Kevin Turner

Track: Shamanism and Its Potential for Modern Man

Mongolian Shamanism: Revival and Implications for a Worldwide Rebirth of Shamanic Practice

In 1990 fewer than a dozen shamans in Mongolia survived, practicing only in deepest secrecy. Today, over 10,000 shamans practice openly in modern Mongolia. This is an unprecedented thousand-fold increase in a single generation. How did this occur, and what are the implications for the revival of both traditional shamanism and modern shamanic practice worldwide? Mongolian shamanism has undergone significant growing pains in the journey from past oppression to the return to the center of spiritual life in their nation, and the results are inspiring. Both traditional shamanisms and modern universal shamanic methodologies are crucial for humanity to survive the challenges ahead; and both approaches need each other. Few have ventured to Mongolia to investigate this phenomenon, and even fewer researchers are shamanic practitioners themselves. The presenter not only interviewed shamans during field research in Mongolia, he was tested and passed their shamanic challenges. Practitioner-researchers look beyond superficial differences in shamanic practices to research the depth and essence of theses and their effectiveness for a modern world desperately in need. Mongolia is a remarkable model for the revivification of indigenous shamanism, and may pave the way for the return of both traditional shamanism and the further development of modern 21st century shamanic practice in other nations and cultures.

Kevin Turner is director for Asia of The Foundation for Shamanic Studies, and author of the new 2016 book Sky Shamans of Mongolia: Meetings with Remarkable Healers. He has lived in Asia for over 30 years. Formerly a tenured university professor in Japan, he is published in both linguistics and anthropology. Kevin is a shamanic practitioner himself, and a regular speaker on his research into Nepalese, Balinese, and Mongolian shamanism. He teaches advanced programs in Core shamanism in Asia, and is also a residential facilitator at The Monroe Institute.