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The
Cuyamungue Institute Dr. Felicitas Goodman
Notes from Laura Lee: I have always wanted to know about our ancient ancestors. How did they see and experience the world? Dr. Goodman has reopened a doorway to allow us to experience what they experienced. The link was made when she noticed, in the art work of hunter-gatherer and early horticulturist societies, that figurines and statuettes were configured in very specific body postures. She asked a small group of her students to hold one of these postures, close their eyes, and pay attention while she shook a rattle. When they went around the circle and reported back to her, they discovered that they each had a vision quest, a journey that had many of the same elements, and that each posture takes one on it's own type of journey. And so the work began. Paul and I thoroughly enjoyed our visit with Felicitas, as we took the Introductory Course. Sitting around the breakfast, lunch, and dinner table talking with Felicitas and the other participants (a small group of only 12) .... greeting the sun at sun rise.... sleeping under the brilliantly lit night sky watching the shooting stars.... the luxury of napping between sessions, before going back to the kiva and beginning with a Q&A hour in which all our questions were answered, and where we learned just what neuro and physiological changes take place in the body to support the trance state, and how it can be verified in the laboratory.... and best of all, introduction to various postures under Felicitas' guidance, and sharing our experiences with the group ... how we enjoyed returning to a simple life where the focus was on our regular visits to the Alternate Reality. (We also appreciated the affordable course fee of only $235 for the 3-day course, which includes room and board!. And if you cannot find your way to New Mexico during the summer months, you can arrange for a course to be held in, and a teacher to come to, your own home town. Just write the Institute (address listed further down this page) for the details.) It's a life changing experience! Before, those mystical connections choose their own time to visit us. Now, we can go visiting the Alternate Reality at will. It' deeply satisfying. I'd always thought that in our current assessment of the nature of Reality, we (meaning Western society today) have left out half of the equation....that the "wysiwyg" (what-you-see-is-what-you-get) 3-dimensional, physical Reality our senses deliver to us in waking, beta state is just half of what is really there. And that if we could but fill in the other half of the equation, the part that gives us those mystical experiences that feel more real that this waking reality, then we would be on our way to restoring ourselves to unity, harmony, and health. Was this aquaintence and access to the Alternate Reality what shaped the world view and world experience of previous cultures, and how did we loose it? When I mentioned this to Felicitas, her response filled in so many gaps in the big picture, that I asked her to share it with you during this next interview (July 4 1998). Below, you will find the Cuyamungue Insitute's address. Write for membership, upcoming courses, and inquiries on setting up a course in your area. You'll also find a link to information on Dr. Goodman's books: The following text is excerpted from the Cuyamungue Institute brochure. About the Cuyamungue Institute... The Cuyamungue Institute is a non-profit educational organization founded in 1979 by anthropologist Dr. Felicitas D. Goodman. The Institute, under Dr. Goodman's direction, conducts research into the use of ritual posture to mediate trance experience. Workshops and other related activities are undertaken during the summer months. Dr. Goodman, who holds degrees in linguistics and anthropology, has been conducting research into altered states of consciousness relative to ritual posture since 1977. She has published numerous books and articles, most recently Where the Spirits Ride the Wind and Ecstacy, Ritual and Alternate Reality. Each spring Dr. Goodman lectures and gives workshops throughout Europe, including her native Hungary. The Land... "Cuyamungue" is a Spanish adaptation of a Tewa Indian name for the large pueblo that flourished centuries ago in the valley where the Institute is located. Roughly translated, it means "the place where the rocks are slipping." The Cuyamungue Institute has its home on 280 acres of mountain desert near Santa Fe. The grounds of the Institute are an informal wildlife refuge, open only to workshop participants and invited guests. Each of the Institute's five buildings is constructed of adobe and pine to blend quietly with the landscape of arroyos, scrub cedar and pinon. To the east are the Sangre de Cristo mountains. The mountains, whose name literally means "blood of Christ," are so called because they reflect the setting sun in deep, rich shades of red. To the west are the Jemez mountains where, according to Indian legend, humans emerged from the third world under the arc of the rainbow. Within the boundaries of the Institute is the remainder of an ancient pueblo, dating from about 900 A.D. Stones still mark the holy places there, and the spirits of the Old Ones continue to welcome those who approach the land with reverence and respect. The Adventure... The adventure is the journey to the Alternate Reality, and ritual posture is the doorway. There are thirty or so known postures and each allows a unique exploration of the world of the Spirits. Healing, divining, mythmaking and metamorphosis are among the experiences available through the use of these ritual postures. A trance state, which allows for the exploration of the Spirit World, is induced by auditory stimuli, frequently rattling. Anyone with a healthy nervous system can be trained to enter and leave the trance state quite easily, on cue. Each summer, the Institute provides an opportunity for small groups to participate in trance workshops and other activities designed to enhance and ground the experiences of the Alternate Reality. The workshops also provide an opportunity to live simply, in community, and in harmony with the land. Dr. Goodman and a few trained assistants also provide workshops in other cities throughout the year. Becoming a Member Membership in the Institute includes a subscription to the newsletter, published three times a year. Membership fees are used to maintain the buildings and road, and to support Institute projects. The newsletter includes articles by Dr. Goodman, a schedule of upcoming workshops at the Institute, and information about scheduling a workshop in your area. To become a member: Send a check for $25, made payable to Cuyamungue Institute, with your name, mailing address, and phone number to: Cuyamungue Institute |
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About Our Mission
Dr.
Felicitas Goodman
Illustrations
of Ecstatic Body Postures from the Cuyamungue Institute brochure