Wetiko

Wetiko

Healing the Mind-Virus That Plagues Our World

Category: World Vision

In its Native Americanmeaning,wetikois an evil cannibalistic spirit that can take over people’s minds,leading to selfishness, insatiable greed, and consumption as an end in itself, destructively turning ourintrinsic creative genius against our own humanity.

Revealing the presence of wetiko in our modern worldbehind every form of destruction our species is carrying out, both individual and collective, Paul Levyshows how this mind-virus is so embedded in our psychesthat it is almost undetectable—and it is ourblindness to it that gives wetiko its power. Yet, as Levy reveals in striking detail, by recognizing this highlycontagious mind parasite, by seeing wetiko, we can break free from its hold and realize the vast creativepowers of the human mind.Levy explores how artists, philosophers, and spiritual traditions across the ages have been creativelysymbolizing this deadly pathogen of the psyche so as to help us see it and heal it. He examines the conceptof wetiko as it appears in the teachings of the Kabbalah, Hawaiian Kahuna shamanism, Buddhism, andmystical Christianity and through esoteric concepts like egregores, demons, counterfeiting spirits, andpsychic vampires.

He reveals how visionary thinkers such as C. G. Jung, Sri Aurobindo, Philip K. Dick,Colin Wilson, Nicolas Berdyaev, and Rene Girard each point to wetiko in their own unique and creativeway. He explores how theprojection of the shadow self—scapegoating—is the underlying psychologicalmechanism fueling wetiko and examines wetikoin the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, showing that wecan reframe the pandemic so as to receive the lessons and opportunities embedded in it.

Revealing how the power of imagination can cure the wetiko mind-virus, Levy underscores how importantit is for each of us to bring forth the creative spirit within us, which helps shed the light of consciousness onwetiko, taking away its power over us while simultaneously empowering ourselves

Paul Levy is a pioneer in the field of spiritualemergence and a TibetanBuddhist practitioner for more than 35 years. He is the founder of the Awakening inthe Dream Community in Portland, Oregon, and the author of several books,includingDispelling Wetiko. He lives in Portland, Oregon