Changes

The Core Shamanism Harner claims to have discovered and developed insists that shamanic practices and religions were once used in European cultures, too, until shamanic knowledge was ousted „by the suppressive pre-eminence of religions“<ref>www.shamanicstudies.net/Schamanismus accessed Nov 28, 2012</ref> Core Shamanism asserts there were ''„[...] underlying universal, near-universal, and common features of shamanism [...]“'' which it claims to teach particularly to ''„[...] Westerners to reacquire access to their rightful spiritual heritage [...]“''.<ref name="shamanism.org">www.shamanism.org/fssinfo/index.html accessed Nov 28, 2012</ref>

The Core Shamanism Harner claims to have discovered and developed insists that shamanic practices and religions were once used in European cultures, too, until shamanic knowledge was ousted „by the suppressive pre-eminence of religions“<ref>www.shamanicstudies.net/Schamanismus accessed Nov 28, 2012</ref> Core Shamanism asserts there were ''„[...] underlying universal, near-universal, and common features of shamanism [...]“'' which it claims to teach particularly to ''„[...] Westerners to reacquire access to their rightful spiritual heritage [...]“''.<ref name="shamanism.org">www.shamanism.org/fssinfo/index.html accessed Nov 28, 2012</ref>

Although Harner's site today claims that ''„core shamanism does not focus on ceremonies [...]“''<ref name="shamanism.org" />, there are accounts of FSS and former FSS students selling indigenous ceremonies as e.g. sweatlodges.<ref>http://groups.yahoo.com/group/shamandebunk/message/337 accessed Nov. 28, 2012</ref>. In fact, according to the announcement of the so-called Basic Workshops „Way of the Shaman“ for 2013 on the FSS website, participants are still expected to ''„[...] bring a rattle or a drum if you have one. [...] and bring a bandanna, cushion and/or blanket (if the sponsor does not provide cushions), a rough-surfaced rock approximately the size of a grapefruit [...]“''<ref>www.shamanism.org/workshops/calendar.php?Wkshp_ID=10  accessed Nov 28, 2012</ref>, indicating that the seminar includes a sweatlodge. However, this brief information to bring a „rough-surfaced rock“ leaves much room for participants bringing a stone not appropriate for high temperatures and a subsequent cooling by water; this may cause some types of rock to explode, with rock splinters taking on the speed and impact of missiles. Therefore, participation in such a lodge can be very dangerous.

Although Harner's site today claims that ''„core shamanism does not focus on ceremonies [...]“''<ref name="shamanism.org" />, there are accounts of FSS and former FSS students selling indigenous ceremonies as e.g. sweatlodges resp. alleged indigenous ceremonies invented by FSS.<ref>http://groups.yahoo.com/group/shamandebunk/message/337 accessed Nov. 28, 2012</ref>. In fact, according to the announcement of the so-called Basic Workshops „Way of the Shaman“ for 2013 on the FSS website, participants are still expected to ''„[...] bring a rattle or a drum if you have one. [...] and bring a bandanna, cushion and/or blanket (if the sponsor does not provide cushions), a rough-surfaced rock approximately the size of a grapefruit [...]“''<ref>www.shamanism.org/workshops/calendar.php?Wkshp_ID=10  accessed Nov 28, 2012</ref>, indicating that the seminar includes a sweatlodge. However, this brief information to bring a „rough-surfaced rock“ leaves much room for participants bringing a stone not appropriate for high temperatures and a subsequent cooling by water; this may cause some types of rock to explode, with rock splinters taking on the speed and impact of missiles. Therefore, participation in such a lodge can be very dangerous. On the other hand, reports suggest that such stones are meant to be used in a so-called "Lakota stone oracle". This is a pseudo-ceremony propagated by FSS almost exclusively found on websites maintained by vendors who were taught by FSS, or in forum threads discussing FSS courses.

==Foundation for Shamanic Studies==

==Foundation for Shamanic Studies==