Product Description

Science/Anthropology

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #60553 in Books
• Published on: 1992-12-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Personal odysseys through shamanic rites lead Wolf to posit links between the Shaman's experience and the "new physics." A captivating, lucid quest for awareness.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Wolf, a theoretical physicist and author of The Quantum Leap ( LJ 11/15/81), focuses on his personal involvement with shamanism. He describes his experiences as a participant in shamanic ceremonies around the world and endeavors to explain shamanic practices in terms of quantum physics. He supports his contention with nine hypotheses that link the two seemingly divergent practices. Unfortunately, his narrative is extremely disjointed and skips back and forth between unrelated episodes. While he includes many fascinating descriptions of shamanic rituals, his finished product is basically a book of reminiscences and musings. His study may be of value to libraries seeking books on personal spiritual experience, but its inherent subjectivity is a limiting factor.
- Elizabeth Salt, Otterbein Coll. Lib., Westerville, Ohio
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews
More soul-searching and imaginative (to say the least) hypothesizing by Wolf (Parallel Universes, 1988, etc.)--this time in an attempt to explain shamanistic ``miracles'' in terms of quantum physics. It hurts to be a left-brained guy in a right-brained milieu, and the reader feels for Wolf as he once again attempts to explain extra-normal phenomena (shamanic healing, fire-walking, shape- shifting, out-of-body experiences, time travel, etc.) in terms that a typical modern physicist might agree with and understand. In the end, though, theories of radioactive Druidic stones that transform ultrasensitive children into shamans sound more desperate than satisfactory--as do speculations that shamans heal through sound vibrations and that time travel results from the existence of parallel universes, and shape-shifting is possible due to the observer effect, etc. Much of the book centers on Wolf's journey to the jungles of Peru, where he imbibes liquid distilled from the hallucinogenic ayahuasca plant, communes with local shamans, and emerges ``healed'' in ways obvious only to himself--while reading meaning into such innocuous coincidences as the presence of a comely Peruvian actress at an ayahuasca rite (a trickster-spirit's attempt to distract him, or perhaps a manifestation of Wolf's own feminine half) or the screening of a film about a Peruvian seeker (an amazing manifestation of Wolf's own spiritual journey). Memories of previous encounters with Druids, Cabalists, Buddhists, medicine men, and helpful spirits provide grist for more wide-eyed speculation along the way of what seems to amount to an amazing exercise in wishful thinking. Reality is what you make it, the physicist wistfully concludes--and in Wolf's highly subjective world, nothing could be truer. -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Customer Reviews

A classic book on shamanism -- a real page-turner!
This book stands out as one of the best books on shamanism I've ever seen. The Eagle's Quest is remarkable because it maps concepts from modern physics into the ancient shamanistic world... all the while following the Wolf's very personal true story of his quest for deeper understanding. Because Wolf really wishes to know what's going on in the universe, his book is thorough in its investigations of old world shamanism. This is one of the best books I've ever read combining spirituality and physics: it's full of useful information and well-written. I love all of Fred Alan Wolf's books, and this one is especially enjoyable to me, because it was truly written from his heart. This book is a classic.

Outstanding background of shamanism
This book presents the occult and the practice of shamanism in a very understandable format. The book presents the parallel of quantum physics and the metaphysical in very understandable terms. I have spent time with Peruvian shamans in the mountains and look forward to spending time in the amazon. I would very much like to communicate with Dr. Wolf to discuss his experiences. Dr. Wolf, thanks for a great and enlightening book: please write or call, JJ 847.304.1757

Excellent book
Dr. Wolf has accomplished what many cannot, he has written a highly interesting book about his journey to discover the parallelism between quantum physics and the knowledge / wisdom of the ancient shamans -- and has done so without getting lost in the scientific jargon. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it for those who are interested in joining their scientific interest with their spiritual journey.