This talk focuses on “psychonauts,” explorers of the subtle realms of dream, death, and consciousness. Such people are known as shamans, medicine people, or healers in indigenous traditions and as siddhas or adepts in Buddhist and Hindu Tantric traditions.
We will explore the differences and similarities in the two traditions and examine the contexts in which they evolved through the lens of a famous representative of each tradition. We will learn about the lives of Milarepa, a well-known Siddha from the Tibetan Buddhist tradition and Black Elk, a shaman and leader from the Oglala Sioux tradition of North America.