Shamanism and Metaphysics

Abstract

In this article, I explore the viability of a shamanist ontology. Through the lens of the German philosopher Ludwig Klages (1872-1956), I will address the possibility of outlining the philosophical merits of shamanism. Klages was one of the last European philosophers to represent a tradition which took seriously altered states of consciousness. Klages opposed a destructive ‘Spirit’ (= Reason, Will) to a nourishing ‘Soul’ (=Life). His thinking can be called ‘psycho-philosophy’, insofar as it reconciles psychology and cosmology. Klages’ intellectual  legacy – also the legacy of German Romanticism – has been entirely neglected (not refuted) in mainstream 20th and 21st philosophical and scientific thinking. In this article, I try to show that Klages’ philosophy not only accounts for deeper states of consciousness but also cohering ‘original images’. Taking up this account might allow for bridging gaps between philosophical thinking and shamanistic consciousness. I will also briefly address the shamanistic consciousness’s alleged liability to ‘pathology’. Unfortunately, Klages’ work has hardly been translated. Therefore, I translated crucial passages myself. Keywords: shamanism, ecstasy, inspiration, consciousness, soul