View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What must the shaman feed his spirit helpers?

2. Harner's personal observation is that people develop shamanism as a tool for using the power of the human mind for what?

3. What does Harner say that middle-class Americans report experiencing on their shamanic attempts?

4. In rock-seeing, a shaman takes two rocks, sits with them, poses a question, and then examines the stones for what?

5. What does Harner suggest is the purpose of songs during a shamanic journey?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe Harner's journey with Akachu.

2. What does the author say shamans feel about what they see in the non-ordinary reality or shamanic state of consciousness (SSC)?

3. What is the participant of the exercise in Chapter 2 instructed regarding the end of the journey?

4. What are some of the similarities Harner notes in first-hand shamanic experiences reported by middle-class Americans?

5. Describe the spirit helpers known as tsentak.

6. How old is shamanism, and what cultures have best preserved this practice?

7. Discuss what Harner says about the humility of shamanism?

8. Harner compares rock-seeing to what Western practices?

9. Describe an environment that's conducive to the shaman being most effective while in a shamanic state of consciousness (SSC).

10. How does Harner say that a shaman can be distinguished from other medicine men?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Why would a Westerner with no prior experience with shamanistic practices develop an interest in them? How might he or she benefit from knowing and practicing some of these rituals? What precautions might he or she need to take?

Essay Topic 2

The author thoroughly explains numerous details of shamanism, but two areas he doesn't cover in as much detail are how and why shamanism works. Offer your own explanations to fill in the blanks. How do you think shamanism works? Why does it work?

Essay Topic 3

Explain the process and procedure of extracting an intrusion and the role plants play. Why is intrusion extraction considered an advanced shamanic practice?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 810 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample