| Every year several thousand North Americans travel to Peru for the purpose of becoming initiated into the shamanic/mystical path of the indigenous people of the Andes. Upon their return, some of these individuals continue the work of their initiation and become committed practitioners of this tradition. In so doing, they learn how to stand in between the Western and Andean cultures. As a result of bridging between these cultures, the Andean indigenous tradition is taken out of its original context and translated into western culture creating an emerging third culture.; This ethnographic study uses reflexive and transpersonal approaches to inquire into the experiences of 8 Western initiates who are members of this in-between culture. The researcher, who is a member of this emerging culture, reflexively examined the participants and her own experience though multiple interpretive frames and approaches. The use of Andean shamanic/mystical practices in the interviews and throughout the research enabled a sensitive inquiry into the domain of the sacred and permitted both Western and Andean ways of knowing to shape the research outcome.; This study responded to the call in the shamanic literature (Wallis, 2003) to research shamanic practice on the local level by focusing in on the experiences of these Western initiates. The participants' initiation experiences were examined through the rites of passage framework (Van Gennep, 1909/1960; Turner, 1969). This led to the re-conceptualization of liminality and the identification of four liminal dimensions, (cultural, epistemological, spiritual, and psychological) that shape the participants' lives as Andean neo-shamanic/mystical practitioners. Further analysis surfaced four patterns (temporary liminal, permanent liminal, transliminal and non-liminal) by which participants engage these liminal dimensions.; Understanding the experience of in-betweeness is essential in order to respond sensitively and insightfully to the challenging and generative tensions that characterize the process of bridging cultures; especially those that are as different as the indigenous cultures. This study addressed these challenging and creative tensions of in-betweeness by offering a re-conceptualization of liminality and by presenting a form of inquiry that addresses these tensions in practice. |
