explain to the interested reader what the Luminous Energy Field represents, what it does in natural healing and how the shaman can access it for altering its energetic vibration in certain areas that contain so-called imprints. The author explains: —We all possess a Luminous Energy Field that surrounds our physical body and informs our body in the same way that the energy fields of a magnet organize iron filings on a piece of glass. Our Luminous Energy Field has existed since before the beginning of time. It was one with the unmanifest light of Creation, and it will endure / throughout infinity. It dwells outside of time but manifests in time by creating new physical bodies lifetime after lifetime./42-43 In view of our cutting-edge science revelations over the last two decades, and the insights we gained from quantum physics about the quality of light, and of universal memory, the teaching Dr. Villoldo received from the Laika shamans becomes comprehensive in a larger context, and is actually corroborated by newest scientific insights.

シャーマニズムに興味のある方に生きた知恵が書かれていると思いました。最後の死についての章が最も心に響きました。死に逝く人に対する愛情や人生の振り返りの大切さを知りました。

"Shaman, Healer, Sage" serves as a comprehensive guide to the shamanic healing traditions of the Americas. Alberto Villoldo combines his expertise in modern psychology with his extensive knowledge of indigenous healing practices to provide readers with practical tools for self-healing and personal transformation. The book is valuable for those interested in exploring the intersection of spirituality, energy medicine, and holistic health.

i find this book to be a wonderful and worthwhile book. i find ourselves lucky to have access to this knowledge this way. many of us seem to have worked some or a lot of these out ourselves, and to have more evidence of this being true, is excellent, especially as it comes from generations of wisdom, starting from pre - inca times, possibly before this. i had theorised, and meditated a lot on many of these kinds of subjects in this book (mainly the theories of reality etc), before reading this book, and had posted this on my blog on myspace. a good friend read my blog, and borrowed me this book, saying that he thought i was talking about the same ideas as in this book, and i found him to be right. this book explained much more to me that i had already thought about/worked out. it is excellent to learn other people have experienced similar findings too. science seeems to be catching up with some of these theories, the learning of photons, of energy, and of quantum physics for example. much of this knowledge can be found all of the world and history, which again provides evidence that this is likely to be true. as alberto says, when someone said to him 'i thought chakras were hindu', he replied something like, 'i thought livers and other body organs were western', if these are here, then they can be found by many generations, as they do seem to be have. the wisdom from the laika themselves are thought to be pre-inca. i remember trying the clearing the chakras techniques, before doing the four winds course, and it really helping me in a situation i had, a real difference, instead of being upset by someone's hurtful words and pyschological mind games etc, as i had been before, well, it was water of a ducks back as they say, and i even found it funny!. this and the course which basically says, this is what works for us, have a go, and we do these techniques, and see and experience ourselves how it works. i think that it is possible that anyone can do these techniques, theres not a need to be specifically 'gifted' in some way. it is the processes themselves that are powerful. and help faciltate our ability to heal ourselves. it has led me to reading all the other books by alberto villoldo, and onto studying with the course that he directs, the four winds 'Healing the Light body course', which i wholeheartedly recommend for people who resonate with the learnings in this and other of his books. the techniques in here are even more explained in depth, plus many more. it is a good introduction to the laika healing from the q'ero in the andes. the dance of the four winds, and the island of the sun,also by alberto villoldo, tells us how he came upon these theories and techniques. much of this wisdom comes from Don Antonio - a true genius i believe him to be- a q'ero, a laika, with much knowledge, widsom, and experience. a true credit to humanity and the world. it is wonderful that he chooses to share this information with alberto, freeing alberto to share this with the world. it is wonderful too, that we now live in a world where this information can be shared freely, and where we can be free to find our own beliefs/theories. i find it's also good, if trying these techniques before attending the course, and without a qualified four winds practioner who will do this for you), to open sacred space, before doing so, for protection, but also for helping the body, mind and energy body step into, similar what atheletes call the 'zone' i guess - the kinds of places where you can feel in tune with the self, and it feels like anything wonderful can happen. many of these techniques, i waited until after doing the course to do - and in this way it is also an excellent book to have, as reminder of much (though not all) of what we learn on the first and second parts (the south and the west classes) of the course especially. while soul retrieval by the same author has a lot of what we learn on the third part (the 'north class). the 'Power of shamanic' cds and the other books also are good for learning about this, and reminding us about we learn on the course too.... as most likely are able to tell from this review, i am really happy and thankful that i read this book : )

Interesting book good service

It was an easy but interesting reading, Alberto Villoldo had his amazing journeys with ancient shamans, GOD bless them. I highly recommend this book to all who wants to know more about shamanism.