Cultural and media studies

One man's personal journey through the unparalleled trance states of salvia *; Originally published as Peopled Darkness *; Contains real-life descriptions of salvia-induced visionary experiences *; Offers guidance for the responsible use of this psychoactive plant *; Explores the shamanic awareness associated with salvia Salvia divinorum, which recently entered the visionary pharmacopoeia of the modern world, has been used for centuries in the shamanic practices of the Mazatec Indians of Oaxaca, Mexico, for healing and divination.

*; A balanced, comprehensive guide to routine childhood vaccinations that offers parents the information they need to make the right choices for their child.

A guide to coping with fibromyalgia, myofascial pain, and chronic fatigue syndrome *; Reveals how to deal with each disorder and how treatments can interact or aggravate if more than one disorder is present *; Offers techniques to dispel the side effects created by these illnesses Fibromyalgia, chronic myofascial pain, and chronic fatigue syndrome are often seen as interchangeable conditions, a belief held even by many health care providers.

A working guide on how to achieve financial success by working with the lwa, the spirits of Haitian Vodou *; Provides spells and spirit work for job hunting, financial success, and career advancement *; Spells included are detailed and easy to follow--learn to Heat Up Your Business with Ghede or Peruse the Want Ads with Legba Haitian Vodou is a very practical and scientific craft: either you please the spirits and get results or you don't--often for good reason.

A healing path using the power of dreams, theater, poetry, and shamanism *; Shows how psychological realizations can cause true transformation when manifested by concrete poetic acts *; Includes many examples of the surreal but successful actions Jodorowsky has prescribed to those seeking his help While living in Mexico, Alejandro Jodorowsky became familiar with the colorful and effective cures provided by folk healers.

True account of a decade-long apprenticeship with Huichol shamans in the Mexican Sierra Madre *; Contains an insider's view of the Huichol's shamanic spiritual practices, including their ritual use of peyote *; Offers the Huichol path to sustainable healing for individuals and our planet Never conquered by Europeans, the Huichol--known for their use of peyote in spiritual ceremonies--have thoroughly retained their ancient way of life.

The core teachings and riotous life of the psychedelic yogi Ganesh Baba *; Presents the teachings of Ganesh Baba's ';Crea' Yoga, which he derived from the tantric practices of traditional Kriya Yoga *; Explains the basic exercises for following the Crea (creative) Yoga practice *; Includes many anecdotes from the colorful life of this ';psychedelic' baba Shri Mahant Swami Ganeshanand Saraswati Giri (ca.

Hemp, Cannabis sativa, has been called the world's most versatile plant.

An exploration of the many forms of the ancient myth of the Wild Hunt and its influence in pagan and early Christian Europe *; Recounts the myriad variations of this legend, from the Cursed Huntsman and King Herla to phantom armies and vast processions of sinners and demons *; Explains how this belief was an integral part of the pagan worldview and was thus employed by the church to spread Christian doctrine *; Reveals how the secret societies of medieval Europe reenacted these ghostly processions for soul travel and prophecies of impending death Once upon a time a phenomenon existed in medieval Europe that continuously fueled local lore: during the long winter nights a strange and unknown troop could be heard passing outside over the land or through the air.

New York Times and USA Today BestsellerViral sensation and Emmy Award-winner Leslie Jordan regales fans with entertaining stories about the odd, funny, and unforgettable events in his life in this unmissable essay collection that echoes his droll, irreverent voice.

Why should America try to be more like countries that are worse in nearly every way?

A guide to the practices, tools, and rituals of New Orleans Voodoo as well as the many cultural influences at its origins *; Includes recipes for magical oils, instructions for candle workings, and directions to create gris-gris bags and Voodoo dolls to attract love, money, justice, and healing and for retribution *; Explores the major figures of New Orleans Voodoo, including Marie Laveau and Dr.

*; The first book to provide complete, specific instructions for casting the obi oracle of the Santera faith.

A working guide on how to find love and sexual fulfillment by working with the lwa, the spirits of Haitian Vodou *; The first book on wanga (love magic) by an actual Vodou initiate *; Provides spells and spirit work for many different problems associated with affairs of the heart *; Spells included are detailed and easy to follow Haitian Vodou, like other folk traditions, is an eminently practical craft.

A comprehensive guide to practicing the magic of the Qabbalah *; Spells for everyday problems related to health, love, prosperity, and protection *; Rituals for advanced high-level magic, such as invocation of angelic powers or spiritual vision *; Explains how to make and design talismans, amulets, and magic bowls, including harnessing the power of Hebrew letters in their designs *; Details the magical uses of 150 psalms The Qabbalah--the Jewish esoteric tradition--is richly woven with magical practices, from amulets and magic bowls to invocations and magical use of psalms.

The first comprehensive guide to oneirogens--naturally occurring substances that induce and enhance dreaming *; Includes extensive monographs on dream-enhancing substances derived from plant, animal, and human sources *; Presents the results of scientific experiments on the effects of using oneirogens *; Shows how studies in this area of ethnobotany can yield a scientific understanding of the mysterious mechanism of dreams Oneirogens are plant and animal substances that have long been used to facilitate powerful and productive dreaming.

What is the Nature of the social order that unquestionably produced one of the greatest and longest lasting civilizations known to humankind?

After 'Hit Man'The New York Times bestseller Confessions of an Economic Hit Man documents John Perkins' extraordinary career as a globe-trotting economic hit man.

Examines the left-hand path and reveals the masters of the tradition *; Explores the practices and beliefs of many left-hand path groups, including the Cult of Set, the Hell-Fire Club, and heretical Sufi, Zoroastrian, Christian, and Muslim sects *; Investigates many infamous occult personalities, including Helena Blavatsky, Aleister Crowley, the Marquis de Sade, and Anton LaVey *; Explains the true difference between the right-hand path and the left-hand path--union with and dependence on God versus individual freedom and self-empowerment From black magic and Satanism to Gnostic sects and Gurdjieff's Fourth Way, the left-hand path has been linked to many practices, cults, and individuals across the ages.

A look at the forgotten ancestors of the modern-day vampire, many of which have very different characteristics *; Looks at the many ancestoral forms of the modern vampire, including shroud eaters, appesarts, and stafi *; Presents evidence for the reality of this phenomenon from pre-19th-century newspaper articles and judicial records Of all forms taken by the undead, the vampire wields the most powerful pull on the modern imagination.

Reveals the true nature of medieval belief in the Double of the Soul *; Demonstrates the survival of a pagan belief that each individual owns three souls, including a double that can journey outside the physical body *; Explains the nature of death and the Other World hidden beneath the monsters and superstitions in stories from the Middle Ages Monsters, werewolves, witches, and fairies remain a strong presence in our stories and dreams.

A comprehensive examination of the rituals and philosophies of the Celtic holiday of Samhain, the inspiration for Halloween.

The first book to provide complete, specific instructions on casting the Diloggn, the cowrie-shell oracle of the Orishas.

The first book on Santera's holiest divination system to thoroughly explore each family of odu and how their actions and reactions affect the spiritual development of the client.

After 'Hit Man' The New York Times bestseller Confessions of an Economic Hit Man documents John Perkins' extraordinary career as a globe-trotting economic hit man.

The story of John Chang, the first man to be documented performing pyrokinesis, telekinesis, levitation, telepathy, and other paranormal abilities.

An exploration of the personal and spiritual truths revealed through LSD *; Reveals that LSD visions weave an ongoing story from trip to trip *; Shows that trips progress through three stages: personal issues and pre-birth consciousness, ego-loss, and on to the sacred *; Explores psychedelic use throughout history, including the mass hallucinations common in the Middle Ages and the early therapeutic use of LSD Toward the end of his fifties, Christopher Gray took, for the first time in years, a 100-microgram acid trip.

Leading experts on the science, history, politics, medicine, and potential of America's most popular recreational drug *; With contributions by Andrew Weil, Michael Pollan, Lester Grinspoon, Allen St.

The first book to explore the sacred myths of Santera *; Includes more than 100 myths, stories, and histories about the odu and the orishas *; Reassembles the oral fragments from the African diaspora into coherent stories *; Demonstrates that the African peoples, specifically the Yoruba, were deeply spiritual At the core of the diloggn--the sacred divination system of Santera--are the sacred stories known as the pataks, narratives whose themes are as powerful and relevant today as they were in the minds of the ancient Yoruba who safeguarded them.

The ultimate source text of Enochian Magic never before available in book form *; Contains the actual and complete Tables of Enoch given to Dr.

Psychedelics as therapeutic catalysts for emotional and spiritual transformation *; Explores the latest medical research on the healing powers of entheogens *; Reveals the crucial role of tribal and shamanic wisdom in psychedelic medicine *; Provides guidelines for working with psychedelics, including the author's personal healing and recommendations for creating change on the spiritual and societal levels Banned after promising research in the 1940s, '50s, and '60s, the use of psychedelics as therapeutic catalysts is now being rediscovered at prestigious medical schools, such as Harvard, Johns Hopkins, NYU, and UCLA.

After 'Hit Man'The New York Times bestseller Confessions of an Economic Hit Man documents John Perkins' extraordinary career as a globe-trotting economic hit man.

Decidir si uno quiere o cuando se debe vacunar un niño, es una de las decisiones de la salud más difíciles y más importantes que hará un padre.

Discusses the Buddhist meaning of true love and how to attain it in the modern world.

*; Explores the lifestyle of indigenous peoples of the world who exist in complete harmony with the natural world and with each other.

An in-depth investigation of traditional European folk medicine and the healing arts of witches*; Explores the outlawed ';alternative' medicine of witches suppressed by the state and the Church and how these plants can be used today*; Reveals that female shamanic medicine can be found in cultures all over the world*; Illustrated with color and black-and-white art reproductions dating back to the 16th centuryWitch medicine is wild medicine.

A comprehensive survey of the therapeutic, historical, and cultural uses of cannabis in traditions around the world.

A book of recipes, spells, and rituals for celebrating our connection to the Earth and her seasons.

Explores the breakdown in the chain of cultural transmission that has led to the decimation of Hawaiian spirituality, and how it can be restored*; Shows how reconnection to the ancestral ways can be achieved through letting go and forgiveness of the effects of colonization*; Reveals how the lessons of the decline of Hawaiian spiritual tradition reflect on other religions *; Clarifies the complex nature of Hawaiian ancestral worshipHawaiian spirituality teaches that individuals can be truly fulfilled only if they are conscious participants in the long ancestral chain of witnessing and transmission that connects the present to the time of origins.

A scientific and cultural exploration of the pursuit of altered states of consciousness in both humans and animals*; Contains myriad studies and examples from the author's 20 years of research*; By the foremost authority on the social and psychological effects of drug useHistory shows that people have always used intoxicants.

A bold cartography of the inner landscape visible only to those experiencing altered states*; Presents the psychedelic experience as an objective landscape that embodies the Other, rather than a subjective state of mind*; Provides corroboration of phenomena encountered by those who venture into this domainJourneying into the invisible world revealed by his use of the dissociative psychedelic DXM (dextromethorphan), Dan Carpenter found that what he experienced was not simply subjective sensations and psychological states but an objective world of familiar, if inordinately odd, landmarks and characters.

Over 30 contributors share their expertise on the chemical, biological, cultural, psychological, and experiential dimensions of psilocybin mushrooms*; Describes in vivid detail the consciousness-expanding experiences of psychoactive mushroom users*; Provides firsthand accounts of the controversial Harvard Psilocybin Project, including the Concord Prison and Good Friday studiesTeonancatl was the name given to the visionary mushrooms used in ancient Mesoamerican shamanic ceremonies, mushrooms that contain psilocybin, the psychoactive agent identified by Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann, the discoverer of LSD.

Explores the ancient Iroquois tradition of dreams, healing, and the recovery of the soul*; Explains Native American shamanic dream practices and their applications and purpose in modern life*; Shows how dreams call us to remember and honor our soul's true purpose*; Offers powerful Active Dreaming methods for regaining lost soul energy to restore our vitality and identityThe ancient teaching of the Iroquois people is that dreams are experiences of the soul in which we may travel outside the body, across time and space, and into other dimensions--or receive visitations from ancestors or spiritual guides.

The author's journey to becoming a Bushman shaman and healer and how this tradition relates to shamanic practices around the world*; Explores the Bushmen's ecstatic shaking and dancing practices*; Written by the first non-Bushman to become fully initiated into their healing and spiritual waysIn Bushman Shaman, Bradford Keeney details his initiation into the shamanic tradition of the Kalahari Bushmen, regarded by some scholars as the oldest living culture on earth.

More than 60 pagan leaders and teachers describe in their own words what they believe and what they practice.

A clear-eyed look at the instrumental role drugs have played in our cultural, social, and spiritual development.

A comprehensive autobiographical account of the transforming experiences possible with ayahuasca*; Reveals the protocols of a traditional ayahuasca retreat and the importance of its ritual diet, isolation, and sacred songs*; Relates an extensive personal account of the traditional indigenous use of ayahuasca for healing and revelationAyahuasca: The Visionary and Healing Powers of the Vine of the Soul is an autobiographical account of the author's work with ayahuasca, a potent and sacred plant brew of the Amazon region that is known for its extraordinary visionary and healing powers.

*; Discover the thoughts, history, and customs of the Shuar of the Amazon, as told in their own words.

A powerful story of one man's redemption through the Lakota Sun Dance ceremony.