Research paleoanthropologist and shamanic teacher, Hank Wesselman was one of those rare cutting edge scientists who truly walked between the worlds. He did his undergraduate work, as well as his Masters Degree, in Zoology at the University of Colorado at Boulder, then went on to receive his doctoral degree in Anthropology from the University of California at Berkeley.
A native New Yorker, he spent much of his adult life living and working among traditional tribal peoples, primarily in Africa and Polynesia. He served in the US Peace Corps in the 1960’s, living among people of the Yoruba Tribe in Western Nigeria for two years. It was there that he first became interested in indigenous spiritual wisdom.
Since 1971, he conducted research with an international group of scientists, exploring eastern Africa’s Great Rift Valley in search of answers to the mystery of human origins. During this time, he worked alongside such worthies as Dr. Don Johanson, Lucy’s discoverer; Professor Tim White, whose expeditions have been featured in several TIME magazine cover stories, as well as members of the famous Leakey family. He is one of the primary investigators involved in the discovery of the “Ardi” sites (Ardiptithecus ramidus) in Ethiopia–recently revealed to be the famous missing link between humans and apes that Charles Darwin predicted would be found in Africa. Hank’s research was involved with the paleoenvironmental reconstruction of the sites (4-6 million years old) at the time they were laid down.
Spontaneous visionary experiences in east Africa prompted his discovery of as aspect of the dream and spiritual realms, known to shamanic practitioners. He developed his shamanic skills using the percussive stimulus of drumming and rattling with no chemical stimulants. He was able to broaden and enrich his visionary experiences, resulting in workshop opportunities to teach others.
Hank was honored to teach gatherings of fellow cosmic explorers at the Omega Institute, the Esalen Institute, Breitenbush Hotsprings Retreat Center, Westerbeke Ranch Conference Center and Mosswood Hollow Retreat Center. During the covid shutdown, he taught the Shaman Visionary Circle course, reaching participants worldwide.
In addition to his scientific papers and monographs, his books include his autobiographical trilogy: SPIRITWALKER: MESSAGES FROM THE FUTURE (Bantam, 1995), MEDICINEMAKER: MYSTIC ENCOUNTERS ON THE SHAMAN’S PATH (Bantam, 1998), and VISIONSEEKER: SHARED WISDOM FROM THE PLACE OF REFUGE (Hay House, 2001). These unusual books are focused upon a series of altered state experiences that began spontaneously out in the bush of Africa and document his investigations into a hidden reality that most of us have heard about, but few have experienced directly.
