Synopses & Reviews
A radical reinterpretation of the Pyramid Texts as shamanic mystical wisdom rather than funerary ritualsandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;and#8226; Reveals the mystical nature of Egyptian civilization denied by orthodox Egyptologistsandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;and#8226; Examines the similarity between the pharaohand#8217;s afterlife voyage and shamanic journeyingandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;and#8226; Shows shamanism to be the foundation of the Egyptian mystical traditionandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;To the Greek philosophers and other peoples of the ancient world, Egypt was regarded as the home of a profound mystical wisdom. While there are many today who still share that view, the consensus of most Egyptologists is that no evidence exists that Egypt possessed any mystical tradition whatsoever. Jeremy Naydlerand#8217;s radical reinterpretation of the Pyramid Texts--the earliest body of religious literature to have survived from ancient Egypt--places these documents into the ritual context in which they belong.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Until now, the Pyramid Texts have been viewed primarily as royal funerary texts that were used in the liturgy of the dead pharaoh or to aid him in his afterlife journey. This emphasis on funerary interpretation has served only to externalize what were actually experiences of the living, not the dead, king. In order to understand the character and significance of the extreme psychological states the pharaoh experienced--states often involving perilous encounters with alternate realities--we need to approach them as spiritual and religious phenomena that reveal the extraordinary possibilities of human consciousness. It is the shamanic spiritual tradition, argues Naydler, that is the undercurrent of the Pyramid Texts and that holds the key to understanding both the true nature of these experiences and the basis of ancient Egyptian mysticism.
Review
and#8220;A fabulously convincing piece of work.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;Erudite, rigorously developed, impeccably supported, observing all scholarly ground rules, yet revolutionary in its implications. This book should engage serious readers the world over.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;A splendid melding of fine scholarship and passionate engagement with themes that are vitally important to us today. It is must reading not only for lovers of Egypt, students of shamanism and religion, and modern practitioners of soul travel, but for all of us who hunger for the real history of humanityand#8217;s encounters with the more-than-human.and#8221;
Review
“A fabulously convincing piece of work.”
Review
and#8220;This is an important book for it places our focus for understanding these ancient texts where it should be, upon profound human experience.and#8221;
Review
andquot;. . . the Pyramid texts are revealed as initiatory texts that give voice to a potent shamanic wisdom, which provides the key to understanding both the true nature of these experiences and the basis of ancient Egyptan mysticism.andquot;
Review
andldquo;A model of how to engage with religious literature and, still more widely, with the sacred dimension of life. . . . Serves as a mirror to our own consciousness, reflecting back to us objective spiritual realities which have fallen out of contemporary discourse, and waking us up to deeper layers of our own humanity. . . . An essential book for all of us who long to experience the greater possibilities of the human psyche.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;An invaluable contribution to the dialogue about the mysteries of ancient Egypt.andrdquo;
Review
“Erudite, rigorously developed, impeccably supported, observing all scholarly ground rules, yet revolutionary in its implications. This book should engage serious readers the world over.” < b=""> John Anthony West <> , author of < i=""> The Serpent in the Sky: The High Wisdom of Ancient Egypt <>
Review
“A splendid melding of fine scholarship and passionate engagement with themes that are vitally important to us today. It is must reading not only for lovers of Egypt, students of shamanism and religion, and modern practitioners of soul travel, but for all of us who hunger for the real history of humanitys encounters with the more-than-human.” < b=""> Robert Moss <> , author of < i=""> Dreamgates: An Explorer & rsquo;s Guide to the Worlds of Soul, Imagination <> , and < i=""> Life Beyond Death <>
Synopsis
A radical reinterpretation of the Pyramid Texts as shamanic mystical wisdom rather than funerary rituals
- Reveals the mystical nature of Egyptian civilization denied by orthodox Egyptologists
- Examines the similarity between the pharaoh's afterlife voyage and shamanic journeying
- Shows shamanism to be the foundation of the Egyptian mystical tradition
To the Greek philosophers and other peoples of the ancient world, Egypt was regarded as the home of a profound mystical wisdom. While there are many today who still share that view, the consensus of most Egyptologists is that no evidence exists that Egypt possessed any mystical tradition whatsoever. Jeremy Naydler's radical reinterpretation of the Pyramid Texts--the earliest body of religious literature to have survived from ancient Egypt--places these documents into the ritual context in which they belong.
Until now, the Pyramid Texts have been viewed primarily as royal funerary texts that were used in the liturgy of the dead pharaoh or to aid him in his afterlife journey. This emphasis on funerary interpretation has served only to externalize what were actually experiences of the living, not the dead, king. In order to understand the character and significance of the extreme psychological states the pharaoh experienced--states often involving perilous encounters with alternate realities--we need to approach them as spiritual and religious phenomena that reveal the extraordinary possibilities of human consciousness. It is the shamanic spiritual tradition, argues Naydler, that is the undercurrent of the Pyramid Texts and that holds the key to understanding both the true nature of these experiences and the basis of ancient Egyptian mysticism.
Synopsis
Jeremy Naydler, is a philosopher and cultural historian. He is author of Temple of the Cosmosand Goethe on Science.He lives in Oxford, England.Jeremy Naydler's radical reinterpretation of the Pyramid Texts--the earliest body of religious literature from ancient Egypt--now places these documents into the ritual context in which they belong. It is the shamanic spiritual tradition, argues Naydler, that is the undercurrent of the Pyramid Texts and holds the key to ancient Egyptian mysticism.Until now, the Pyramid Texts have been viewed primarily as royal funerary texts used in the liturgy of the deceased pharaoh. This emphasis has obscured what were actually experiences of the living, not the dead, king. To understand the extreme psychological states the pharaoh experienced, we need to approach them as spiritual phenomena that reveal the extraordinary possibilities of human consciousness. Jeremy Naydler's radical reinterpretation of the Pyramid Texts--the earliest religious literature of ancient Egypt--now places these documents into the context in which they belong. It is the shamanic spiritual tradition, argues Naydler, that is the undercurrent of the Pyramid Texts and the basis of ancient Egyptian mysticism.
About the Author
Jeremy Naydler, Ph.D., is a philosopher who specializes in the religious life of ancient cultures. He is a Fellow of the Temenos Academy and author of andlt;Iandgt;Temple of the Cosmosandlt;/Iandgt;, andlt;Iandgt;Shamanic Wisdom in the Pyramid Textsandlt;/Iandgt;, andlt;Iandgt;The Future of the Ancient Worldandlt;/Iandgt;, and andlt;Iandgt;Goethe on Scienceandlt;/Iandgt;. He lives in Oxford, England.
Table of Contents
andlt;Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Preface and Acknowledgments andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Abbreviationsandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;Iandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;/Iandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Part Oneandlt;/Iandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Mysticism in Ancient Egyptandnbsp; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;1 Introduction: The Encounter with the Sacredandlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Religious Egypt andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Mysticism and Ancient Egypt andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; A Question of Boundaries andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Subjective Engagementandnbsp; andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Shamanism in Relation to Ancient Egyptian Religion andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Call to Awakening andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;2 Egyptology: The Death and Rebirth of Mysticism in Ancient Egyptandlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Mysticism and the Realm of Death andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Egyptology: Mysticism Denied andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Knowledge of the Egyptians andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Idea of Progress andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Were the Egyptians Practical Rather Than Mystical? andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Rebirth of Egyptian Mysticism andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;3 The Mystical versus the Funerary Interpretation of Ancient Egyptian Religionandlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp; andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; A Clash of Views andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Mysticism and the Experience of Death andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Eleusinian Mysteries and Other Mystery Religions andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Funerary Interpretation of the Osiris Myth andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Mystical Embrace of Osiris and Horus andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Sed Festival andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;4 The Pyramids as the Locus of Secret Ritesandlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Living in Relation to the Dead andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Meaning of the Sed Festival andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Sed Festival and the Step Pyramids andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Fourth Dynasty Pyramids and the Sed Festival andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Fifth and Sixth Dynasty Pyramids and the Sed Festival andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Pyramid Texts and the Sed Festivalandnbsp; andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;5 A Question of Methodandlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Phenomenology and the Ideal of Presuppositionless Inquiry andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; On Approaching the Phenomena with Empathy andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Challenge to Phenomenologyandnbsp; andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Standing Reductionism on Its Head andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; A Question of Motivation andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Part Twoandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;The Shamanic Roots of the Pyramid Textsandlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;6 The Pyramid of Unasandlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Pyramid Texts andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Pyramid Temples and Causeway of Unas andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Pyramid of Unas andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Location of Texts andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Interpretation of the Pyramid Texts andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;7 The Sarcophagus Chamber Textsandlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The North-Wall Offering Liturgy andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Twelve South-to-East-Wall Texts (Utts. 213andndash;24) andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Passage between the Chambers andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The East Gable (Utts. 204andndash;5, 207, 209, 210andndash;12) andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;8 The Antechamber Textsandlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The West Gable (Utts. 247andndash;53) andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Fifteen West-to-South-Wall Texts (Utts. 254andndash;58, 260andndash;63, 267andndash;72) andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Eleven North-Wall Texts (Utts. 302andndash;12) andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;9 From the Antechamber to the Entrance Corridorandlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The East Gable (Utts. 273andndash;76) andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Snake Spells (Utts. 277andndash;99 and Utts. 226andndash;43) andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Two Remaining East-Wall Utterances (Utts. 300andndash;301) andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Entrance Corridor (Utts. 313andndash;21) andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;10 The Recovery of Ancient Egyptian Mysticismandlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Features of Ancient Egyptian Mysticism andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Phenomenological Approach to Ancient Egyptian Religion andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Ancient Egypt and Western Esotericism andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Appendices andlt;BRandgt;andlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;1 Summary of Utterances in the Pyramid of Unasandnbsp; andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;2 List of Utterances in the Five Double-Chamber Pyramids at Saqqara andlt;BRandgt;andlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Notes andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Bibliography andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Illustration Creditsandnbsp; andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Indexandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;Iandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;/Iandgt;