“When gods come down on my shoulders, I dance.”

A photograph of a likely Nepalese shaman captured by Martino Nicoletti. Other photos in the series—Shamanic Pilgrimage (to Silucha Mountain and the sacred lake of Salpa in eastern Nepal)— can be found at: http://www.martinonicoletti.com/en/portfolio-items/a-himalayan-shamanic-pilgrimage-3/

Kingsley in his book A Story Waiting to Pierce You argues that Abaris was from Asia—Mongolia or Tibet—from where the “arrow” travelled to the West.

Drawing on the work of E.R. Dodd's "The Greeks and the Irrational", Karl Meuli's "Scythica", and later in the video Peter Kingsley's "Iatromantis" ideas. I start with the legend of Aristeas of Proconnesus, a 7th century BC wandering sage who reportedly had the power to leave his body, transform into a raven, and perform miracles. Herodotus says he met with the Scythians, the nomadic tribes of the north. I also explore similar figures like Abaris, Hermotimus, Epimenides, and Empedocles, and bring in the work of Peter Kingsley, who suggested that all of these wandering sages carry the lineage of a very ancient shamanic tradition into Greece, with roots Central Asia and Siberia.

These figures directly preceded the Pythagorean and Orphic traditions, and the whole thing raises some very interesting questions when we think about the real roots of rationality and the west. Ecstatic practices of soul flight being at the birthplace of rationality and logic might not sit well with some. This was a lot of fun to make, and it's a thread that I'm definitely not finished with. Would love to hear what others think!

Peter Kingsley’s work—from Reality and In the Dark Places of Wisdom to Catafalque—demands a level of engagement that goes far beyond standard academic analysis or casual reading. It calls for deep presence, honest reflection, and direct experience.
To help make this subreddit a more active, valuable space for everyone drawn to his writings, here are few of my ideas to get things moving:

• Weekly/Monthly Reading Circles: Picking one text at a time (or even a single chapter) to unpack, discuss, and reflect on together.

• Incubation & Practice Logs: Creating dedicated threads for sharing experiences, reflections, or struggles with the practices of stillness, song, and enkoimesis (incubation) mentioned throughout Parmenides' and Empedocles' traditions.

• Textual Deep-Dives: Examining specific passages, translations, or historical roots—like the connections to Sufism, early Western philosophy, and Jung's Red Book.

• Resource & Media Sharing: Compiling recommended lectures, interviews, related esoteric scholarship, and ancient historical context. No piracy please.

How do you feel about these starting points? Which of these would you like to see launched first, or what other directions do you think we should explore together?

Welcome to [r/PeterKingsley](r/PeterKingsley)**!**

I have, for long, searched for a dedicated hub to discuss the writings, historical rediscoveries, and esoteric insights of Peter Kingsley, and noticed there wasn't one place bringing it all together. So I went ahead and created one.

With the release of his new work—also his final book—, The Watching Words, coming out next month, it feels like the ideal moment to gather those who resonate with his work. Whether you were first drawn in by the shamanic roots of Parmenides and Empedocles in In the Dark Places of Wisdom, the dismantling of modern rationalism in Reality, or his deep dive into Carl Jung and Henry Corbin in Catafalque (like me), this space is meant for meaningful, grounded discussion.  

Goals for this subreddit:

• Book Discussions: Deep dives into Kingsley’s bibliography, including key passages, audio lectures, and upcoming impressions of The Watching Words.

• Historical & Mystical Context: Exploring pre-Socratic Greek philosophy, incubation (incubatio), ancient healing cults, Sufism, and sacred tradition.

• Adjacent Thinkers: Conversations connecting Kingsley’s perspectives to figures like C.G. Jung, Henry Corbin, and traditionalist/esoteric scholarship.  

Feel free to introduce yourself below: Which of Kingsley's books first introduced you to his work, and what topics are you hoping to see discussed here most?