Michael J. Harner

About the Author

Michael J. Harner was an influential anthropologist, author, and teacher whose field research and comparative studies helped bring shamanic traditions to a broad modern audience. Drawing on firsthand work with Indigenous communities, including the Jivaro of Ecuador and Peru, he explored ritual practice, healing, cosmology, and altered states of consciousness with scholarly curiosity and respect. Harner later founded the Foundation for Shamanic Studies and developed influential approaches to contemporary shamanic practice. His work remains notable for connecting academic anthropology with experiential spirituality and for encouraging readers to engage thoughtfully with traditional knowledge.