Why Nietzsche writing as a form of shamanism is superficial: patriarchal values and ideas prevent one from sinking deeply into the unconscious, because patriarchal values are identified with ego, which keep one buoyant, perhaps too much so.
Likewise, Freud's version of patriarchal shamanism is not as deep, nor does it allow for the possibilities of going as deeply into the unconscious as shamanism. Social hierarchy is built into the Freudian system, since masculinity is high and femininity is located low down within an overall paradigm of the psyche. Only via your therapist and his priestly mediation that you can eventually become well. It employs an understanding of the shamanistic structure of psychology but only in a superficial way, so as not to disrupt things as they are.
Undiluted shamanism, by contrast, permits the subject to go much more deeply into the unconscious, and without the hierarchically based mediation of a Judeo-Christian priestly figure. Shaman masters who over-assist another in finding her initiation follow this theologically alien (and alienating) model. Properly, one needs just enough help to find one's own way and nothing more. Without priestly mediation (which is actually a fence around the consciousness, guarding against too much experience and knowledge) one is able to catch sight of visions that would otherwise be socially prohibited.
Freudianism deploys the shamanistic method, only at a more superficial level. One has to sink to the depths of the unconscious to gain the knowledge that would unite the conscious mind (ego) with the unconscious. In Freudianism, it is not the subject/client himself who sinks into the unconscious, so much as it is the therapist who encourages some of the unconscious to come to the surface, and then interprets it. So, in a way it is a safer version of shamanism, although in another way it barely touches the surface of shamanistic consciousness and knowledge.
What is in common is a certain recognition of the psychological structure of shamanism. A well-adjusted ego will be one that has become aware of more of the contents of the unconscious, so that it will have processed this material and become one with it. This is, in Freudian terms, a “strong” ego.
The process of shamanism requires the ability to relax and let go of ego control — just as in Freudianism, the process of lying on the couch and freely associating causes one to let go of the control of ego. This is the only way to reach the unconscious, through temporarily making the ego small.
So it is that in shamanism there one confronts death through diminishing the ego. But this experience is only temporary. The SCUBA diver sinks to the depths for a while, and looks around. Then, it is necessary to rise to the surface again.
The result of such “voyaging” is that one discovers new material about one’s identity. At this point a strong ego is needed again, at least strong enough to assimilate this new material to make itself more robust. A failure to assimilate the material because one doesn’t like what one sees is actually a failure of ego to come to terms with harsh aspects of reality. Only a strong ego can digest the more negative aspects of life and assimilate them into a stronger constitution.
Likewise, Freud's version of patriarchal shamanism is not as deep, nor does it allow for the possibilities of going as deeply into the unconscious as shamanism. Social hierarchy is built into the Freudian system, since masculinity is high and femininity is located low down within an overall paradigm of the psyche. Only via your therapist and his priestly mediation that you can eventually become well. It employs an understanding of the shamanistic structure of psychology but only in a superficial way, so as not to disrupt things as they are.
Undiluted shamanism, by contrast, permits the subject to go much more deeply into the unconscious, and without the hierarchically based mediation of a Judeo-Christian priestly figure. Shaman masters who over-assist another in finding her initiation follow this theologically alien (and alienating) model. Properly, one needs just enough help to find one's own way and nothing more. Without priestly mediation (which is actually a fence around the consciousness, guarding against too much experience and knowledge) one is able to catch sight of visions that would otherwise be socially prohibited.
Freudianism deploys the shamanistic method, only at a more superficial level. One has to sink to the depths of the unconscious to gain the knowledge that would unite the conscious mind (ego) with the unconscious. In Freudianism, it is not the subject/client himself who sinks into the unconscious, so much as it is the therapist who encourages some of the unconscious to come to the surface, and then interprets it. So, in a way it is a safer version of shamanism, although in another way it barely touches the surface of shamanistic consciousness and knowledge.
What is in common is a certain recognition of the psychological structure of shamanism. A well-adjusted ego will be one that has become aware of more of the contents of the unconscious, so that it will have processed this material and become one with it. This is, in Freudian terms, a “strong” ego.
The process of shamanism requires the ability to relax and let go of ego control — just as in Freudianism, the process of lying on the couch and freely associating causes one to let go of the control of ego. This is the only way to reach the unconscious, through temporarily making the ego small.
So it is that in shamanism there one confronts death through diminishing the ego. But this experience is only temporary. The SCUBA diver sinks to the depths for a while, and looks around. Then, it is necessary to rise to the surface again.
The result of such “voyaging” is that one discovers new material about one’s identity. At this point a strong ego is needed again, at least strong enough to assimilate this new material to make itself more robust. A failure to assimilate the material because one doesn’t like what one sees is actually a failure of ego to come to terms with harsh aspects of reality. Only a strong ego can digest the more negative aspects of life and assimilate them into a stronger constitution.
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