Talking with Spirits: Journeys into Balinese Spirit Worlds

In 1970, the young filmmaker Michael Wiese arrived in Bali and was taken to a remote village by a Balinese painting salesman. He became the first Westerner to live with the Balinese in this village participating in temple ceremonies, playing gamelan, painting, and seeing shadow plays. The longer he stayed, the more he realized that he was not really ‘seeing’ the world where the Balinese lived. In that world, the Balinese spend half their life participating in elaborate rituals and ceremonies evoking the spirits of the ancestors and honoring countless spirit deities – both gods and demons – who influence our world. Michael wanted to learn more about these dimensions awash with spirits and powerful entities so common in Bali but unheard of in the Western world, but after 40 years and many visits, little progress was made. Then, a breakthrough occurred. Bali yielded its secrets as trance dancers, mediums, shadow masters, priests and healers revealed the spiritual practices and portals to these sacred dimensions. The result – a filmic treasure with many never-before-seen moments that makes us question everything we know about the nature of reality, consciousness and the source of creativity and inspiration.