What we have here friends is a link to a fascinating podcast interview from the program Expanding Mind between writer and journalist Erik Davis (author of the intriguing Techgnosis and Nomad Codes, among others) and professional stage magician Jeff McBride that delves into many of our favorite subjects in the fantastical realm of festal culture: imagination, ritual, inspiration, performance, transformation, empowerment. In this lively and accessible talk, we see that what the shaman does and what the showman does are by and large effected by the same basic tricks of the trade; timeless wonder-inducing techniques designed to suspend the workings of the ordinary world and render ourselves open to the limitless possibilities found beyond the boundaries of what we think we are.
The talk is about an hour long, and if you can make the time for a listen, it is well worth it! Available on the page for download as an mp3 to your portable player as well. Commercial break between 31:15-34:25.