The final IES Deep Conversation of 2025 brought participants together for a rich dialogue on Shamanism in contemporary ecopsychological practice. Dr. Tina Fields opened with an insightful exploration of shamanism as an ancestral form of ecopsychology that can inform modern practice when approached with respect and care.
In a council-style conversation, participants shared perspectives on shamanic ecopsychological practices and how they tend these traditions with cultural humility. Dr. Fields invited reflection on how non-natives might ethically engage in spiritual nature-connection work on colonized lands without cultural appropriation. The discussion wove through honouring Indigenous wisdom, cultivating wise relations, and recognizing that some Indigenous knowledge is not meant to be shared. Participants also touched on the economic and cultural complexities surrounding the revival of shamanic practices within Indigenous communities.
During the conversation, shamanism was clarified as a set of practices that return us to the normative worldview of animism—the awareness of a more-than-human world. Raquel Freire of Peru shared: “It is a human right to awaken our animist memory from the places where we find ourselves, following protocols that safeguard the safety of all beings, human and more-than-human.”
The group also held space for the economic and cultural complexities surrounding the resurgence of shamanic practices within Indigenous communities themselves, acknowledging grief, reclamation, and resilience interwoven.
Throughout the dialogue, the more-than-human world emerged as an active guide and source of healing. Participants spoke of shamanic journeying, plant medicine, and connecting with trees, sacred places, and animals. Reflections centered on re-establishing ancestral practices, acknowledging the ongoing impacts of colonialism, and engaging in collective reconnection grounded in gratitude, trust, and humility.
