Mind, Body, Spirit
by Dara Colwell

Drugless Ecstasy
Attaining altered states through
shamanic dance and chanting

May 11th, 2004

... A crucial element of shamanic journeying is connecting to inner wisdom in order to discover one's "soul purpose." Alongside communal practices like trance dance, there are a number of contemporary urban shamanic healers who offer group and individual ceremonies. Sessions range from drumming circles and group meditations to rituals resembling diagnostic therapy—or what shaman Itzhak Beery, another Israeli, jokingly refers to as "shamanic surgery." An advertising executive who moonlights as a shaman, Beery—who says the jobs are not dissimilar—trained with Ecuadoran Quechua shamans. He sees his work as a practical tool, more than merely spiritual.

"This is about fulfilling one's potential and understanding the true self," he says. "I help people reconnect with the true 'them,' and there are no words to describe the feeling. The experience is so deep." Beery conducts individual healing sessions from his West Village office, using candles, eggs, flowers, stones, herbs, bells, and cigarettes (tobacco is a ceremonial offering) during his rituals. During a one-to-two-hour session, Beery focuses on diagnosing a client's energetic and spiritual blockages and cleansing them, which, in turn, stimulates healing. "It's like taking a spiritual bath," he says, noting that in South America shamanic work is standard, akin to a dental checkup. "In the shamanic vision there is no division between health and the soul. It's all one."