Nietzsche and shamanism: similarities and differences

I have tried the purely egoistic route attributed (perhaps oversimplistically) to Nietzsche/Stirner, but luckily have found that it was no end point for me.

Rather it would seem, in terms of structural analysis of the psyche, one needs a strong ego in order to break through all of the ideological crust that would normally have settled over one's mind during acculturation processes of all sorts. This "breaking through" process is especially important if one has been brought up with cultural values that are inimical to one's capacity to keep developing oneself: a case in point would be that of a female in a strongly patriarchal culture.

So, the use of ego force is just one step along the way. Once one has broken free from those mental strictures, such a forceful use of ego is no longer needed, since one has by then internalized the knowledge that gives a much stronger sense of the self.

http://nietzsche.thefreelibrary.com/Thus-Spake-Zarathustra/6-1

"Ego," sayest thou, and art proud of that word. But the greater thing--in which thou art unwilling to believe--is thy body with its big sagacity; it saith not "ego," but doeth it.