---
product_id: 6688504
title: "Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy (Bollingen Series)"
price: "€ 119.74"
currency: EUR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 13
url: https://www.desertcart.gr/products/6688504-shamanism-archaic-techniques-of-ecstasy-bollingen-series
store_origin: GR
region: Greece
---

# Explores altered states 300+ pages of insights Guided practices included Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy (Bollingen Series)

**Price:** € 119.74
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Summary

> 🌟 Transform Your Mind, Transform Your Life!

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy (Bollingen Series)
- **How much does it cost?** € 119.74 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.gr](https://www.desertcart.gr/products/6688504-shamanism-archaic-techniques-of-ecstasy-bollingen-series)

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- Customers looking for quality international products

## Why This Product

- Free international shipping included
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## Key Features

- • **Experience Ecstasy:** Learn techniques that elevate your consciousness and well-being.
- • **Practical Guidance:** Includes step-by-step methods for personal exploration.
- • **Rich Cultural Context:** Discover the historical significance of shamanic traditions.
- • **Unlock Ancient Wisdom:** Dive deep into the transformative practices of shamanism.
- • **Join a Community of Seekers:** Connect with like-minded individuals on a journey of self-discovery.

## Overview

Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy is a comprehensive guide that delves into the ancient practices of shamanism, offering over 300 pages of rich insights, practical techniques, and cultural context to help readers explore altered states of consciousness and enhance their spiritual journey.

## Description

Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy (Bollingen Series) [Eliade, Mircea, Trask, Willard R., Doniger, Wendy] on desertcart.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy (Bollingen Series)

Review: Extensive overview of shamanism - The book helped me gain insight into the mind of shamanic practice and how it fits in with other mystical religious traditions. I would have liked more information on South American shamanism, but they at least have a useful reference. Exposure to new vocabulary and concepts gives me the ability to think in new ways.
Review: Solid Work on Religious Basis of Shamanism - I'm not sure why indie musicians are, by and large, such uninteresting people. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that they all think that they are interesting people and therefore spend no time learning about new things or thinking about new ways to make themselves interesting to others. It's not like everyone has to be interesting: I don't expect a gas station attendant to engage me in sparkling conversation, but it seems that if one is going to create art/culture that this person would go out of their way to learn about new things, try new experiences, etc. Such is clearly NOT the case, here in San Diego, or anywhere else, for that matter. The indie music world often seems about as interesting to me as junior high. I don't have any truck with the social world of junior high, with it's cliques and posturing, but, simply put, it's a boring world. It's the same thing with the indie music world: Like junior high, but with bands. I was super excited to read Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy after seeing the citation in the Shape of Ancient Thought. I was even more excited when I realized that Wendy Doniger, my favorite scholar/professor, was mentored by this guy (Mircea Eliade is a Romanian, and a man, not a chick.) Shamanism was originally published in English (from the French) in 1951, but the book I have is a 2004 re-print with a new foreword by Doniger. Eliade's scholarship is a leetle out of date 50 years on, but that doesn't detract from the fact that this book was the first comprehensive approach to Shamanism that treated it as something other then a "degraded" "uncivilized" object of scorn. In fact, Shamanism appears to be the basis of all religious thought everywhere, showing up not only in the civilized religions of the Near East, West and East, but also in the indigenious peoples of Australia, New Guinea, Polynesia and North and South American. Shamanism is the closest things humans have to a "universal" religion prior to the emergence of the great world religions of Christianity, Islam and Buddhism (sorry Hindus!!!!) So what is Shamanism? Eliade defines Shamanism as religious practice governed by the reaching of non-conscious ecstatic states by the Shaman. During this state, the Shaman travels to the sky or the underworld and rescues the souls of the sick/ill etc. That is Shamanism in a nut shell, but it's the description of the ritual ascents and descents that I found most interesting. I don't want to spoil the joys of the world tree, the soul egg and the bridge for those who might actually read this book, but suffice it to say that Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy, contains enough food for thought to keep the reader thinking for months. Also, all the quoted sources are in Russian or German, so you don't have to worry about follow up reading.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #1,220,287 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #153 in Comparative Religion (Books) #1,675 in General History of Religion #2,203 in History of Religions |
| Customer Reviews | 4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars (252) |
| Dimensions  | 5.5 x 1.3 x 8.25 inches |
| Edition  | Later Reprint |
| ISBN-10  | 0691119422 |
| ISBN-13  | 978-0691119427 |
| Item Weight  | 1.56 pounds |
| Language  | English |
| Part of series  | Princeton Classics |
| Print length  | 648 pages |
| Publication date  | February 8, 2004 |
| Publisher  | Princeton University Press |

## Images

![Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy (Bollingen Series) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81o6AW-5GGL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Extensive overview of shamanism
*by W***N on November 6, 2025*

The book helped me gain insight into the mind of shamanic practice and how it fits in with other mystical religious traditions. I would have liked more information on South American shamanism, but they at least have a useful reference. Exposure to new vocabulary and concepts gives me the ability to think in new ways.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Solid Work on Religious Basis of Shamanism
*by S***R on September 26, 2009*

I'm not sure why indie musicians are, by and large, such uninteresting people. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that they all think that they are interesting people and therefore spend no time learning about new things or thinking about new ways to make themselves interesting to others. It's not like everyone has to be interesting: I don't expect a gas station attendant to engage me in sparkling conversation, but it seems that if one is going to create art/culture that this person would go out of their way to learn about new things, try new experiences, etc. Such is clearly NOT the case, here in San Diego, or anywhere else, for that matter. The indie music world often seems about as interesting to me as junior high. I don't have any truck with the social world of junior high, with it's cliques and posturing, but, simply put, it's a boring world. It's the same thing with the indie music world: Like junior high, but with bands. I was super excited to read Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy after seeing the citation in the Shape of Ancient Thought. I was even more excited when I realized that Wendy Doniger, my favorite scholar/professor, was mentored by this guy (Mircea Eliade is a Romanian, and a man, not a chick.) Shamanism was originally published in English (from the French) in 1951, but the book I have is a 2004 re-print with a new foreword by Doniger. Eliade's scholarship is a leetle out of date 50 years on, but that doesn't detract from the fact that this book was the first comprehensive approach to Shamanism that treated it as something other then a "degraded" "uncivilized" object of scorn. In fact, Shamanism appears to be the basis of all religious thought everywhere, showing up not only in the civilized religions of the Near East, West and East, but also in the indigenious peoples of Australia, New Guinea, Polynesia and North and South American. Shamanism is the closest things humans have to a "universal" religion prior to the emergence of the great world religions of Christianity, Islam and Buddhism (sorry Hindus!!!!) So what is Shamanism? Eliade defines Shamanism as religious practice governed by the reaching of non-conscious ecstatic states by the Shaman. During this state, the Shaman travels to the sky or the underworld and rescues the souls of the sick/ill etc. That is Shamanism in a nut shell, but it's the description of the ritual ascents and descents that I found most interesting. I don't want to spoil the joys of the world tree, the soul egg and the bridge for those who might actually read this book, but suffice it to say that Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy, contains enough food for thought to keep the reader thinking for months. Also, all the quoted sources are in Russian or German, so you don't have to worry about follow up reading.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Not the Most Accurate Research; Theories Largely Abandoned
*by T***N on May 29, 2012*

As I read other reviews, I am alarmed by the large number praising Mircea Eliade's work as thorough, detached, and scientific. The past forty years in the field of Comparative Religion (or,as Eliade founded it, "The History of Religion[s]") has done everything to disprove Eliade's work and the work of other modernists (though, I did my thesis in defense of Eliade's paradigm for the religious). However, as a student of religion, the study of religion has lost its humor - many are too afraid to admit that patterns exist. Mircea Eliade and all of his work is a product of its time. While 'incorrect' and relying on bad data (due primarily to his armchair anthropology and bad translations), Eliade sought to prove the existence of a universal religious at a time when humanity had all but lost its faith in goodness. This is certainly not one of my favorite pieces by Eliade as it is one of the least poetic (and, after all, Eliade's enterprise was admittedly poetic). If you are looking for a good introduction to Eliade's overarching theory, I encourage readers to consult his "The Sacred and the Profane" (a shorter version of "Patterns in Comparative Religion"). Eliade boldly asserted that all humanity is religious. Unfortunately, his route for achieving that conclusion was flawed.

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*Product available on Desertcart Greece*
*Store origin: GR*
*Last updated: 2026-01-24*