Entering the Circle: Ancient Secrets of Siberian Wisdom Discovered by a Russian Psychiatrist Book

This takes its place among the assorted books I have that depict a Western rationalist's encounters and conversion to the sacred through contact with indigenous shamanic people. It is a subgenre by itself, there are many such books in the New Age section. The great majority of them take place in the Southwest, Mexico, Central or South America, places which hold little allure for me. This one, however, is set in Siberia, a green, snowy place of great beauty, and therefore right up my alley from the first.

Some of these books are quite convincing, that they might be close to the actual events they purport to describe. Others (like The Shamanic Way of the Bee: Ancient Wisdom and Healing Practices of the Bee Masters, for instance) are really hard to stomach and perhaps best used for entertainment purposes. Castaneda was the king of these, and he fell somewhere in the middle or lower down to me. My favorite of all is Mad Bear: Spirit, Healing, and the Sacred in the Life of a Native American Medicine Man. This one is more credible than average - I count it near to the top of the scale.

Culture shock is always fascinating to read about (it's a staple of fantasy and sci fi fiction, if you notice), and nothing more so than the shock to the system experienced by a strictly materialist person falling over hard evidence of a spiritual reality. The author of this book seems like a charming person, entirely without any excess woo-woo or intent to defraud. I recommend this book highly to anyone interested in Siberia, shamanism, or psychic abilities.