"Shaman's Laughter": book reviews

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

In 2001-2003, the first fragments of Vladimir Serkin's book "The Shaman's Laughter" were published. Reviews about it are very numerous, but one way or another they are similar to each other. Perhaps because the readers were people who felt the need to "go beyond the flags" of reality and were in search of a solution to this problem. Nevertheless, it cannot be said that absolutely all reviews of the book are full of enthusiasm and gratitude. There is also criticism of the author. But it concerns the scope and style of presentation.

Historical reality

The publication of the book, as mentioned above, took place at the beginning of the XXI century. It was a troubled time in Russia then. The permissiveness of the 1990s was gradually declining, but a whirlwind of freedom was still felt, when everything was possible, and the degree of self-expression of an individual was limited only by the framework of her imagination. People expected something from the new century, butexperiments in politics and in life, everyone is tired. The authorities gradually turned to "tightening the screws", however, trying not to make it too obvious.

Man in search of meaning

Since all the old philosophical concepts were destroyed, everyone was looking for something that could become an internal support. The craze for Carlos Castaneda is a thing of the past: some of his adherents went underground, while others joined the ranks of psychiatric clinics. There was also Anastasia Vladimir Megre, stories about which the creative intelligentsia read. However, after a while this idea became vulgar and turned into a romantic fairy tale.

And yet, the emptiness needed to be filled with something that was as far as possible from the Marxist-Leninist philosophy that stuck in the teeth. At this time, "The Shaman's Laughter" was published. Reviews of the dialogues between a practicing psychologist and a person living in unity with nature show that the book arrived just in time.

Different worlds

This is not a novel, not a short story, not an essay. The book, most likely, can be attributed to the notes, which is confirmed by the reviews. "The Shaman's Laughter" fit on 30 pages, and many readers blame the author for the lack of volume. But, as they say, disadvantages are a continuation of merits. So it is here: the material presented in the notes, firstly, breaks the idea of an ordinary city dweller about a shaman, and secondly, the concisely presented information leaves a lot of room for thoughts about it.

In reviews of the book "Shaman's Laughter" oftenthere is astonishment at the scale of the hermit's personality. It is much wider than the usual framework in which authors usually place such a character. This person does not avoid society: moreover, he is well versed in it. This does not mean that he knows how to cross the road and communicate with city dwellers. A shaman can easily find a job and earn a living (not a living), as well as give advice to a completely successful subject from the point of view of society.

Therefore, if you think that you will encounter another exotic representative of the "disappearing nature", decorated with baubles and beating a tambourine, then you are mistaken.

What are the conversations about

The very content of the book "The Shaman's Laughter" and reviews about it is an interaction that resembles communicating vessels. Since the readers of the notes are people who are quite advanced in such areas, their opinions represent the development of the stated topic through the prism of a separate individuality. The result is a kaleidoscope of impressions, thanks to which interest in the diary only increases.

By the way, the distribution process of the book is indicative: it is passed from hand to hand, since the circulation is not too large. Many note in the reviews: "The Shaman's Laughter" is better perceived not on the Internet and not in the format of an audio book, but when reading live. Almost every reader who opened the notes admits that the material was so exciting that they wanted to immerse themselves in it and go all the way proposed by the author. And for this it took manyseveral hours to 2 days. Why such interest?

Most likely, the topics of the issues under discussion. Their range covers the problems of the universe and sex, as well as the features of interaction with the surrounding macro- and microworld. And this is not just sophistication and philosophizing: each concept is supported by practical advice, of course, taking into account the mental preparation of the listener and potential reader.

Is the meeting random?

Studying the reviews about Vladimir Serkin's Shaman's Laughter, it is impossible to ignore the fact that this book came to many people at a difficult time in their lives. To put it more specifically, it was a time when man was at a spiritual crossroads and in dire need of practical advice, unclouded by complex technical terminology.

And, as one of the reviews says, "Shaman's Laughter" has become a universal solution book necessary for life. By the way, having completed its task of bringing a person out of the crisis, the book continues on its way, getting to the next researcher looking for answers. And those for whom these notes have become not just another exotic reading material, but timely information, begin to act in accordance with the "shaman's code".

Method of transmitting thoughts

Modern man lives in a state of "tunnel vision": his life revolves around socially defined needs and tasks, fulfilling which he can expect to receive bonuses, or, so to speak, positive reinforcement. The problem is that with externalwell-being of the system, it is internally very vulnerable.

Its weak link is the same human factor: a person feels locked in the narrow boundaries of the predetermination of being. Getting used to living in a confined space, a person eventually begins to think that this is the very reality given to us in sensation, the way out of which is guarded by all kinds of structures: institutions of secular and religious power.

But there is a certain desire for the transcendent in the personality, which makes one look for answers to strange questions about the meaning of life and the boundaries of the universe. And in this context, the book "The Shaman's Laughter" appeared at the right time: plunging into its meaning, readers find that calm confidence that comes from understanding the patterns of world processes.

In the diary, complex things that seem fantastic to a city dweller are explained in simple phrases. For example, the age of the shaman, judging by the historical events in which he was a participant, is more than a hundred years, at least. For him, this is the reality of his path, a consequence of the fulfillment of the inner law and life in harmony with nature. For us - something beyond.

Among the reviews about "The Shaman's Laughter" by Serkin, there are those who accuse the author of the lack of specifics. However, people may not be able to see certain things due to skimming through the book, or because they were unable to switch to the shaman's peculiar language. This can be easily corrected by rereading the notes, and then the tips that were missed earlier will become apparent.

For example, the advice regarding survival in the winter forest is very paradoxical at first glance, but think about the dialogue and everything will become simple and clear:

Keep in mind that once you start fighting, that is the first step towards death.

– Don't fight, then freeze right away?

– Don't fight and don't freeze. Just act in harmony with the world around you.

– How?

– Don't oppose yourself to Nature, don't even think about it. Nature will always win you.

Expert Opinion

Of particular interest are the reviews about Serkin's "Shaman's Laughter" from readers representing a sophisticated public whose field of activity is literature. These are not only critics, but also bookstore managers, who certainly cannot be suspected of being gullible or prone to publicity stunts. These people see to the root and are able to determine its value by a few sentences of a printed opus.

According to such readers, the book encourages reflection, because it does not give ready-made answers "on a silver platter", but suggests conjecturing the phrase. In addition, specificity is noted, which is typical for notes, which is quite rare in printed materials of this kind. Thanks to this, the reading process takes place in one breath. Tips and practices sometimes seem paradoxical and not very suitable for real life, but this is only the first impression. If you delve into the essence of the recommendations, then their vitalitybecomes apparent.

Expert Opinion: This is a reading that takes time and thoughtful attitude.

Despicable Metal

Banknotes - a category that is indispensable in society and completely redundant in the natural habitat of man. In the book "The Shaman's Laughter" the author repeatedly tries to determine the attitude of his interlocutor to money. The shaman's answer testifies to his knowledge of urban life and its ritual conditioning:

In the city, you have to buy for your relatives and yourself what you don't need for life: fashionable things, appliances, furniture, drinks, gifts… You can't count everything. Here you are free from it.

– But these are the right things. Relationships, level, prestige, finally.

– You'd better live and practice in the city for now.

The end of the dialogue is indicative: the shaman does not enter into an argument, he simply states the fact that his opponent is not ready to be included in the world of "strong practices". This moment is noted in many reviews and confirmed by real circumstances.

A critical eye

As noted above, there are also negative reviews from readers. "Shaman's Laughter" by Vladimir Serkin, in their opinion, is a remix of works by Louise Hay, Zhikarentsev and other similar authors. In addition, the superficiality of the information provided is noted, in particular, the lack of exact proportions in recipes from herbs and the lack of descriptions of the practices used by the shaman.

The shortcomings of the book, according to reviews of critical readers, include the discussion of various kinds of portals,spirits, snowmen and the like: these characters confuse the picture of reality and send seekers of truth to mysticism.

Thus, this type of reader refers to diary entries as light reading intended for those interested in the psychology and exotics of shamanism.

Style selection

Vladimir Serkin is accused by some readers of duplicating the style of Carlos Castaneda. Answering his opponents, the author refers them to the Dialogues of Socrates, transmitted by Plato. The fact is that all writers who choose this style risk being accused of plagiarism, but this is the way that most successfully manages to convey the originality of communication between two people belonging to different worlds.

As for the essential differences between the worldview of Don Juan and the Shaman, it refers to the understanding of human nature and the purpose of the individual. In Don Juan's philosophy, there are mainly descriptions of the processes taking place around, because, in his opinion, a person is called to observe the world.

For the Shaman, all living beings inhabiting the planet are the creators of realities of different levels, using the appropriate types of activities ("practices").

Causes of disharmony

Thoughtful readers note Shaman's surprisingly accurate remarks regarding the way of life of modern people. The method of restoring he alth used by him is very peculiar and far from the postulates of modern medical science. Let's start with the fact that the Shaman never gives advice.no one unless asked to. And he notes that those who come to him have already tried everything and who have nothing to lose.

The Shaman has a special approach to such "aliens": he starts by connecting the subject to the rhythms of nature and the Universe. This is followed by the preparation of a decoction, the composition of which is selected intuitively and never repeats.

– Most illnesses occur due to the desynchronization of a person with his world. Dance and songs with a tambourine help a person to synchronize again.

Having spent a lot of time in Shaman's society, the author has learned to identify violations in the lifestyle of others. And if they turned to him for advice, he gave recommendations based on the practices that he adopted when communicating with his taiga interlocutor. And it helped a lot of people.

Can Vladimir Serkin's notes be attributed to mysticism? The answer lies in the definition of this category. In Shaman's understanding:

Mysticism - to take an action and think that nothing will happen. And to take an action and know that the result will surely follow - consistent materialism.

Thinking about the meaning of this phrase, one can understand the reason for such a genuine interest in the book "Shaman's Laughter": here it is proposed to replace blind faith with the path of knowledge.