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Ecstatic Healing: A Journey Into the Shamanic World of Spirit Possession and Miraculous Medicine

De Wys, Margaret
Reader rating
4.6
(1 reviews) 23 sold
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📚 ABOUT THE BOOK

Trance, blood, and spirit converge in this visceral journey through shamanic healing traditions.

Margaret De Wys chronicles her transition from childhood fascination with religious ecstasy to active participation in global shamanic practices. After a profound possession by Zulu shaman Credo Mutwa’s sacred necklace, she travels to Brazil to serve at John of God’s healing center. There, she documents psychic surgeries and spirit possessions, exploring how ordinary individuals can access miraculous remedies. This narrative bridges the gap between Western skepticism and non-Western spiritual realities, offering a raw look at the mechanics of ecstatic medicine and the transformative power of surrendering to higher forces for physical and spiritual restoration.

Key themes
Ecstatic trance states Cross-cultural healing rituals Spirit possession as medicine
Historical context

This work sits at the intersection of contemporary Western esotericism and global shamanic traditions, specifically focusing on spirit possession and ecstatic healing practices found in Zulu and Brazilian contexts.

Difficulty
●● Moderate
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🏛 Inner Traditions International 📖 192 pages 📔 Paperback 📐 Paperback ISBN: 9781594774560
Fun fact
De Wys offers a compelling, albeit uncritical, window into the world of charismatic healers. Her vivid descriptions of possession and surgery are immersive, making it a favorite for those exploring the fringes of mainstream spirituality. However, skeptical readers seeking empirical evidence or balanced critique may find the narrative too devotional. It stands as a significant primary source for understanding the modern global shamanic revival, particularly the influence of Brazilian and Zulu traditions on Western seekers.
📚 This book appears in Esoterica Books

📝 Description: Ecstatic Healing: A Journey Into the Shamanic World of Spirit Possession and Miraculous Medicine

Understanding ecstatic spirit possession for physical and spiritual healing - Details the author's direct experiences working with Brazilian miracle healer John of God (João de Deus) and African high shaman Credo Mutwa - Includes stories of psychic surgery, spirit possession, and shamanic healing rituals - Explains how each of us is capable of miraculous healing Margaret De Wys first became aware of ecstatic trance healing when she was a young girl fascinated by the rapture of the Holy Rollers. However, it would be decades before she would be called to explore that early fascination. At a gathering in Upstate New York thirty years later she was spontaneously possessed by a sacred Zulu necklace--a gift from one of the most powerful shamans in Africa, Vusamazulu Credo Mutwa. Frightening yet exhilarating, the experience set her on a search to understand the depths of ecstatic healing. Margaret journeys to Brazil to work with famous healer John of God (João de Deus), where she witnesses hundreds of miraculous healings through psychic surgery. During her years of spiritual service at John's Casa, she experiences ecstatic visions, which increase her hunger for more knowledge. She begins to attend possession rituals held by Pai Lazaro, an Umbanda priest, and finds she is a natural medium to the African gods. Called through her dreams to work with Credo Mutwa, she travels to Credo's Healing Village in Africa, where she discovers her gift as an ecstatic healer and the meaning of true faith. In sharing her journey to reach a profound understanding of ecstatic states and shamanic healing, Margaret De Wys not only gives the reader a direct experience of holiness but also reveals the potential each of us has for miraculous healing.

💎 Expert review

💎
Esoterica Books editorial team
Occult literature desk
De Wys provides a candid account of her journey from skepticism to active participation in global shamanic practices, detailing psychic surgeries and spirit possessions with John of God. While the narrative effectively bridges Western doubt and non-Western spirituality, it may not suit readers seeking purely academic or detached anthropological analysis. Those uncomfortable with visceral descriptions of blood, trance, and bodily surrender might find the content too intense. However, for those open to exploring the mechanics of ecstatic medicine, it serves as a valuable primary source on the transformative power of spiritual restoration.
✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

Readers fascinated by the visceral mechanics of spiritual healing and the breakdown of Western skepticism will find this narrative deeply compelling. It offers a raw, unfiltered look at how ordinary individuals access miraculous remedies through surrender to higher forces. Those interested in the tangible intersection of trance states and physical restoration will appreciate the bridge between non-Western spiritual realities and personal transformation. This book is essential for anyone seeking to understand the power of spirit possession as a conduit for miraculous medicine, providing insight into the transformative potential of ecstatic experiences without requiring prior esoteric knowledge.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Esoterica Books —
⭐ Esoterica editorial review Editorial rating 4.7/5
★★★★
Readers interested in comparative religion, alternative medicine, and first-person accounts of paranormal experiences will find this deeply engaging. It appeals to those questioning the boundaries of the human body and spirit.

Reader rating

4.6
Based on 1 reviews
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Esoterica Books editorial team

De Wys provides a candid account of her journey from skepticism to active participation in global shamanic practices, detailing psychic surgeries and spirit possessions with John of God. While the narrative effectively bridges Western doubt and non-Western spirituality, it may not suit readers seeking purely academic or detached anthropological analysis. Those uncomfortable with visceral descriptions of blood, trance, and bodily surrender might find the content too intense. However, for those open to exploring the mechanics of ecstatic medicine, it serves as a valuable primary source on the transformative power of spiritual restoration.

❓ Frequently asked questions

No, it is a spiritual memoir and ethnographic account focusing on subjective experience and metaphysical healing rather than clinical efficacy or biomedical science.
De Wys approaches her subjects with reverence and personal involvement, documenting her own transformations rather than offering detached, critical analysis of the practices.

📖 Who should read this

Readers interested in comparative religion, alternative medicine, and first-person accounts of paranormal experiences will find this deeply engaging. It appeals to those questioning the boundaries of the human body and spirit.

🎯 Key themes and symbolism

Ecstatic trance states

Cross-cultural healing rituals

Spirit possession as medicine

💬 Quotes from the book

“Frightening yet exhilarating, the experience set her on a search to understand the depths of ecstatic healing.”

“Explains how each of us is capable of miraculous healing.”

📜 Historical context

The text sits within the lineage of Western occult interest in non-Western spirituality, echoing the works of early anthropologists and modern esotericists who seek to integrate shamanic techniques into contemporary healing. It reflects a broader 20th-century shift toward experiential spirituality, moving away from dogmatic religion toward direct, ecstatic contact with the divine through ritual and altered states of consciousness.

📚 Glossary

Ecstatic Healing
Psychic Surgery
Spirit Possession

📔 Questions to reflect on

  1. When have you felt a force greater than yourself guiding your actions?
  2. How does your culture define the boundary between physical illness and spiritual imbalance?
  3. What rituals in your life allow you to surrender control and experience transformation?

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