Ivan, the Shaman Who Doesn’t Want to Be a Freak by Dominik Wurnig
In Palisades, NY, lives Ivan Szendrö, a modern day shaman who reveals “your legend” for $75. Knowing your legend, and subsequently your hero, heals you and helps you solve your problems. He is convinced that his message is worth a bigger audience.
Not always, but sometimes I put on this head when I’m telling a legend and it’s just nice. And I have dress as well, but I don’t use always because I don’t want that people see me as a freak person. I want that they relate with my today self.
I am 500 years or a little bit older or 1000 years old as a shaman. As a simple citizen I am 67 years old.
I am turning, turning, turning the stick and telling the legend.
Here people are coming to my room and I unfold their legend.
Then you can heal yourself. You can bring yourself in a kind of beyond conscience state.
I am not a superman or a super gifted person.
Somebody asked me “Do you think that you are a holy man?” I said, “Not at all, please, no!”
The best what can you do with skeptical people is to respect and love them and to understand that they have to do their own homework.
I feel the message is worthy for a big audience and that’s why I don’t feel that anything should keep me back to talk with thousands of people.
With all the downs and ups as I am living this legend and this shamanic journey I feel that I am living fully my life and I don’t miss anything, anything.
According to Ivan Szendrö we are all connected with the universe. “We are a print of the universe. There is no barrier between the universe and us – we are the universe,” he said. Szendrö sees himself as a modern day shaman whose mission is to combine modern day science with ancient mythology.
His awakening happened in 1970 in the small town Nagygec in Hungary where Szendrö comes from. According to him, he was a young atheist actor from the capitol Budapest who happened to be present when a flood destroyed the village. The villagers connected the events with an ancient mythology – and Ivan Szendrö saw himself as part of it.
He started touring from town to town on his bike and telling the legend. Years later he ended up married with two daughters in Palisades, right outside New York City. There he changed his approach and now offers “personal mythology” for $75.
Besides his spiritual activities, he takes care of an elderly citizen and a disabled person and works part time as a waiter in a hotel. He has one goal: Rebuilding a bridge in Nagygec that plays a major part in his personal legend. All the money he makes as a shaman is dedicated to this goal. So far, it’s $10,000.
