<p>I have a friend who is a senior applying for college. He’s a good student, and he’s applying to some top 20 LACs. </p>
<p>The really unique thing about him is that he practices Shamanism. He’s really into meditation, drumming, and lucid dreaming. He studies all sorts of Shamanism and practices his own hybridized form. This is pretty unique, I would assume.</p>
<p>The problem is, along with meditation, drumming, and dreaming, he also sometimes uses entheogens when he meditates. He doesn’t consume any illegal substances, and has done intense research on anything he consumes. Usually, it’s a tea or herbal elixer, but sometimes he uses more obscure, ancient entheogens when he feels like it’s the right time. He’s extremely against substance abuse, and doesn’t drink or smoke ciggerettes. He is extremely causious and never does anything that could be potentially unsafe.</p>
<p>Is his Shamanism going to be a hook because of it’s uniqueness, or an anti-hook because of a misunderstanding of his use of entheogen? He really wants to include it, but he came to me because he’s worried it would hurt him and wanted me ask you guys here (ironically, he makes fun of me for using CC!). What do you guys think?</p>
<p>I don’t think it will be a hook, which would indicate he’d have some characteristic so fabulous that the college would feel his presence would be a big asset to their campus.</p>
<p>Depending on how he presents his intellectual pursuit of shamanism, however, it could be interesting to admissions officers because his hobby could demonstrate that he has intellectual passion, which top colleges view as a plus.</p>
<p>Generally, I think it would be an anti-hook. Many colleges don’t even consider spirituality/religion when looking at application.</p>
<p>LACs would be more liberal, and probably more accepting of less popular spiritualities, but there are still a lot of misconceptions about Shamanism. Unless he can write an essay that dispels a lot of those myths, I don’t think he should include it. Most adcoms probably don’t realize that it can be a serious pursuit.</p>
<p>Sorry completely off topic but Miles Levine went to my school… I’m guessing that’s what your sn is about? Did you know him personally or just from blogs?</p>
<p>No, it’s my names. Nothing to do with Miles LeVine.</p>
<p>He has a really good essay already, so I don’t know if he should write another one about Shamanism. So, basically he shouldn’t include it if it’s not a complete essay.</p>
<p>I would look back at the second paragraph of Northstarmom’s post… unless he can show some sort of intellectual aspect his participation in Shamanism, I wouldn’t risk it.</p>
<p>Personally, I feel the point of view of someone with such a unique belief set and practices would be welcome at any school. I really wouldn’t think that shaminism implies druggie.</p>
<p>Well, I hate to be rude, but the first thing most people will think of when they hear that a student is into “Shamanism” is “kook,” unless maybe he’s an international student from a place where it’s more common. Most people will have no idea that it involves “entheogens” unless he tells them.</p>
<p>I also have to say that it wouldn’t be much of a hook. Colleges are hardly friendly and welcoming to religious anyway, and if your friend tried to practice his faith at some of the Berkeley-ite LACs he might get charged with a “hate crime” or something like that. Not worth the risk IMO.</p>
<p>Yes…old thread. However, Shamans are individuals that communicate with the spiritual world, they cure and they travel to other dimensions. Remembered an interview with Shirley McLain where she said that while travelling to Peru she met a Shaman who taught her how to travel to other worlds…something like that. The Indian natives used to practice something similar to the Shamans.</p>
<p>If any of your current friend practices…I believe it would be interesting to read about his experiences…but he should stay clean…not to engage in something illegal. </p>
<p>Very old thread…who knows a Shaman? I have never seen or met one…just seen pictures.</p>
<p>If it were a hook… everyone would be doing it. People do crazy things for admissions.</p>
<p>What makes a hook a hook is that it is something extremely hard to achieve and having that person would add prestige to the school’s name and value</p>
<p>Haha this thread is pretty funny. I thought shamanism had to do with souls/ghosts, in which case I confess I’m pretty familiar with it because I lived in a country where shamanism is widely practiced. I don’t see how what the OP’s friend is doing is shamanism. I’m into lucid dreaming big time, but it’s NOT shamanism. Neither is meditation or using herbs, from what I know. If lucid dreaming is a hook, I’m definitely getting into UVA… but it’s not a hook.</p>