THE SHAMANS

While Phil was documenting the various human rights abuses faced by tribal and indigenous cultures around the world, he began to meet their healers and visionaries—the people we often refer to as shamans. He was surprised to learn that many of the shamans he met had been identified in their youth as ‘being gifted’ by having visions, hearing voices and experiencing intense mood swings---what we would call a psychotic episode. This discovery led Phil into an ongoing exploration our mental health care system and the potential value of non-ordinary states of consciousness.

Below you will find an account of Phil’s exploration, many of the shamans he met and the resulting documentary film CRAZYWISE.