Going Tribal

[TooStonedToType]

Interesting show on The Discovery Channel.  "Going Tribal"  I've only seen one episode.  A shaman did complain about the cameras and hoped the images wouldn't be used in magic against her.  I have to question the effect cameras had on Bruce's experiences.  But still looks promising.

Looks like there are a couple of shows that will be real  interesting.

http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/going ... sodes.html



 WAKING THE SPIRITS
Bruce learns the secrets of the spirits when he joins the Sanema, a group of indigenous people who live in the Upper Caura region of Venezuela, to discover the strange dual-reality world in which they live. The Sanema believe spirits dwell in everything â€" the river, the rocks and the animals around them â€" in a world as real to them as the jungle they live in. And their shamans can commune with such spirits through the use of hallucinogenic snuff. Now Bruce faces the task of training as a shaman to get an insight into their experiences.
This episode has premiered, but check the schedule for future air dates.  


   AFRICAN VISION QUEST
Bruce faces one of his toughest tests as he is inducted into Bwiti, a rainforest religion practiced by the Babongo people of Gabon. He's right to be worried â€" on occasion the ritual, which involves consuming an overdose of a powerful hallucinogenic, iboga, has proved fatal. This dramatic episode follows Bruce's build-up to the ceremony, as he goes hunting, collecting forest honey and spends time getting to know his new friends, before they judge the time is right for his "rebirthing" ritual.

[VajraPirate]

Makes me wish I still had cable.

[TooStonedToType]

I don't have cable either.  I'll try and tape it at a friends.

[JRL]

I saw part of that. Bruce actually does a small dose of tryptamine snuff and trips.

[klownkam]

I watched the episode regarding the iboga.  They wouldn't let the cameras near him while he was doing it.  However, I could be wrong, but I think he tripped for 2 - 3 solid days and he came out of it saying it had made him a better person.

[Avery L. Breath]

I'm not sure how I feal about this show personally.  I can't quite yet put my finger on what exactly it is that strikes me as not right about it, but.......

[JRL]

It's kinda like "Lifestyles of the poor and tribal"

But it was funny watching him trying to catch the trails coming off his hand.

[laughingwillow]

LOL That's funny, JRL-bro.

I have no desire to watch the guy but don't really know why.....

lw

[laughingwillow]

That said........ There were a few films we watched during me anthropology studies at the university that I found informative and amusing, to be honest, concerning the ritual ingestion of local sacraments. I remember watching an anthropologist get a load of yopo blown up his snout and the trip that followed rather vividly. Cohesion in thought/speech patterns disintegrated rather quickly. But the guy was there to experience the sacred in a respectful manner and the film was of an academic nature.

lw

[Avery L. Breath]

It's kinda like "Lifestyles of the poor and tribal"quote]


Yeah, that sounds about right.  I just can't help but think by exposing these peoples to a wide U.$. audience, he's leaving them even more vunerable to exploitation.

[TooStonedToType]

"It's kinda like "Lifestyles of the poor and tribal"

I didn't think it was presented like this.  The guy lived with them and tried to experience the culture - hence the name of the program. "Going Native - is an old term"

I was thinking about some of the concerns expressed while watching the program.  I questioned the showing of entheogens being used and the effect here.  I think it could be good.  It shows there really are people that take these as part of a serious bonafide religion/spiritual practice.  As far as making these people more vunerable to exploitation, that might be hard.  In one program it was mentioned the tribe's main threat was logging and cattle.  I think most thinking people in the U$ know this, but it is too abstract.  By exposing these tribes as real people might actually do some good - but who knows?