From Publishers Weekly
Dream travel, according to anthropologist Wesselman, begins with flashes of light that form a brilliant grid and open onto a "spiritual subway system across time and space" that accesses other levels of reality. In his sequel to Spiritwalker: Messages from the Future, the scientist-turned-shaman chronicles his visits to a primitive village on the coast of California 5000 years hence, where the survivors of the human race reside. He describes his psychic connections with a shaman called Nainoa, whose noble and idyllic depiction of tribal life emphasizes moral standards, respect for nature and rich spirituality. The author makes his salient point, however, when he juxtaposes this futuristic pastoral culture with our present-day society and its technology that, he says, violates nature. Wesselman is conversant with the history of the earth's climatic changes, and when, during his visionary episodes, he observes coastal California as a vast rain forest and its topography altered dramatically by a rise in sea level, he concludes that our civilization will be destroyed by global warming. He suggests that the modern mystics of our culture, with their increasing awareness of our intimate relationship with nature, can motivate the public to work toward long-term ecological sustainability. Wesselman makes a dramatic case for environmental activism, but Castaneda he isn't. His central conceits come off as contrived and far-fetched compared to those of the recently deceased master of this genre, and his prose is serviceable, boilerplate only. Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Ever since the American reading public met Carlos Castenada's Don Juan more than two decades ago, there has been a special place in spiritual literature for what might be called the near-novel: the record of a spiritual journey, presented in novelistic fashion, in which truth is more important than facts. Writing another such record, Wesselman details his shamanic encounters with a descendant named Nainoa, a mystically inclined man living 5,000 years from now. In Nainoa's world, global warming has turned North America into a tropical jungle inhabited by the offspring of zoo animals gone wild. Tribal again, North Americans have reclaimed their ancestral shamanic knowledge but have sacrificed technology utterly. As a novel, Medicinemaker lacks a major element, for when the future is known, how does an author create suspense? As a document of shamanic knowledge and vision, however, it is substantial and well wrought. Patricia Monaghan
Review
"A rare combination of visionary and scholar whose message has the ring of truth, clarity, and urgency."
--Larry Dossey, M.D., author of Prayer Is Good Medicine
"Medicinemaker is vibrant, beautiful, and intimately written. This book is the wake-up signal humanity has been waiting for and is one of the most important books you can read in your lifetime."
--Gay Luce, Ph.D., director, The Nine Gates Mystery School
"A document of shamanic knowledge and vision...substantial and well-wrought."
--Booklist
Look for Hank Wesselman's Spiritwalker: Messages From The Future
"A fascinating and futuristic story."
--San Francisco Chronicle
Review
"A rare combination of visionary and scholar whose message has the ring of truth, clarity, and urgency."
--Larry Dossey, M.D., author of Prayer Is Good Medicine
"Medicinemaker is vibrant, beautiful, and intimately written. This book is the wake-up signal humanity has been waiting for and is one of the most important books you can read in your lifetime."
--Gay Luce, Ph.D., director, The Nine Gates Mystery School
"A document of shamanic knowledge and vision...substantial and well-wrought."
--Booklist
Look for Hank Wesselman's Spiritwalker: Messages From The Future
"A fascinating and futuristic story."
--San Francisco Chronicle
Medicinemaker FROM THE PUBLISHER
In the brilliant visionary tradition of Carlos Castaneda, anthropologist Hank Wesselman first documented his spiritual journey in the acclaimed account Spiritwalker. Now he continues his travels through the spirit world in this astonishing book, leading us into the heart of one of the greatest mysteries of existence.
Dr. Wesselman's inspiring quest began with a dramatic encounter on the island of Hawaii. Though he had feared his connection to Nainoa, a kahuna initiate and fellow mystic traveler, would be severed when he moved to San Diego, Wesselman would continue to merge minds with Nainoa. Over the next five years, the true purpose of their profound yet cryptic contact took shape. Wesselman had gained access to some inner doorway, putting him in the presence of a transcendent life force and intelligence. On the threshold of a dazzling new understanding of nature, he was a shaman in training, an initiate into the sacred, secret healing powers of the spirit world.
This remarkable book gives us an unprecedented glimpse into the origin and the destiny of our species. Hank Wesselman has brought back from his extraordinary travels an extraordinary message: the keys to personal power and to the healing of all humankind.
FROM THE CRITICS
Publishers Weekly
Dream travel, according to anthropologist Wesselman, begins with flashes of light that form a brilliant grid and open onto a "spiritual subway system across time and space" that accesses other levels of reality. In his sequel to Spiritwalker: Messages from the Future, the scientist-turned-shaman chronicles his visits to a primitive village on the coast of California 5000 years hence, where the survivors of the human race reside. He describes his psychic connections with a shaman called Nainoa, whose noble and idyllic depiction of tribal life emphasizes moral standards, respect for nature and rich spirituality. The author makes his salient point, however, when he juxtaposes this futuristic pastoral culture with our present-day society and its technology that, he says, violates nature. Wesselman is conversant with the history of the earth's climatic changes, and when, during his visionary episodes, he observes coastal California as a vast rain forest and its topography altered dramatically by a rise in sea level, he concludes that our civilization will be destroyed by global warming. He suggests that the modern mystics of our culture, with their increasing awareness of our intimate relationship with nature, can motivate the public to work toward long-term ecological sustainability. Wesselman makes a dramatic case for environmental activism, but Castaneda he isn't. His central conceits come off as contrived and far-fetched compared to those of the recently deceased master of this genre, and his prose is serviceable, boilerplate only. (Aug.)
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