A radical reinterpretation of the Pyramid Texts as shamanic mystical wisdom rather than funerary rituals ac Reveals the mystical nature of Egyptian civilization denied by orthodox Egyptologists ac Examines the similarity between the pharaohas afterlife voyage and shamanic journeying ac 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 Naydleras 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.Itissignificant that themainevents ofthe Sed festival, alongwith other royal ceremonies, were presided over bythe ... ofHorus worship intheDelta).22 Thatthe spirits ofNekhen are mentioned only here is aclear indication astotheceremonial role ofanbsp;...
Title | : | Shamanic Wisdom in the Pyramid Texts |
Author | : | Jeremy Naydler |
Publisher | : | Inner Traditions / Bear & Co - 2004-12-09 |
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