Illumination

An interesting and therapeutic book taking the reader on a healing journey involving indigenous South American shamanism and neurobiology. The process is one of initiation at various stages of life, in the course of which we are challenged to transform toxic emotions into their opposites, recognising both the mortality of the body and the immortality of the spirit. The author's own experiences illuminate the book, for instance a night spent in total darkness alone in the middle of the jungle, in which he experienced all kinds of fears, real and imaginary. When he finally managed to strike a match, he found a terrified monkey looking at him only a few feet away! Allied to this initiatic path there is a fascinating account of the neurobiology of the brain, showing how we have to handle the four different brains - reptilian, mammalian or limbic, neocortex and prefrontal cortex. Understanding their functions and the way in which these relate to our emotions and sense of life - whether connected or disconnected - is critical. In all cases, rebirth follows death as we understand life as a series of transitions.