Mircea Eliade (Bucharest 1907 - Chicago 1986) was formed as a philosopher and historian of religion at the University of Bucharest. In the years 1927-28 in Rome attended the lectures of Giovanni Gentile.
from Calcutta University he studied with S. Dasgupta and hermitage of Rishikesh Himalayas.
It was the Romanian cultural attaché in London and Lisbon, and after World War II, he moved to Paris where he taught at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes.
In 1957 he obtained the chair of history of religions at the University of Chicago.
addition to writing some general works of history of religions, Eliade was one of the leading specialists of shamanism, yoga and the relationship between magic and alchemy. Two of his important texts
:
- Shamanism and the techniques of ecstasy
- Mephistopheles and the Androgyne
Notes cover of the book "Shamanism and the techniques of ecstasy"
This is the first work that embraces shamanism in its entirety, while placing it in the perspective of a general history of religions.
Apart from some notable exceptions, in fact, the shamanic literature has neglected so far, an interpretation of this phenomenon from the perspective of the general history of religions, whose task is, in this case, to integrate the results of ethnology, as well as psychology and sociology.
Shamanism is a primitive techniques of ecstasy, it is at once mystical, magic and religion. The author makes a thorough analysis, examining the different aspects, and clarifying the various mythical and religious assumptions that underlie it.
A careful examination is dedicated to shamanic methodology, and different forms of initiation rites and shamanic events at the different peoples, races and tribes, be sure to draw a comparison measure to highlight their common characteristics.
The shaman is a magician, a "medicine man", which has the capacity to heal and work miracles fakirs, like all magicians primitive or modern. In each work is predominant the ecstatic experience, and especially in this sense that the author of the study in this work.
Shamanism is a specialty that involves the domain of magic fire, the magic flight, and so on, so even if every shaman, among other things, a magician, not every magician can be classified as a shaman.
The same goes for healing: every "medicine man" is a healer, but every shaman uses his special technique.
ecstasy, finally, the shaman through a trance during which it is believed that his soul can leave the body to take celestial ascents or descents hell. In their relations with the ghosts, then, the shaman can communicate with the dead, with demons and the "spirits of nature," without becoming its instrument.
It is therefore a volume of interest, because of the vastness of the issues and the seriousness of the discussion, scholars and enthusiasts of all branches of knowledge and which will be an extension and a complement to any education.
Index summary:
Introduction
Introduction to second edition
I. General - Recruitment methods - Shamanism and mystical vocation
II. Diseases and initiatory dreams
III. The acquisition of shamanic powers
IV. The shamanic initiation
V. The symbolism of the shaman's costume and drum
VI. Shamanism in Central Asia and North
1. Heavenly Ascents - Descent into Hell
VII. Shamanism in Central Asia and North
2. Healing magic - The shaman psychopomp
VIII. Shamanism and Cosmology
IX. Shamanism in North America and South
X. Shamanism in Southeast Asia and Oceania
XI. Shamanic techniques and ideologies between the Indo
XII. Shamanic techniques and symbolism in Tibet, China and the Far East
XIII. Myths, symbols and rituals parallel
Conclusions: The formation of the North Asian shamanism
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