Table of Contents

List of Postures

Foreword by Belinda Gore, Ph.D.

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Part One
The Ecstatic Journey

1 Ecstatic Trance and the Modern Journeyer

2 The Unity of Ecstatic Experiences and Potential Influences

3 Initiating the Ecstatic Journey

Part Two
The Power of the Postures

4 The Purposes of Ecstatic Experiences

5 Healing Postures
Healing Physical, Mental, and Emotional Issues

6 Divination Postures
Determining the Nature of Healing and the Outcome of Events

7 Initiation Postures
Dying to Old Patterns, Rebirthing a New Self

8 Spirit Journeying and Metamorphosis Postures
Finding New Perspectives

9 Attaining Self-Actualization
Using Posture Sequences to Heal Dis-ease

10 A Cycle of Physical and Emotional Healing
A New Perspective on Cancer and Life

Part Three
Extrasensory Connectionsthrough Ecstatic Trance

11 Cultivating Parapsychological Abilities

12 Accessing the Universal Mind

Conclusion Going Beyond

Appendix A The Healing Powers of the Native American Medicine Wheel

Appendix B Ten Days in June

Notes

Bibliography

Index

About the Author

Nicholas E. Brink is a psychologist who has maintained a private clinical practice since 1977. He is a qualified psychologist, on the board of directors of the International Association for the Study of Dreams and a past president of the American Association for the Study of Mental Imagery. A certified teacher of ecstatic trance with the Felicitas Goodman Institute, he lives in Coburn, Pennsylvania.

Reviews

“Nicholas Brink, Ph.D., takes us on a journey that is at once a rich theoretical banquet of exploration into the nature of the imaginal psyche and a detailed guide to building one’s own trance-based practice. Everything one needs to get started is here, and richly illustrated.”
*Raymond Hillis, Ph.D., professor emeritus at California State University, Los Angeles*

“Nick Brink, Ph.D., has done a marvelous job translating and updating the work of Felicitas Goodman into our current times. In doing so, he makes indigenous wisdom more available to us all. How fascinating that the mind-body-spirit connection should work in all directions--that body postures can produce emotional and spiritual states of being! In explaining this, Nick Brink returns spirituality to the body--where it began.”
*Lewis Mehl-Madrona, M.D., Ph.D., certified in family practice, geriatrics, and psychiatry and author*

“Nicholas Brink’s book takes a big step forward for publications in the field of ecstatic trance postures. The heart of his book revolves around stories of healing produced by the unconscious while in posture. This book is accessible and informative to the public and a must for professionals in the mental health field, people engaged in alternative health practices, and students of shamanism.”
*Lisa N. Woodside, Ph.D., professor of humanities emerita, Holy Family University, and certified teac*

“A few decades ago the topic of consciousness had all but disappeared from mainstream literature in psychology and psychiatry. Now there is a plethora of books on the topic, but The Power of Ecstatic Trance is the most unique. Nicholas Brink, Ph.D., takes his readers on a ride from the rituals of indigenous people to the laboratories of neuroscience researchers. Case studies and anthropological research add authority to Brink’s prescriptions, while the illustrations and the detailed directions make these esoteric rituals reader friendly.”
*Stanley Krippner, Ph.D., coauthor of Demystifying Shamans and Their World*

“This is the best summary of trance work now being published. I am often looking for resources to suggest to my own colleagues and students, those of us studying and using ecstatic trance states. Nick’s book will be among the handful I will immediately recommend to any interested in the personal and communal power of the human capacity to heal and to shift the direction of our life paths.”
*Rev. James Lawer, certified instructor at the Cuyamungue Institute*

“In our overly rational world, body, imagination, and spirit are too often treated as if they are separate. In this fascinating and practical exploration of meditation with intentional body postures, Nick Brink opens a way for us to discover the particular and deeper experiences of healing and wisdom.”
*Tom Lane, founder of Journey Conferences*

“We live in times that call for, no, demand that we become our own shamans and look for answers from within like our ancestors did. This is also a great book for experienced shamans; it brings a lot of new information to the subject of shamanism.”
*Rahasya Poe, Lotus Guide Magazine, April 2013*

“The book is accessible and easy to read for novices and pros alike. Brink introduces and explains 20 different shamanic journeying postures, separated into sections by their intention. Brink writes in a style that is very open and welcoming to beginners. Through his words, the reader can feel that he wants you to understand each pose. He is very passionate about sharing knowledge on the subject.”
*Allison Robertson, Voices of Central Pennsylvania, May 2013*

“Nick Brink is a brave guide into the alternate reality of ecstatic trance. From his vantage point as a longtime therapist and teacher, he brings both wisdom and a sense of adventure to the journey to the Spirits. I’ve so enjoyed learning from his deep insight and open heart.”
*Ileen Root, Ph.D., depth psychologist and creativity, career, and life-transitions counselor*

“As a psychologist, Nick Brink shows how this work with trance states lends itself so readily, gently, and yet powerfully to self-understanding and actualization.”
*Laura Lee, director of the Visioneering Project of Cuyamungue, the Felicitas D. Goodman Institute*

“A must read for contemporary students of consciousness!”
*Stephen Larsen, Ph.D., LMHC, BCIA-EEG, professor emeritus of psychology at SUNY Ulster and author of*