Zana Marovic
Track: Mystical Spirituality as a Link between World Religions
Indigenous Self: Coming Out Of The Closet & Other Stories
ITA Prague Indigenous Panel: “Indigenous traditions: explorations and applications”
In this panel, presenters will explore the impact of indigenous traditions, including cases from Africa, South America, Tibet, China and India. The panelists are experts on the respective traditions, and will present on the teachings and practices, with a major emphasis on the impact these have had beyond the respective local regions. The panel will allow time for discussion not only of the traditions themselves, but also of the ways in which these indigenous ways have been contributing to developments and research in Transpersonal Psychology.
The Indigenous Self: Coming Out Of The Closet & Other Stories
This panel presentation commences by examining personal encounters with African shamans-sangomas, against the backdrop of a modern view on indigenous cultures. Next, I will touch upon the impact these encounters had on my transition from spiritual emergency to spiritual emergence, bringing exceptional human experiences to light as well as learning to embrace its’ gifts.
In addition, I will reflect upon the professional integration of the indigenous African perspective and establishment of platforms that promote deeper understanding of cross-cultural aspects of healing. I will briefly review African cosmology, touch upon differences between Western and African indigenous models of healing, and summarize parallels between the African and transpersonal paradigms. Lastly, I will pay a tribute to the relevance of indigenous practices and shamanism for psychology and the world at large.
Track: Shamanism and Its Potential for Modern Man
Workshop: Towards Wholeness: From Indigenous Roots To Quantum Insights
In the Western world indigenous practices are considered primitive and unscientific. Western “lens” sees indigenous through: “the oldest and strongest emotion of mankind - fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.”
In order for humanity to thrive and each of us to be whole we need to connect to our lost part: ‘indigenous self’. As we return to our indigenous roots we get nourished by its resources:
- Connecting to our ancestors,
- Respecting nature and all living beings,
- Intuiting with the world of spirits,
- Dreaming parallel worlds,
- Becoming one with the Universe.
And there - in ‘the indigenous self’ - we find seeds of ‘quantum self’ and touch upon the mystery of how it all connects.
Ultimately, exploration and integration of indigenous insights holds the promise to a wise way forward: one that initiates consciousness renewal and vision of global community where “this world of ours, must avoid becoming a community of dreadful fear and hate, and be, instead, a proud confederation of mutual trust and respect”.
Dr Zana Marovic is a clinical psychologist, transpersonal therapist, hypnotherapist, clinical supervisor, yoga teacher and author. She has over twenty five years of experience as a psychotherapist and supervisor. She is in a private practice in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Zana holds a PhD in Medical Psychology from the University of South Africa. She has published in international academic journals, presented workshops and papers at congresses around the world and published a book on clinical supervision.
She is an executive member of The International Transpersonal Association and accredited trainer for transpersonal workshops in South Africa. She runs holistic retreats in mountains near Johannesburg. Zana has developed a close collaboration with the African Traditional Healers’ Association. In her practice and training she integrates Eastern philosophy and yoga with Western traditional knowledge and African indigenous wisdom.
Website: www.drzana.co.za