The 3rd person view could be an expression of your spirit figuring yourself out. I sometimes assume different forms in journey as needed. I normally don't see myself unless I turn into a swarm.
I love Webb's "Traveling Between the Worlds" where she interviews a bunch of practitioners from different places and cultures. http://www.amazon.com/Traveling-between-Worlds-Conversations-Contemporary/dp/1571744037 It helped me figure out which school of shamanism I wanted to explore further.
You might find an open circle on meetup.com. http://shamanism.meetup.com/cities/us/tn/nashville/