Maze's review of The Cosmic Serpent
The Cosmic Serpent by Jeremy Narby
Maze's review
rating:
bookshelves:
currently-reading
recommended for:
anyone interested in anthropology, ethnogenic research, biology, spirituality.
status:
Read in February, 2008
This book was phenomenally excellent in its scope, pacing and informative research. Though the book is based on academic research, it reads like a mystery novel as it unfolds each new chapter with clarity and discovery.
Narby's path begins in the jungles of South America where he learns from the shamans of the Ashaninca about Ayahuasca and the visions that have sustained their culture for thousands of years. He draws connections between their experiences with Ayahuasca and similar themes that appear in cultures all over the world. As the plot thickens, he hypothesizes that the shamans are perceiving reality at a sub-molecular level, and research carries him beyond his field into the realm of biology.
He challenges the preconceived notions and "blind spots" in anthropology and biology that prevent Western academia from truly appreciating the magnitude of the shaman's visions. This book radically pushes boundaries set in our understanding of reality, and the mate...more
Narby's path begins in the jungles of South America where he learns from the shamans of the Ashaninca about Ayahuasca and the visions that have sustained their culture for thousands of years. He draws connections between their experiences with Ayahuasca and similar themes that appear in cultures all over the world. As the plot thickens, he hypothesizes that the shamans are perceiving reality at a sub-molecular level, and research carries him beyond his field into the realm of biology.
He challenges the preconceived notions and "blind spots" in anthropology and biology that prevent Western academia from truly appreciating the magnitude of the shaman's visions. This book radically pushes boundaries set in our understanding of reality, and the mate...more
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