Title: Ecstatic Body Postures; An Alternate Reality Workbook
Author: Belinda Gore
Foreword: Felicitas Goodman
Ecstatic Body postures are a standard part of my shamanic practice. I was first introduced to them in 1997. Belinda Gore was mentored by Dr. Felicitas Goodman. Dr. Goodman, held degrees in linguistics and anthropology, and had conducted research into altered states of consciousness relative to ritual posture beginning in 1977. She published numerous books and articles, including Where the Spirits Ride the Wind and Ecstacy, Ritual and Alternate Reality. Belinda Gore continues her work, making her findings available through books and workshops.
Ecstatic Body postures, according to the author, have been practiced, some of them, for thousands of years. They have been found in statuettes, and other forms, left behind by our ancestors. The first two chapters of the book take the reader through the discovery and the practice of ecstatic trance. If the reader is unfamiliar with trance postures, it will provide an anthropological and spiritual basis for the practice.
Shamanism has a deep, longstanding history that crosses cultures and continents. It is the oldest known spiritual practice and has evolved into many forms through the centuries. This is just one of the reasons it such a useful tool for spiritual healing. I.e. that the core practices of a Shaman, and within Shamanism have such a universal truth about them that they can be used on their own, or in conjunction with other practices.