Visiting Subconscious

Shamanic Journeying: A Beginner’s Guide

Stephen K. Carper

April 14, 2023

what happens during a shamanic journey

Have you ever felt disconnected from your spirituality or searching for a deeper understanding of yourself and the world around you? Shamanic journeying may be just the tool you need to embark on a journey of self-discovery and connection with the spiritual realms. But what exactly is shamanic journeying? How does it work? And how can you get started? In this article, we will explore the basics of shamanic journeying, including its origins, benefits, and step-by-step techniques for practice. So, grab a journal and an open mind, and let’s dive into the world of shamanic journeying.

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What is Shamanic Journeying?

What Is Shamanic Journeying?

Definition and Origins

Shamanic journeying is an ancient practice that has been used by indigenous cultures around the world for centuries as a way to connect with the spiritual realm. Here are some definitions and origins of shamanic journeying:

  • Definition: Shamanism is an ancient practice that involves connecting with the spiritual realm through altered states of consciousness. Shamanic journeying is a specific shamanic technique that involves entering into a trance state to explore the spiritual realm.
  • Origins: Shamanic journeying originated in indigenous cultures around the world, including Native American, African, and Siberian cultures. Shamans were regarded as spiritual leaders and healers who could communicate with the spirit world to gain insight and wisdom.

The practice of shamanic journeying typically involves the use of a drum or other rhythmic instrument to induce a trance state. The shaman then travels to the spiritual realm to seek guidance, wisdom, or healing. In many cultures, shamanic journeying is seen as a way to connect with one’s ancestors and to receive guidance from them.

Shamanic journeying is a powerful spiritual practice that allows individuals to gain access to the wisdom and guidance of the spiritual realm. It can be a transformative experience that helps individuals to connect with their true selves and to gain insight into their lives.

How It Works

Shamanic journeying is a powerful technique that can open the door to the spirit realm and allow for deep personal transformation. It works by altering the brainwaves of the journeyer to facilitate a state of expanded awareness that allows them to interact with spirit guides, receive insights and learn important lessons.

Here is how shamanic journeying works:

  • Shift in Brainwaves: Shamanic journeying involves slowing down the normal waking beta brainwaves and entering into a deeper alpha or theta brainwave state. This shift allows the journeyer to access their subconscious and connect with other realms of consciousness.
  • Spirit Helpers: Once in this altered state of consciousness, the journeyer can communicate with their spirit helpers like power animals, ancestors, and angels. These helpers are believed to have access to vast knowledge and wisdom that can assist the journeyer in gaining greater understanding and insight.
  • Symbolic Language: The spirit realm often communicates with symbolic language, which may appear to the journeyer in the form of metaphors, images, or other sensory experiences. These symbols can be interpreted to reveal deep insights into the journeyer’s personal path, purpose, and potential.
  • Integration: Upon returning from the journey, the journeyer is encouraged to integrate their experience into their daily life. This can involve reflecting on the insights received, journaling about the journey, or simply allowing the experience to inform their thoughts and actions as they move forward.

By using shamanic journeying as a tool for self-discovery and personal growth, individuals can gain greater clarity, insight, and meaning in their lives. As with any spiritual practice, regular journeying can enhance one’s connection to their spirit guides, deepen their understanding of the self and the universe, and ultimately lead to greater spiritual fulfillment.

Why Practice Shamanic Journeying?

Why Practice Shamanic Journeying?

Benefits of Journeying

There are numerous benefits to practicing shamanic journeying that can positively impact one’s physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Some of the main benefits include:

  • Relaxation and Stress-Reduction: Shamanic journeying facilitates a state of relaxation and inner calm, which can help to reduce stress and anxiety levels.
  • Healing and Self-Discovery: Through meeting power animals and exploring the spiritual realm, shamanic journeying can help individuals gain insights into themselves and their life path, leading to personal growth and self-discovery.
  • Connection to Nature: Shamanic journeying involves connecting with the natural world and honoring the web of life, which can help individuals to deepen their connection to the earth and all its inhabitants.
  • Increased Creativity and Intuition: Journeying can enhance creativity and intuition by allowing individuals to tap into their subconscious and receive guidance from the spirit realm.
  • Enhanced Emotional Regulation: Shamanic journeying can help individuals learn to regulate their emotions by cultivating a sense of inner peace and balance.
  • Improved Mental Clarity: By quieting the mind and accessing a deeper level of consciousness, journeying can improve mental clarity and facilitate problem-solving and decision-making.
  • Heightened Spiritual Awareness: Through connecting with spirit guides and the forces of the universe, shamanic journeying can help individuals develop a deeper sense of spiritual awareness and connection.

The benefits of shamanic journeying are numerous and can lead to profound personal growth and transformation.

How It Can Help You

Shamanic journeying can be a powerful tool for personal and spiritual growth. Here are some of the ways it can help you:

Shamanic journeying can be a powerful tool for self-discovery, healing, and spiritual growth. It can offer a unique and profound way of connecting with the world around you and discovering your own inner truth.

Preparing for the Journey

Preparing For The Journey

Setting Intentions

Before embarking on your shamanic journey, it’s important to set your intentions for the experience. Setting intentions will help you focus your mind and create a clear purpose for your journey.

Remember that setting intentions is a personal process, and there’s no “right” or “wrong” way to do it. The most important thing is to be clear about what you want to get out of your shamanic journey, so that you can fully engage with the experience and receive the insights and guidance you’re seeking.

Cleansing and Grounding

Preparing for a shamanic journey is essential for creating a safe and sacred space for the journey itself. One of the crucial components of preparation is cleansing and grounding . This involves clearing the mind and body of any negative energies or distractions so you can connect with the spirit world with clarity and focus.

To perform a cleansing and grounding ritual, there are several techniques you can use. These include:

These techniques can be used individually or in combination with one another, depending on what feels most effective for you. The goal is to release any negative energy and to create a clear and open space for the journey.

By cleansing and grounding yourself before journeying, you can approach the experience with a clear mind and an open heart. This can enhance your ability to connect with the spiritual realm and receive valuable insights and guidance.

Creating a Sacred Space

Creating a sacred space is an important part of preparing for a shamanic journey. This is because the sacred space acts as a container for the journey and helps to create a sense of safety and protection. Here are some steps to help you create a sacred space for your shamanic journey:

  • Cleanse the Space: Begin by physically cleaning the space in which you will be journeying. This will help to remove any negative or stagnant energy from the space. You can do this by dusting, sweeping, or vacuuming the area.
  • Set the Mood: Creating a calming atmosphere can help to relax your mind and body. You can do this by lighting candles, burning incense, or using essential oils.
  • Define the Space: Use items to define the space, such as a small table, altar, or special cloth. This will help to mark the space as sacred and separate from everyday life.
  • Call in the Spirits: You can also call in the spirits, such as the four directions, the elements, or your spirit guides, to help protect the space and support your journey.
  • Personal Items: Bring in personal items, such as crystals, feathers, or other sacred objects, to help connect you to the space and provide comfort during the journey.
  • Music: Playing soothing music or drumming can help to set the tone and induce a meditative state, which is ideal for shamanic journeying.
  • Avoid Distractions: Try to eliminate any possible distractions such as electronic devices or loud noises from outside by closing the door or putting on some noise-canceling headphones.

By taking these steps to create a sacred space, you are setting the intention for a safe and powerful journey. This will help you to connect with the spirit realm and receive insights and guidance from your spirit guides. Remember to trust the process and allow for whatever experience arises during the journey.

The Journey

The Journey

Entering the Lower World

To begin your shamanic journey, you must first enter the Lower World. This is a non-ordinary reality, where you can interact with spirit guides, discover insights about yourself, and even access deeper levels of consciousness. Here are the steps to entering the Lower World:

  • Set your intention: Before entering the Lower World, clarify your intention for the journey. What are you seeking guidance on? What questions do you want to have answered? Focus on this intention as you begin your journey.
  • Create a safe space: Find a quiet, comfortable place where you won’t be disturbed for the duration of your journey. You may want to light candles or burn some incense to create a calming atmosphere.
  • Use rhythmic sounds: Rhythmic sounds like drumming or rattling can help you enter into a trance state. Find a drumming or shamanic journeying track, or use a physical instrument to create your own rhythm.
  • Breathe deeply: Take a few deep breaths to relax and clear your mind. Visualize yourself descending down a staircase or tunnel, getting deeper and deeper into a trance state with each step or breath.
  • Visualize the entrance: Imagine a hole, cave, or other entrance into the Lower World. Focus on this image in your mind’s eye, and visualize yourself passing through that entrance.
  • Meet your guide: Once you’ve entered the Lower World, you’ll likely encounter a spirit guide or power animal who will accompany you on your journey. Observe your surroundings and wait for your guide to appear.

Remember to trust the process and go with the flow. The Lower World is a unique and personal experience for each journeyer, so be open to whatever comes up for you. Stay focused on your intention and allow yourself to embrace the experience.

Meeting Your Power Animal

After entering the Lower World, it’s time to meet your Power Animal. Your Power Animal is an essential guide and ally for your shamanic journeying practice. They can provide you with protection, support, and valuable insight into your life.

Here are the steps to meeting your Power Animal:

  • Set your intention: Before meeting your Power Animal, focus your mind and set your intention to connect with them. It’s important to approach this encounter with respect and openness.
  • Call out to your Power Animal: To call out to your Power Animal, you can use a mantra, a drum or rattle, or simply your voice. Address them by name and ask them to appear.
  • Be open to different forms: Your Power Animal may not appear in the form you expect, and that’s okay. They may present themselves in the form of an animal you’ve never seen before, or even a mythical creature. Trust your intuition and embrace the experience.
  • Ask for their guidance: Once you meet your Power Animal, respectfully ask for their guidance and help. They may have wisdom to share or specific actions for you to take in your life.
  • Express gratitude: Before leaving, express your gratitude to your Power Animal for their guidance and support. This is a way to honor them and deepen your connection.

Meeting your Power Animal can be a profound and transformative experience. Trust the journey and the guidance of your ally.

Exploring the Spirit Realm

Now that you have met your power animal and established a rapport with them, it’s time to explore the spirit realm. This is where you may encounter other spirits or entities that have messages or guidance for you.

Step 1: Follow Your Power Animal

Allow your power animal to guide you through the spirit realm. Trust them to lead you to where you need to go. Don’t try to control the journey or where it takes you.

Step 2: Observe Your Surroundings

As you explore, take note of your surroundings. What do you see, hear, smell, or feel? Pay attention to any details that stand out to you. These could be symbols or messages from the spirit realm.

Step 3: Communicate with Spirits

If you encounter any other spirits or entities, approach them with respect and an open mind. Ask if they have any messages or guidance for you. It’s important to remember that not all spirits have your best interests at heart, so use your intuition and discernment.

Step 4: Trust Your Intuition

Don’t discount any messages or guidance that you receive during the journey, even if they don’t make sense at first. Trust your intuition and allow the insights to unfold over time. You may need to integrate the guidance into your waking life slowly.

Step 5: Prepare to Return

After you have explored to your heart’s content, it’s time to prepare for your return to reality. Check in with your power animal and thank them for their guidance. They will know when it’s time to return.

In the next section, we’ll discuss how to process and integrate any insights or messages from the journey.

Returning to Reality

Returning To Reality

Processing and Integrating Insights

After completing a shamanic journey, it’s important to take the time for processing and integrating insights to understand and internalize any messages received during the journey. This can be done through a variety of methods such as meditation, reflection, and discussion with others.

One effective way to process and integrate insights is through the use of a journaling practice. Writing down your experiences during the journey, your interactions with your power animal and other spirit guides, and any messages or symbols received can help to solidify the experience in your mind and create a record for future reference.

Another helpful technique is to engage in reflective exercises . This can involve asking yourself questions such as “What did I learn from this journey?” and “How can I apply these insights to my everyday life?”. Taking the time to think critically about the experience and its meaning can help to create a deeper understanding and promote personal growth.

It’s important to be patient with the process of integration , as it may not happen immediately. Insights may occur gradually over time, and it’s important to stay open and receptive to the messages received during the journey. Utilizing practices such as meditation and mindfulness can also help to deepen the integration process.

Ultimately, the goal of processing and integrating insights from a shamanic journey is to apply the lessons learned to your everyday life, creating a deeper sense of purpose and understanding.

Journaling and Reflecting

After completing a shamanic journey, it can be helpful to take some time to reflect on and integrate any insights or experiences you had during the journey. One way to do this is through journaling.

Journaling: Set aside some time to write down your thoughts and experiences from the journey. This can help you make sense of what you saw, felt, and heard, and may also help you remember details that you might forget otherwise.

Reflection: Take some time to reflect on what came up for you during the journey. What did you learn? Did you receive any messages or insights? How do you feel now? Reflecting on your journey can help you better understand the experience and how it relates to your life.

Gratitude: Consider expressing gratitude for any guidance or insights you received during the journey. This can help you to deepen your connection with the spiritual realm and cultivate a sense of trust in the process.

To organize your journaling and reflecting, you may find it helpful to use a table with different prompts or questions to guide your writing. Here is an example of what that might look like:

Troubleshooting

As with any spiritual practice, shamanic journeying can come with its own set of challenges. These obstacles can arise during any part of the journey – from preparing your intentions to processing the insights gained after the journey is complete. It can be discouraging and frustrating when obstacles arise, but with patience and persistence, they can be overcome. Let’s take a closer look at some common challenges that may arise during shamanic journeying and explore potential solutions to keep you on track for a transformative experience.

Common Challenges and Solutions

It’s common to face challenges when practicing shamanic journeying, but there are several solutions to overcome them. Here are a few examples:

  • Difficulty entering a trance state: If you find it hard to enter a trance state, try different techniques such as deep breathing, drumming, or visualization. Alternatively, practice meditation or another relaxation technique to help achieve a trance state.
  • Distracting thoughts: If your mind is distracted by thoughts during your journey, try focusing on your breath, repeating a mantra, or visualizing a peaceful scene to calm your mind.
  • No clear guidance: If you feel lost or unsupported during your journey, try setting a clear intention before you begin or ask for help from your spirit guides or power animal.
  • Fear or anxiety: If you experience fear or anxiety during the journey, try grounding yourself by imagining roots growing from your feet, connecting you to the earth. You can also ask your spirit guide for protection or envision yourself in a protective bubble of light.
  • No apparent results: If you don’t seem to receive any results or insights from your journey, don’t worry. Trust that the journey was helpful in some way, and try again later. Remember that each journey is unique and might not always produce immediate results.

Remember, these are just a few common challenges and solutions. Every journeyer’s experience is unique, and a variety of unique issues may arise. Embrace them as opportunities for growth and continue to trust in the process.

In conclusion, shamanic journeying is a powerful tool for self-discovery, healing, and connection to the spirit world. It allows individuals to explore their psyche, receive guidance from their higher self, and connect with their power animals and spirit guides. However, it is important to approach this practice with respect, intention, and grounding.

Preparing for the journey involves setting clear intentions, cleansing and grounding oneself, and creating a sacred space for the journey to take place. It is crucial to approach the journey from a place of openness and trust, allowing oneself to surrender to the experience and receive the gifts that the spirit world has to offer.

During the journey, individuals will enter the lower world and meet their power animal, who will guide and protect them on their journey. The spirit realm can be a place of incredible beauty, but also powerful emotions and insights. It is important to keep an open mind and heart, and trust in the journey as it unfolds.

After the journey, it is important to take time to process and integrate insights gained from the experience. Journaling and reflecting are powerful tools for integrating these experiences into daily life.

Troubleshooting is also important to consider, as journeying can sometimes bring up challenging emotions or experiences. It is important to approach these challenges with compassion and seek support if needed.

Overall, shamanic journeying is a valuable practice for connecting with the spirit world and accessing innate wisdom within oneself. With respect, intention, and grounding, it can be a transformative experience for personal growth and healing.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is shamanism.

Shamanism refers to a spiritual practice in which a person, known as a shaman, enters an altered state of consciousness to interact with the spirit world.

What is an altered state of consciousness?

An altered state of consciousness is a state in which a person’s normal waking state of consciousness is altered, often through the use of techniques such as meditation, hypnosis, or the use of psychoactive substances.

What is the Lower World?

The Lower World is a term used in shamanism to refer to a spiritual realm that is believed to exist beneath our physical reality, and which can be accessed through shamanic journeying.

What is a power animal?

A power animal is a spiritual guide believed to be present in the Lower World, which can assist the shaman in navigating the spirit realm and provide protection.

How can shamanic journeying benefit me?

Shamanic journeying can be beneficial for personal transformation, healing, and gaining insight into one’s life purpose and direction.

Do I need any special skills or abilities to practice shamanic journeying?

No special skills are required to practice shamanic journeying, although it can take practice to learn how to enter an altered state of consciousness and engage with the spirit realm.

Can shamanic journeying be dangerous?

While shamanic journeying is generally considered safe, it is important to approach the practice with respect and caution, and to work with a qualified practitioner if possible.

How long does a typical shamanic journey last?

The length of a shamanic journey can vary, but a typical journey can last anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour.

What should I do if I have a challenging experience during a journey?

If you have a challenging experience during a journey, it is important to remain calm and focused, and to seek guidance from your power animal or other spiritual guides that you may encounter.

Can anyone learn to practice shamanic journeying?

While shamanic journeying is a spiritual practice that can be learned and practiced by anyone, it is important to approach the practice with an open mind and a willingness to learn and grow.

  • Journeying – A Shaman’s Meditation Technique

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Article: Opening the Doors to the Self – The Shamanic Journey

Article: Opening the Doors to the Self – The Shamanic Journey

By isa gucciardi, ph.d..

Summary:  Shamanic journey work can help people understand and heal imbalances that create difficulty and distress in their lives. Two shamanic counseling case studies are described.

We understand the breadth and depth of the self in many ways through many types of experiences. Often, we come to understand our experience as human beings by directing or projecting parts of ourselves either outward or inward. The self at a soul level reveals, through the language of images, which parts of ourselves are seeking understanding at ever-deepening levels. In relationships with others, we project these parts outward. In dreams, we project these parts inward in the form of images. The reflection we receive back gives us information on which we base our sense of self.

The images projected inward in dreams and those projected outward into external relationship both have the same source. That source is the self at a soul level. It seeks to reveal all that is hidden by projecting these images outward or inward. This is an effort to allow the individual to integrate the experience and information contained within those images and return to a sense of wholeness.

For many of us, this process takes place almost entirely unconsciously. We feel that life just happens to us, that our dreams are just fragmented recreations of our daily lives. Many of us live our lives with a sense of emptiness, never imagining that we could look within for guidance.

But, if we allow ourselves to begin to trace the images we create in relationship while awake and in dreams while asleep, we begin to perceive patterns. These patterns can be further elucidated through conscious intention and explored through hypnotherapy and, more intimately, the shamanic journey.

In this exploration, images open to reveal patterns. Patterns open to reveal motivation. Motivation opens to reveal what is needed for understanding. The need for understanding opens to reveal the fulfillment of that need. And the fulfillment is the self at a soul level. This path can be taken from many different starting points to understand many different issues, and the shamanic journey provides the compass and maps for any path, starting at any point, and leads always to the rediscovery of the self at a soul level.

The journey into the self at this level is the journey that the shamanic experience defines. It is taken in an altered state, very similar to the hypnotic state, but this state is induced with repetitive soundings, such as drums, rather than words. The shamanic journey provides us with direct and controllable access to the inner workings of our self at a soul level. The images that energy patterns take within the shamanic journey reveal the nature of our self at a soul level. They even point to the realities in which the soul is contained. Although our ability to perceive the information available to us in non-ordinary reality is ever-expanding, that ability can be severely tested at each level of understanding which the shamanic journey unfolds for us. Although the shamanic journey reveals ever more complex levels of reality, the form that it takes is quite simple. The journey begins with lying down and closing and covering the eyes. A drum or other repetitive percussive instrument is sounded at regular intervals. In indigenous cultures where horses are common, shamans might say they are riding the drum like a horse to non-ordinary reality.

What is this non-ordinary reality where so much is revealed about the nature of the workings of the self at a soul level? The existence and the general cosmography of non-ordinary reality has been described in very similar fashion in cultures that are vastly dissimilar in all other ways and have arisen in different corners of the globe. Before describing non-ordinary reality, it is important to note that discovery and journeying in non-ordinary reality is participation in a process, not an establishment of a belief system.

The general description of non-ordinary reality where the journey takes place is strikingly similar across cultures that have never had contact with one another. This description that has emerged from cultures across time and space is as follows. There are three worlds: the Upper World, Middle World and Lower World. It is understood that the Upper World and the Lower World are the realms where compassionate spirits or energies can be contacted. The Middle World is understood to comprise ordinary reality (“the every day world” we experience when awake) as well as a non-ordinary reality where other classes of spirits or energies also dwell. Generally speaking, the spirits people come across that are involved in spirit possession, hauntings, or other anomalous encounters are understood to be confined more or less to the Middle World. Therefore, journeying to the Upper World or Lower World does not involve the encounter with these classes of spirits.

Access to the Upper and Lower Worlds in non-ordinary reality is generally undertaken from a known point in ordinary reality. This is a place in nature in ordinary reality where the person making the journey has been and knows well. The departure point for the Lower World is generally through a cave, a hole in the ground, a hole in a tree, or a body of water. The departure point for the Upper World is generally through a high place such as the top of a tree, mountain or hill. In many indigenous cultures, springs or mountaintops are revered as testament to the understanding of them as portals to non-ordinary reality.

In many indigenous cultures, the shaman has been charged with interceding with the spirit world on the behalf of another person. This intercession generally involves a request for assistance in healing on a physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual level. In order to act as an agent for healing, the shaman spends many hours developing relationships with compassionate spirits that are understood to be available in non-ordinary reality. The shaman develops these relationships by journeying in non-ordinary reality. The shaman also journeys in non-ordinary reality to seek help from these spirits when they are asked to provide a healing.

In most indigenous cultures, it is not common for all the members of the culture to have access to the knowledge contained in non-ordinary reality. However, anyone with an interest and dedication in understanding the nature of the shamanic journey and non-ordinary reality can have this access. Anyone with strong intent can develop a relationship to at least some of the knowledge contained in non-ordinary reality.

So, it is simply a matter of focusing one’s intention to journey for understanding. We journey to create relationships with the energies that dwell in non-ordinary reality within us. These energies, which are traditionally called spirits, appear in many different guises, usually in the form of a felt or seen image.

These guises are generally forms in nature, but can also be mythic figures or beings that are close to our culturally held notions about reality. The guises these energies choose are the bridge they make to contact us. The bridge we make is our attention and intention to make contact. When both sets of intentions are aligned we are able to interact with these images taking form within us in non-ordinary reality. This allows us to gain insight and understanding about the nature of our lives in ordinary reality.

In my practice, I usually introduce the concept of the shamanic journey once a space has been cleared in the psyche through the resolution and understanding of (seemingly) externally generated imbalance. Within the context provided by Depth Hypnosis, the knowledge gained in the shamanic journey demonstrates clearly how a person’s relationship to their issues shifts through the process of clearing.

Over the course of six to ten sessions, clients are taught how to journey in non-ordinary reality. They learn to establish relationships with different points of inner power, which appear as forms of nature, and they learn how to interpret the information that is received. Clients are helped to connect the information received in the shamanic journey to the larger context of their relationship to themselves at a soul level.

By the end of this cycle, clients are able to function independently in non-ordinary reality to gain insight on issues that once seemed unknowable or unsolvable. They come to understand the influences that affect the future more clearly, and they become more able to make decisions based upon a sound understanding of those influences.

I will often use the information gained through a shamanic journey as I would the information gained through a dream. Information from both experiences is generated in image form, which is rich with nuance and possibilities. As in dreams, much of the information contained within the shamanic journey is “coded” in such a way as to evade the defenses of the conscious mind. Learning how to “read” these images is an extension and elaboration of the “sixth sense” mentioned earlier. Developing the skill to decode information provided in the journey is very helpful in situations in ordinary reality that require deeper understanding than the five senses provide.

The texts of the following two journeys, taken by a person who had no previous experience with shamanic journeying, illustrate how this process works. A client I will call Judith came to me with symptoms of exhaustion and insomnia bordering on a chronic fatigue pattern. She wanted to regain her energy through our work together.

Through our hypnotherapy sessions, Judith was able to identify patterns in her external relationships that had been robbing her of her energy. She found that she was able to trace the patterns of energy behind her relationship interactions that were almost contrary to the nature of the external interactions. In other words, she began to see how she was actually being robbed of life energy in relationships that she thought were feeding her emotionally and intellectually. She was stunned to find that these patterns, which had been hidden from her within the context of conscious-mind reality, were so easy to perceive in an altered state.

As Judith began to regain her physical energy by applying what she had learned in hypnotherapy, she wanted to learn more about energy patterns and the way energy is used. This is a subject I find very hard to teach anyone about through the use of words alone. It is a subject that one must approach experientially in order to begin to fully comprehend the myriad of implications it contains. I decided that the internal teachers found in the shamanic journey would be much better than I in teaching her what she wanted to know.

Michael Harner, to whom I am deeply grateful for making accessible the complexities of shamanic reality, introduces people to shamanic journeying with a journey to the Lower World. I do the same. This journey is designed to facilitate an encounter with a power animal. The idea of having an inner teacher appear in the familiar form of an animal allows for a broad communication of emotional and mental qualities. This form generally makes it easier to interact with the enormous energy and wisdom that is brought to bear in such an encounter.

As I mentioned, the journey is taken with the eyes closed, lying down, and to the beat of a drum. At the end of the journey, the drum changes beat, which is a signal for the journeyer to return to the departure point in ordinary reality, along the same route that was taken to arrive in the Lower World.

The following is the text of Judith’s first journey to the Lower World to meet her power animal. It is presented with her permission:

I am going to a sinkhole or pond, which is sunk down into the ground near where I grew up. I am walking into the water. It is very dark. I start to go down. I am just dropping into the sinkhole. I see lots of tree roots and things sticking out. They brush me a bit. Looking down, it is very dark. I have stopped falling. I am sitting cross-legged. Looking up, I see a dark hole above me, like a cave. I am in a place with narrow ceiling four feet above the ground. There is a dirt floor. There are grass and stones. I am on all fours. I start crawling through the cave. It is not so dark that I cannot see. There is some light. I don’t know where it is coming from. There is a windy tunnel. It opens to a cavern. There is a lake at the bottom of the cavern. There is a boat. There are murals, or hieroglyphs on the walls. I get into the boat. It starts floating out into the lake. I put my hands in the water. It is very dark, a dark navy blue. There is a creature in the water. It looks like a seal. It is coming up to the boat. It’s got big dark eyes. It is floating around the boat. It is greyish in color. This is my power animal. The seal is swimming ahead of the boat. Somehow, the boat is following it. It is swimming on top of the water. I am not sure what to think of it. I am going towards what could be sunlight or moonlight. The lake is narrowing. There is an archway, not a tunnel, which opens and the water flows out through it like a river. It is moonlight and forest. There are tall, tall trees, like cedars. The seal is swimming around the boat and it pushes it over to the side. There is a path. I walk along a path beside the river and leave the boat behind. The seal follows me. We come to some kind of cliff. There is a waterfall. I am standing on a cliff on a mountain overlooking a city. It is nighttime, with lots of lights. It is not artificial light, but candlelight and firelight. I stop. I sit down on a rock and look at the city. The seal stays in the water and moves toward to the edge and looks with me. I am not frightened. It is not somewhere I have been. I get the feeling that someone was here before me, but I have not seen them. I get up and walk along a path. I get back into the boat. The seal leads the boat back through an archway into a cavern and into the middle of the lake. It swims up beside the boat and almost gets into the front of the boat. It looks at me. It is a seal, but the face is almost more human than seal. It is trying to tell me something. It gets back into the water and swims circles around the boat. It disappears into the dark, swimming half in, and half out, of the water. I go back into the tunnel. Back into the hole. I am going back up and coming out of the water. I am back on the ground and out of the sinkhole. I am on the path, walking.

As you can see, the shamanic journey shares some characteristics with dreams. In both realms, the image is the main form of communication. Players in both realms understand what is asked of them and how to communicate without necessarily resorting to words. There is much more information contained within a simple interaction than would appear if actions were taken only literally. Forms can shift without logic but the form shift seems utterly logical at the same time.

The fact that the seal’s face seemed to be human part of the time does not seem illogical in the context of the journey. This shapeshifting or form-shifting is common in non-ordinary reality. I am sure there are more reasons for this than I understand. But some explanations lie in the fact that the spirits or energies using the form or image to communicate are not always in complete control of the world of form. And, they tend to choose forms that suit the moment and fill the need of communication in the present without so much regard to future form as a basis of communication. Also, more information can be conveyed in shape or form shifting, so spirits or energies tend to use these changes to add complexity and shading to the information they are trying to convey.

Most important, in both the dream and the journey, information is presented that completely circumvents the constructs and defenses of the conscious mind. In dreams, the coding of this information is often more intricate than in the journey. I suspect, however, that the intricacy of the coding in dreams is due more to lack of intentionality than anything else. Most of us tend to bumble, willy-nilly, through the issues of our lives. Because of this, the messages our dreams contain often seem to be scatter-shot, rather than carefully aimed. This is due to the lack of corresponding target in conscious-mind reality rather than any failure in communication in the dream itself. Because the attention is so focused in the journey, the images are more easily related to the intention of the journey.

The nature of the focus or target is, in fact, the main difference between dreams and shamanic journeying. The journey is intentional and focused. The dreamer does not necessarily intend what they will dream. (Although I would argue the same mechanism, the self, operating at a soul level, is directing both sets of content.) The person making the journey chooses when to enter and when to leave the journey; the dreamer, unless they are lucid dreaming, typically does not appear to have control over when the dream begins and when the dream ends.

In any case, I use both the dream and the journey within the context of hypnotherapy to help the client establish contact with a greater sense of self. Once contact has been well established between the images and forms contained in dreams and/or journeys, we have an infinite amount of guidance and wisdom readily available to us. This information can focus our attention on past issues that need to be reviewed and re-integrated. Or, it can guide us as we begin to form an expanded sense of self in conscious-mind reality.

Once we begin to establish contact with guidance, in the forms of nature it takes within the shamanic context, we are in a position to ask specific questions. Once Judith had established a relationship with the seal, she could take a second journey to ask her question about energy patterns. She took the same path, leaving from the same place in ordinary reality and returning to the same place in the Lower World to find the seal.

Her question was: How do I process other people’s energies so I remain safe without shutting other people out? This question was born out of her perception that she had begun to shut herself off from interaction with people in order to preserve her physical energy. She was not happy with this solution and was looking to find a new way of dealing with energy in her relationships with others.

I am going back down into the sinkhole again, through the water, down the hole. I am at the bottom now. I am in a narrow tunnel, crawling through the tunnel. I am back in the cavern. There are some stone steps down to the water. There is the boat. I get back into the boat and sit down. There are two sets of hieroglyphs on the wall. There are dark blue ones, which were the ones that were there before, and there are same-sized bright red ones underneath. I am floating into the middle of the lake. The seal pops up in front of the bow of the boat. It is floating on its back. I am glad to see it. It does not frighten me. It does not want me to be frightened. It is playing so I won’t be frightened. I am actually frustrated. I want to be in the water, not in the boat. The seal lets me know it is okay to go into the water. I take off my clothes and jump into the water with the seal. It swims around me, not circling, but just so I feel comfortable with it. I swim over to a rock, which is in a series of rocks coming out from the shore of the lake. They are smooth and rounded; I get onto the very tip of one. The seal swims back and forth in front of me. I ask the question. The seal swims further out into the water. It starts swimming, with the top half of its body out of the water. It is glowing. It is as though I can see an aura around it. It is a white light, about two feet out from its body. Then it dips under the water. It swims off to the left and floats on its back. This time it’s got a yellow light. There is a yellow, doughnut-shaped ring around its body – about one and a half feet away from its belly. “What are you doing?” I think. It is trying to teach me how to see the energy so I know what kind of energy it is. It swims, still on its back. It floats up towards me. I am supposed to touch the yellow light. I put my hand six inches into the light. It makes me a bit agitated. But what I can do is use the energy coming from my hands to push back on the aura from the seal. When I push it back, I feel safe. I can see the energy that comes off my hand when I do that. The seal comes out – again with the top half of its body out of the water. There is a bluish white light fully around it. I can’t see under the water. It is too dark. It comes closer. I push my hands onto it. It doesn’t feel threatening. I can feel where it begins. And the feeling is the seal is trying to show how it can transfer beneficial energy to me. I don’t have to protect myself against this energy. It does not deplete me. I put my hand through the aura and touch the seal’s skin with my hand to say thanks. I want to give it some of my energy without feeling threatened by that. It feels very, very good. A good, loving feeling is going back and forth between us. The red hieroglyphs are doing something. It is more intense now. I have noticed them again. The seal is swimming with its head out of the water, looking at me moving away. It fades into the darkness. I get up and go back toward a narrow tunnel and crawl along. I am going up through the hole and up out of the water. I am on the path walking out of the sinkhole.

The information Judith was given here by the seal was profound, to say the least. She was so lucky to have been given the visceral understanding, in almost an instant, of the futility of trying to block negative energy with shields or walls. The lesson of drawing on her life force, of reconnecting and revitalizing the life force from within to push out negative energy is invaluable.

There are many forms of magic and energy dynamics that specialize in creating walls and shields or breaking down walls and shields on an energetic level. I believe this is not only a misuse of energy, but it can also be quite dangerous. Many forms of black magic indulge in this block formation or dissolution and create all kinds of havoc with it.

Even when black magic is not involved, the use of energy to create blocks contains many dangers. The blocks may not work. Or, the life energy may get frozen and be forgotten in the block, and the life energy involved in keeping the block in place is lost for more dynamic uses. These types of blocks of frozen life energy are one of the main problems I encounter in helping people heal on an energetic level. We create shields, walls, fences, and fortresses around us in our energy field with our life force without being consciously aware of it, and then we wonder why we have no life energy to live our lives fully and completely. It took me years to map the anatomy of these types of energy blocks so I could help my clients negotiate them, and the seal simply offered an alternative to her as a matter of course.

The visceral experience of life essence filled with love pumping between two beings is an experience many of us die without ever knowing. And yet, Judith was able to drop all defenses and experience this life-changing exchange simply and easily within the context of the shamanic journey.

Again, I emphasize that she had no previous experience with energy patterns or energy healing. The information she received in this fifteen-minute journey was profound and complex. It took me years of study of the subject of energy healing to learn what she learned here in fifteen minutes. I was humbled to be in the presence of such profound teaching, taking place so simply.

This is all information she could not have obtained as easily, clearly, and profoundly in any other way. She was able to take these lessons and change the way she used her life energy. She began to sleep better, to have more rewarding interactions with her colleagues and family. She began to feel full of energy on a regular basis as she used her energy based on the information she gained in this journey. Naturally, she had to be disciplined enough to keep her attention focused on the energetic nature of her exchanges with others. She had to commit to her life force each day, but this is what we must all do to live our lives fully and consciously.

The power of the shamanic journey to reveal one’s inner relationships to balance or imbalance is well demonstrated in another case. John came to me because he was experiencing panic attacks. Within a few hypnotherapy sessions, the panic attacks subsided, but he decided to spend more time exploring the roots of the panic for further self-understanding.

After exploring his external relationships and discharging hidden fears held in them through hypnotherapy, he was ready to turn inward to examine how fear affected his relationship with himself. He was reluctant to do this and kept looking outside of himself to find the source of a type of low-grade depression that remained, even after all the work he had done.

I thought it would be helpful if he developed a relationship with an inner teacher through shamanic journeying to help him focus inward. This would help him focus inward long enough to see the role he was playing in maintaining the depression. On his second journey, he asked the question: What is the source of this depression?

His power animal had an interesting experience planned for him to answer this question. It led him through high grass to a clearing. There, John saw the fur or body of an animal in a heart shape. Then he saw the head of the animal come off and roll into a hole. John was afraid of what he saw in this clearing.

When he emerged, he did not have a full understanding of the message contained in this experience. Through our discussion, he came to see the following answer:

The source of his depression lay in the way he separated the knowledge and experience of his heart from that of his head – and he realized that fear was a major reason why he maintained this separation. He admitted that he had a habit of using his intellect to understand his experience and that it had never occurred to him to listen to his heart to understand his experience.

But he had trouble admitting that he was responsible for the depression through his maintenance of this separation. Through later hypnotherapy sessions, we were able to explore this separation and the fear that engendered it. By doing this, John was able to begin to allow an integration of the experience of his head and heart. And, most important, he began to listen to his heart and process his life experience through his heart as well as his mind. As this occurred, his depression began to lift.

It is doubtful that John would have been able to step into full accountability for this depression without the tool of shamanic journeying. It was difficult for him to admit that his actions, not someone else’s, were responsible for his depression. The combination of hypnotherapy and the shamanic journey allowed him to take on that responsibility and resolve the depression in a gradual and profound way.

Many, many people have been helped in similar ways through the insights they have gained through the shamanic journey. These types of insights are just the beginning of the definition of an ever-deepening relationship with the self at a soul level.

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The stages of a shamanic journey

Shamanic journeying, june 29, 2022.

Going on a shamanic journey is a life-changing experience. We discover your energy field, retrieve lost soul parts through a soul retrieval process and remove blocks. We will connect to your higher self, restore your connection to the tree of life and bring healing where healing is required. You will explore how you can remove the barriers that have been holding you back from living your life to its fullest potential. A shamanic journey leaved you feeling whole, sovereign and restored. A shamanic journey unfolds like a movie: a narrative with a beginning and an end. Each shamanic journey is unique. Each person and their energy field are completely different and your shamanic journey will be all about you. Yet, in my shamanic healing practice I’ve learned that there are stages that tend to reoccur in journeys. In the field of shamanic journeying of the Essene Way, we can start to identify a system or matrix in which shamanic healing comes from God, through the tree of life, into your energy field.

This blog was written for you as a basic overview of what the stages of a shamanic journey are and what you can expect from a shamanic journey.

The healing begins from the moment you commit to it. Once you’re ready for your next level, the energy starts to shift. In your energy field and the shamanic realm in which we work, there is no linear time. We perceive linear time in the 3D because it allows us to overcome our karma, by more easily being able to observe cause and effect. But the healing we do in your energy field in a shamanic journey transcends time and space. This is why my clients let me know all the time that shifts start to happen before their shamanic journey comes around. The healing culminates during the shamanic journey, and then keeps working and integrating after the shamanic journey. By the time a client’s journey comes around, the things they want to do the journey for will often have changed completely because of this, putting you in an even better position to receive the benefits of the shamanic journey.

Before the actual shamanic journey begins, my client and I start off with an intention setting call, where we get to know each other, I can connect with you energetically and we set an intention for the journey. Together with my spirit guides I can tune in on the work required. The guides know where to find your energy field and retrieve soul parts that may have fragmented. They do all the hard, amazing work needed for the shamanic journey to be successful. It is my work as a shaman to facilitate, hold space and support you. Then we can begin the actual shamanic journey, which can last anywhere from one to two hours. During the shamanic journey you can relax, lay back and if you like, meditate or journey along.

Every single one of us, shamans too, goes through trauma in life. Most of us don’t even know that a major event, like our birth or even before, has been traumatic. Trauma can also happen after mental and physical abuse, or not having been allowed to express oneself as a child. Trauma can be big or small, but all requires integration and is worth healing in a shamanic journey. You may have experienced yourself that it is hard and difficult to deal with trauma. The reasons for this can be manifold, but generally speaking we simply find ourselves in a situation where we are unable to process what is happening in our psyche, body and spirit- this is especially the case for young children. As a result, soul fragmentation takes place. Parts of the soul break off, into fragments, splinter off and remain “frozen” in the trauma.

Soul fragmentation is the result of an inbuilt natural protection mechanism, which is really a gift from god that allows us to survive. The traumatized part of the soul gets disconnected, to enable the healthy part of the soul to keep functioning. In a shamanic journey, the guides and I work together to find and reconnect the fragmented soul part. There are people who go through life in a psychologically fragmented state but find they’re doing okay, as we learn to cope with the feeling and limitations of fragmentation (this is also the most common state of being today). This is also why many of us find ourselves addicted to behaviours, people or substances. This is your soul looking for a lost soul part and simply looking (in the wrong place) to become whole.

Especially for people who have had to deal with more severe trauma it may feel almost impossible to carry on, and after a shamanic journey so many clients report simply not feeling the need for this toxic pattern anymore. That’s why it is so important to seek help from a trusted shamanic healer through a unique and personal shamanic journey, if you feel you may benefit from a shamanic journey or have tried everything else to no avail. This was the case for me personally. I tried shamanic journeying to heal my incurable illness as a last resort. Not only did it heal me, it healed almost instantly without any adverse side effects. Shamanic journeys have eliminated pain and suffering from many people that have been on this journey with me.

The first stage of the shamanic journey involves re-integrating the soul fragment(s). This step can manifest itself in a number of ways. Sometimes, actual bodies will appear stuck in traumatic events at different ages. Sometimes, they are light bodi es. And sometimes soul parts are held captive by and entity, stronghold, aggressor or by certain unhealthy dynamics. No matter what the situation may be, the spirit guides always show me how and when the trauma occurred, and who or what was involved. At this stage ancestral nodes causing generational trauma to be passed will be removed. Soul retrieval and integration is the most essential part of the shamanic journey and lays the foundation for all other healing. Witnessing soul parts find each other and integrate is the most beautiful part of a shamanic journey.

In the next stage of the shamanic journey, the guides will identify soul fragmentation that may have happened later in life. This may involve family members or partners. The guides may eliminate other unaligned energies, entities, or attachments they find and remove blocks. Sometimes, healing guides will be called in to help perform and speed up the healing of physical illness or pain.

Next, we go to the client’s energy field to start building on their restored wholeness. In this stage of the journey, protection is created so that the energies that have been eliminated cannot re-enter the energy field again. It will also be possible to start integrating more of the elements the client wishes to manifest in his/her life. It can be love, abundance, or whatever else the client feels are currently lacking or being blocked. In the energy field we are also able to see more about the client’s gifts and purpose. We make sure the energy field’s connection to the tree of life is properly restored and that the energy field is thriving. Additionally, sometimes a sacred initiation may occur or the client’s guides will show themselves.

After the shamanic journey is complete, the client and I will reconnect on our call and talk in depth about what occurred in the shamanic journey. There will be plenty of time to ask questions and discuss any messages or recommendations that may have come out of the shamanic journey. Together we will see how I can best support you on your way and in the integration process of your journey.

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Exploring Shamanic Journeying: Repetitive Drumming with Shamanic Instructions Induces Specific Subjective Experiences but No Larger Cortisol Decrease than Instrumental Meditation Music

Bruno gingras.

Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

Gerald Pohler

W. tecumseh fitch.

Conceived and designed the experiments: BG GP WTF. Performed the experiments: BG GP. Analyzed the data: BG GP. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: BG GP WTF. Wrote the paper: BG GP WTF.

Associated Data

Exposure to repetitive drumming combined with instructions for shamanic journeying has been associated with physiological and therapeutic effects, such as an increase in salivary immunoglobulin A. In order to assess whether the combination of repetitive drumming and shamanic instructions is specifically associated with these effects, we compared the effect of listening to either repetitive drumming or instrumental meditation music for 15 minutes on salivary cortisol concentration and on self-reported physiological and psychological states. For each musical style, two groups of participants were exposed to two conditions: instructions for shamanic journeying or relaxation instructions. A total of 39 participants (24 females) inexperienced in shamanic journeying completed the experiment. Salivary cortisol concentrations were measured before and after exposure to music. In addition, participants filled out a mood questionnaire before and after the experiment and completed a post experiment questionnaire on their experiences. A significant decrease in the concentration in salivary cortisol was observed across all musical styles and instructions, indicating that exposure to 15 minutes of either repetitive drumming or instrumental meditation music, while lying down, was sufficient to induce a decrease in cortisol levels. However, no differences were observed across conditions. Significant differences in reported emotional states and subjective experiences were observed between the groups. Notably, participants exposed to repetitive drumming combined with shamanic instructions reported experiencing heaviness, decreased heart rate, and dreamlike experiences significantly more often than participants exposed to repetitive drumming combined with relaxation instructions. Our findings suggest that the subjective effects specifically attributed to repetitive drumming and shamanic journeying may not be reflected in differential endocrine responses.

Introduction

Shamanic journeys [1] – [4] are associated with an ancient spiritual practice to reach shamanic trance states, typically described as “journeys to a non-ordinary reality”. The shamanic trance is generally described as an altered state of consciousness (ASC) [5] associated with particular psychophysiological changes such as parasympathetic dominance [6] . According to Tart’s definition [5] , altered states of consciousness correspond to “a qualitative alteration in the overall pattern of mental functioning, such that the experiencer feels his consciousness is radically different from the way it functions ordinarily”.

Shamanic practitioners in contemporary Western tradition typically enter trance states through the use of repetitive rhythmic sequences using drums or rattles in a frequency range of 4 to 7 Hz. Music is recognized as a facilitator of ASC [7] . Notably, repetitive drumming has been identified as a form of sonic driving that can facilitate ASC [6] , [8] . The frequency range of the rhythmic sequences used to attain ASC has been observed to correspond to that of theta EEG waves [9] , and brain wave frequencies have been found to synchronize with rhythmic drumming with repetition rates between 3 and 8 Hz [10] . More recently, Will and Berg [11] reported a significant increase in brain wave synchronization following periodic stimulation with drum sounds and clicks with repetition rates of 1–8 Hz. Michael Harner’s technique of Core Shamanism, probably the best-known shamanistic method in Western practice, is centered on the use of rapid drumming (220 beats per minute, corresponding to a little less than 4 Hz) to attain shamanic trance states [3] .

According to shamanic practitioners, the first step in a shamanic journey consists in finding an entrance to the so-called “Lower World”. Once this entrance is found, the participant may encounter his or her “power animal” or other “spirits”, in what is often experienced as a lucid dream. At the end of the journey, participants are led back to “everyday reality” by going back to the “entrance point” and opening their eyes. The instructions associated with the Core Shamanism method, combined with exposure to rhythmic drumming sequences at 8 Hz for 15 minutes, have been shown to be an efficient inducer of ostensibly shamanic imagery [12] – [14] . Shamanic practitioners recommend using live drumming but a CD of monotonous drumming may be used instead [15] .

There are few published quantitative studies on the topic of shamanic interventions and shamanic journeys. Earlier EEG studies [9] , [10] were criticized because of the uncontrolled movements of the participants [16] , [17] . However, Guttmann et al. [18] observed specific brain wave patterns, characterized by low frequency theta waves, in experienced participants using body postures described by Goodman [4] , [19] and being exposed to rhythmic rattle sequences. More importantly, shamanistic practices have been reported to induce beneficial therapeutic effects. Harner [20] , [21] showed that shamanic journey instructions accompanied with repetitive drumming led to an increase in salivary immunoglobulin A (sIgA) in experienced shamanic practitioners. Pohler et al. [22] showed the benefits of a shamanic intervention done by shamanic practitioners for cancer patients. Shamanic interventions over a period of several months have also been shown to help alleviate pain associated with temporomandibular joint disorders [23] .

However, none of these publications reported saliva cortisol measurements. Cortisol is released in response to stress and low levels of blood glucocorticoids [24] , [25] , and salivary cortisol has been shown to index activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis [26] . A sudden increase of salivary cortisol is linked with acute stress [27] . Inversely, a decrease in the concentration of salivary cortisol has been associated with relaxation [28] , [29] , yoga and meditation [30] , [31] , aromatherapy [32] , and, more pertinent to our concern here, exposure to music [33] – [35] and choir singing [36] .

In the present study, we sought to investigate more specifically the role of repetitive drumming and of the instructions for shamanic journeying in the induction of both biochemical effects (salivary cortisol concentration), and psychological effects, associated with shamanistic journeying in naïve participants lacking experience in shamanic journeying. To compare the effect of repetitive drumming with other musical styles, participants were exposed either to repetitive drumming sequences or to instrumental meditation music. Because it is a musical style that has been shown to induce a state of relaxation [37] and which, like drumming, does not feature the singing voice, instrumental meditation music provided an appropriate basis for comparison. Additionally, to investigate the role of the shamanistic instructions, participants received either instructions for shamanic journeying (following the Core Shamanism method) or instructions for simply relaxing while listening to the music. This resulted in a two-way factorial design, with four groups of participants: one group received shamanistic instructions and was exposed to repetitive drumming, another one received relaxation instructions and listened to repetitive drumming, a third group received shamanistic instructions and listened to instrumental meditation music, and finally a fourth group received relaxation instructions and listened to instrumental meditation music. Finally, since Hevner [38] and others have shown that the acoustical and structural features of a musical piece tend to be associated with specific emotional states, we briefly considered the possible influence of these features on the physiological and psychological effects induced by our music excerpts. Given that the drumming sequence cannot be characterized in terms of melody, harmony, or mode (major versus minor), we limited our analysis to the spectral (frequency) and rhythmic features of the excerpts.

We hypothesized that participants would report increased feelings of wellbeing and relaxation after music exposure, and that a decrease in salivary cortisol would be observed, in line with earlier reports [33] – [35] . We also surmised that the decrease in salivary cortisol concentration would be more pronounced in the groups receiving instructions for shamanic journeying than in the groups receiving instructions for relaxation. This hypothesis was not based specifically on previous analyses on the effects of shamanic journeying on cortisol levels, due to the dearth of studies investigating these effects, but more generally on studies reporting physiological [20] , [21] and therapeutic [23] effects associated with shamanic journeying. Moreover, the subjective experiences reported by participants were expected to be different between the groups receiving instructions for shamanic journeying and the groups receiving instructions for relaxation, based on previous studies reporting the evocation of ostensibly shamanic mental imagery in participants following Harner’s Core Shamanism method [12] – [14] .

Materials and Methods

Study design.

The design included two between-subjects factors, each with two levels: musical style (repetitive drumming versus instrumental meditation music) and type of instructions (instructions to use the music for shamanic journeying versus instructions to use the music for relaxation), yielding four groups of participants. Prior to the main study, a pilot study was conducted to test the experimental procedure with another group of participants.

A power analysis was conducted to estimate the optimal sample size to answer the main hypothesis that cortisol responses would differ between participants exposed to instructions for shamanic journeying and participants exposed to instructions for relaxation, using the software G*Power [39] . This hypothesis corresponds to a within-between interaction in a repeated-measures analysis of variance, with 2 groups and 2 measurements of salivary cortisol concentrations (pre- and post-exposure). For an effect size of 0.20 (partial eta squared or η ρ 2 ), 40 participants were required to reach 87% power, using an alpha criterion of 0.05 for statistical significance.

Ethics Statement

The experiment reported in this article was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki (revised 1983) and local guidelines of the Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna. According to the Austrian Universities Act 2002 (UG2002), which held at the time the study was carried out, only medical universities were required to appoint ethics committees for clinical tests, application of medical methods, and applied medical research. Therefore, no ethical approval was required for the present study. Written informed consent was given by all participants who could withdraw at any time during the experiment without further consequences. All participant data and personal information were identified by a numeric code and only author G. P. could link the codes to the participants’ names.

Participants

Participants were recruited either by means of posters or through online advertisements on the homepage of the Department of Cognitive Biology of the University of Vienna. They were invited to participate in a study investigating the effect of different musical styles and experimental instructions on their ability to achieve relaxation. To avoid biasing participants, the text used for recruiting did not mention shamanic journeying. Participants were asked to refrain from taking part in the study if not healthy. Furthermore, participants were instructed not to eat, drink, smoke, or engage in physical activities for at least 30 minutes before the beginning of the experimental session.

Eight participants (5 males, 3 females) were recruited for the pilot study; their age ranged from 23 to 79 years ( M  = 45). Seven of them reported having some experience in shamanic journeying.

Thirty-nine participants, mostly biology students at the University of Vienna, including a few mature students (15 males, 24 females), participated in the main study. None of them were experienced in shamanic journeying. Participants were attributed randomly to one of the four experimental groups. Randomization was done on application time. Group sample sizes varied slightly due to the failure of a few scheduled participants to attend the experimental sessions. The group with shamanic instructions and drum music included 10 participants (3 males, 7 females); their age ranged from 20 to 67 years ( M  = 32). The group with relaxation instructions and drum music comprised 8 participants (4 males, 4 females); their age ranged from 19 to 70 years ( M  = 42). The group with shamanic instructions and instrumental meditation music included 11 participants (3 males, 8 females); their age ranged from 23 to 63 years ( M  = 32). Finally, the group with relaxation instructions and instrumental meditation music comprised 10 participants (5 males, 5 females); their age ranged from 21 to 59 years ( M  = 26). All participants signed a written consent form and received 5 Euros for participating in the study.

Auditory stimuli and pre-recorded instructions

The repetitive drumming sequence used in this study was excerpted from Michael Harner’s “Shamanic Journey Solo and Double Drumming CD” [40] . We used the second track, which includes a sequence of faster drumming at the end of the 15-minute drumming session, corresponding to the so-called “callback” which acts as a signal to the listener to “come back” from the shamanic journey. This callback signal was replaced by the rattle callback from Michael Harner’s “Shamanic Journey Rattle CD” [41] because the timbral difference makes it is easier to discriminate the callback from the previous repetitive drumming sequence. The total length of the sequence was 15 min 32 sec, including 14 min 58 sec of repetitive drumming.

For the instrumental meditation music excerpt, we selected an excerpt from the third track of the CD “Listening to the Heart” [42] . This track contains a piece of instrumental meditation music, originally composed by Paramahansa Yogananda and recorded in an arrangement for flutes, synthesizer, guitar, bass guitar, and xylophone. The excerpt, which starts at the beginning of the track, is 4 min 58 sec long. We used this specific duration because it corresponded to the end of a musical phrase, accompanied by a reduction in sound intensity, thus providing a smooth continuation. Three successive iterations of the excerpt, each ending with a 4-second fade-out, were repeated to obtain 14 min 55 sec of music. The callback signal was cut and pasted from Michael Harner’s Shamanic Journey Rattle CD, following the procedure described above. The total length of the stimulus was 15 min 28 sec.

All sound stimuli were prepared using Audacity 1.3.12. Stimuli were first equalized using the A-weighted loudness curve, which takes into account the fact that subjective perception of loudness varies according to the frequency range [43] and then equalized for intensity in Praat [44] . A MATLAB script was used to obtain the A-weighted loudness curve.

Experimental instructions (in German) were also pre-recorded using Audacity 1.3.12. This was done to minimize potential nonverbal and verbal effects associated with the experimenter. Both music excerpts and experimental instructions were played from a laptop with external active loudspeakers (M-Audio AV 40) located on a table 1 m above the floor and about 5 m (minimum 3 m) from the participants.

Data collection

Saliva samples were collected before and after music exposure using the Salivettes (Sarstedt 51.1534.500, Nümbrecht, Germany), a device that consists of a plastic tube containing a cotton wool swab. The concentration of salivary cortisol was analyzed by a bioanalytical procedure. Saliva samples were analyzed using an enzyme immunoassay [45] . This method measures the concentration of a substance in a solution by the use of antigen or antibody reactions [46] . An analysis with a double antibody biotin-linked enzyme immunoassay for cortisol [47] , [48] was conducted in the endocrinological lab of the Behavioral Biology Department of the University of Vienna. Inter-assay coefficients of variation were below 10%, and intra-assay coefficients of variation were below 15%.

Mood states were evaluated before and after music exposure using the multidimensional mood questionnaire (Mehrdimensionaler Befindlichkeitsfragebogen), a validated scale in German language that provides subscales for positive/negative mood, alertness/fatigue, and quietude/disquietude [49] , [50] . Each subscale is composed of 8 items graded on a 5-point scale. Scores on each subscale are therefore comprised between 8 and 40, with high values corresponding respectively to a positive mood, high alertness, and state of quietude.

An “experience questionnaire” was constructed by author G.P. because a validated scale to assess relaxation experiences and subjective “dreamlike experiences” after the music exposition could not be found in the German language. This questionnaire consisted of five items. The first three items (heaviness, warmth and subjective heart rate) were formulated out of the practice of autogenic training, a relaxation method that aims to influence the autonomic nervous system [51] – [53] . According to Schultz [52] , the subjective experience of heaviness and warmth is linked to the change from a normal mental state to an ASC [54] . Heaviness is associated with muscular relaxation [55] , whereas warmth corresponds to the relaxation of blood vessels [56] , and a decreased heart rate is linked with relaxation and a reduction in anxiety [57] . The fourth item asks for any other body sensations, and the fifth for dreamlike experiences. Additionally, the Neo-FFI [58] was administered to assess the Big Five personality factors, comprising openness, extraversion, conscientiousness, agreeableness, and neuroticism.

To avoid confounding effects due to the circadian and circaseptan rhythms of cortisol secretion, all experimental sessions took place at the same time (19∶00) and on the same day of the week (Wednesday), in an 8.5 m long by 4.6 m wide room (39 m 2 ). Participants assigned to the same experimental condition were tested together, in groups of 8 to 11 participants. Participants initially received an information handout instructing them on how to use the Salivettes and describing the body posture to adopt during music exposure. Harner (2006), the founder of Core Shamanism, recommends a specific position for shamanic journeys, which entails lying on the back with the left hand covering the eyes.

Participants were asked to insert the cotton wool swab into their mouth and instructed to chew on the swab for a 3-minute period. Afterwards, the swab was placed back into the tube. Tubes were then immediately placed on ice in a freezer at –20°Celsius. Subsequently, participants were asked to fill out the multidimensional mood questionnaire (form A).

The pre-recorded instructions for either shamanic journeying or relaxation were then played. Briefly, the instructions for shamanic journeying invited participants to lie down using the position specified above, and, using the music as a tool to temporarily alter their state of consciousness, to imagine finding a hole in the ground (such as a crater or a lake), either real or imaginary, from which they would return when hearing the rattle callback. The instructions for relaxation invited the participants to adopt the same position, and then simply to relax while listening to the music until they heard the rattle callback. After listening to the instructions, the participants lay down on blankets and adopted the prescribed body posture.

The 15-minute music excerpt (repetitive drumming or instrumental meditation music) was then played. Afterwards, participants were asked again to provide saliva samples and to fill out the multidimensional mood questionnaire (form B), the experience questionnaire and the NEO-FFI. Participants had the possibility to ask questions or discuss their experiences once the experiment was completed.

Statistical analysis

All statistical analyses were conducted in SPSS 19 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA).

Comparison of gender, age, and Neo-FFI factors across experimental groups

Chi-square tests were used to compare the proportions of male and female participants for each experimental condition, and exact tests (two-tailed) were used to compute the significance. No significant differences were found between the groups with instructions for shamanic journeying and the groups with instructions for relaxation, χ 2 (1) = 1.880, p  = 0.203, between the groups exposed to repetitive drumming and those exposed to instrumental meditation music, χ 2 (1) = 0.003, p  = 1.000, or among each of the four experimental groups, χ 2 (3) = 1.897, p  = 0.234.

Because age was not distributed normally among the four experimental groups, a log-transformation was conducted to achieve normality. There was a marginal tendency for age to differ among the four experimental groups, F (3,35) = 2.67, p  = .062. There was also a marginal tendency for participants in the groups exposed to repetitive drumming to be older than those in the groups exposed to instrumental meditation music, F (1,35) = 3.88, p  = .057. Similar results were obtained when conducting the analysis of variance on the untransformed age values (no significant differences were observed with the untransformed values).

Two-way analyses of variance with instructions (shamanic journeying versus relaxation) and music style (repetitive drumming versus instrumental meditation music) as between-subjects factors were conducted to test for differences in NEO-FFI scores and age between experimental groups. The distribution of the NEO-FFI scores did not deviate significantly from normality. None of the scores for each of the five dimensions of the NEO-FFI (neuroticism, openness, agreeableness, extraversion, and consciousness) differed significantly between instructions (all p -values >.140) or among the four experimental groups (all p -values >.194).

Analysis of the salivary cortisol concentration

One participant in the group with instructions for shamanic journeying and repetitive drumming exhibited salivary cortisol concentrations that were more than 3 standard deviations higher than the mean and was therefore excluded from further analyses. Because the distribution of the cortisol concentration values deviated significantly from normality, the data was first log-transformed to achieve normality. We then conducted a repeated-measures analysis of variance on the log-transformed values, with music exposure as within-subject factor, and two between-subjects factors corresponding to the instructions and music style.

We found a significant main effect of music exposure ( Figure 1 ), representing a decrease in the mean log-transformed salivary concentration of cortisol (in ng/ml) from 0.357 (pre-exposure) to 0.277 (post-exposure), F (1,34) = 5.72, p  = .023, η ρ 2  = 0.14. This corresponds to a reduction of 0.35 ng/ml in the mean untransformed salivary cortisol concentration (from 2.93 to 2.58 ng/ml). No other main effect or interaction reached significance (all other p -values >0.179).

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Shamanic : Instructions for shamanic journeying. Relaxation : Instructions for relaxation. Repetitive drumming : Repetitive drumming sequence. Instr. meditation music : Instrumental meditation music excerpt. Error bars represent the standard error of the mean.

Analysis of the mood questionnaire

To assess the effect of the music on participants’ scores on the multidimensional mood questionnaire, repeated-measures analyses of variance were conducted for each subscale (the data of all groups showed a distribution that did not deviate significantly from normality), with music exposure as within-subject factor (before and after exposure to music for 15 minutes), and instructions and music style as between-subject factors. The scores obtained by each experimental group for the multidimensional mood questionnaire are reported in Table 1 .

The mean score on the positive/negative mood subscale increased from 30.4 to 31.6 over all conditions, but this was not statistically significant, F (1,35) = 1.545, p  = .222. No significant main effects or interactions were observed.

A three-way interaction between music exposure, instruction, and music style was found for the alertness/fatigue subscale, F (1,35) = 9.40, p  = .004, η ρ 2  = 0.21. On the one hand, participants who followed the shamanic journey instructions with the instrumental meditation music reported a significant increase in alertness ( p  = .042, Bonferroni-corrected), whereas no significant change in alertness was observed for participants who followed the shamanic journey instructions with the drumming sequence. On the other hand, participants who followed the relaxation instructions with the instrumental meditation music reported a marginally significant decrease in alertness ( p  = .059, Bonferroni-corrected), whereas the opposite was observed for participants who followed the relaxation instructions with the drumming sequence ( p  = .054, Bonferroni-corrected). Additionally, a significant between-subjects effect of music style was observed on this subscale, F (1,35) = 4.77, p  = .036, η ρ 2  = 0.12, mainly because participants (randomly) assigned to the repetitive drumming music groups reported lower pre-exposure levels of alertness, which makes the three-way interaction difficult to interpret.

Finally, we found a significant effect of music exposure on the quietude/disquietude subscale, F (1,35) = 14.98, p <.001, η ρ 2  = 0.30. Across instructions and music styles, participants averaged higher scores (corresponding to a subjective feeling of quietude) after music exposure ( M  = 32.5) than before music exposure ( M  = 28.6). No other main effect or interaction reached significance.

In summary, the only reliable effect observed on the subscales assessed by the multidimensional mood questionnaire corresponded to an increase in quietude over the course of the experimental session, which did not depend on the instructions received by the participants or on the musical style to which they were exposed.

Analysis of the experience questionnaire

The experience questionnaire was constructed to assess relaxation experiences and subjective “dreamlike experiences” after the music exposition. The first four items of the scale (heaviness, warmth, heartbeat, and other body sensations) are related to sensations associated with relaxation, whereas the fifth item probes dreamlike experiences ( Table 2 ). Because participants provided binary (yes/no) answers to each item, logistic regression models were applied to each item separately, with instructions and music style considered as predictors.

A significant interaction between music style and instruction was observed for “heaviness”, χ 2 (1) = 5.32, p  = .021. To investigate this interaction further, we conducted pairwise comparisons between all music style/instruction combinations and applied the Bonferroni correction procedure. A significant effect of instruction was observed for the repetitive drumming sequence: 9 of 10 participants following the shamanic instructions reported experiencing heaviness, versus 3 of 8 participants following the relaxation instructions, p  = .044 (Bonferroni-corrected). No other significant differences were observed.

Regarding the subjective heart rate question, a significant interaction between music style and instruction was also found, χ 2 (1) = 6.91, p  = .009. Pairwise comparisons revealed once again a significant effect of instruction for the repetitive drumming sequence: 9 of 10 participants following the shamanic instructions reported a decreased heart rate, versus only 2 of 8 participants following the relaxation instructions, p  = .003 (Bonferroni-corrected). A significant effect of music style was also observed for the shamanic instruction groups, with only 4 of 11 participants listening to the instrumental meditation excerpt reporting a decreased heart rate, p  = 0.012 (Bonferroni-corrected).

In the case of the dreamlike experiences, there was also a significant interaction between music style and instruction, χ 2 (1) = 11.63, p  = .001. Pairwise comparisons showed a significant difference between instructions for the repetitive drumming sequence, p <.001 (Bonferroni-corrected), with all 10 participants following the shamanic instructions reporting dreamlike experiences versus only 2 of 8 participants following the relaxation instructions. We also observed an effect of music style for the relaxation instruction groups, p  = .002 (Bonferroni-corrected), with a higher proportion of participants reporting dreamlike experiences with the instrumental meditation excerpt than with repetitive drumming.

For the “warmth” item, only a marginal interaction between music style and instruction emerged, χ 2 (1) = 3.44, p  = .063, and no pairwise comparison reached significance. No significant main effect or interaction was found for the “other body sensations” item. To summarize, the largest group differences were observed between the shamanic and relaxation instructions for the repetitive drumming: whereas almost all participants in the group with shamanic instructions and repetitive drumming reported experiencing heaviness, a decreased heart rate, and dreamlike experiences, this was not the case for the majority of the participants in the group with relaxation instructions and repetitive drumming.

Analysis of the music excerpts

A comparison of the acoustic features of the music excerpts, conducted using the sound analysis software Praat [44] , showed that the frequency spectra of the two excerpts were quite different. The energy was spread out over a broad frequency range in the instrumental meditation excerpt ( Figure 2A ), whereas most of the energy was found below 200 Hz in the repetitive drumming sequence ( Figure 2B ). The spectrograms also show the more varied content of the instrumental meditation excerpt (as well as the three-fold repetition), compared to the monotonous repetitive drumming. The rattle callback is clearly visible at the end of both stimuli (last 30 seconds). Because the rattle callback is the same for both excerpts, acoustic analyses were conducted separately for the instrumental meditation excerpt (excluding the rattle callback), the repetitive drumming sequence (excluding the rattle callback), and the rattle callback ( Table 3 ). Consistent with the spectrograms ( Figure 2 ), the spectral peak, as well as the center of gravity and standard deviation of the spectrum were much higher for the rattle callback than for the instrumental meditation excerpt and the repetitive drumming sequence, and values were also higher for the instrumental meditation excerpt than for the repetitive drumming sequence.

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A) Instrumental meditation music excerpt. B) Repetitive drumming sequence. Both stimuli end with a 30-second rattle callback. Darker areas correspond to a higher level of energy.

The rhythmic characteristics of the excerpts, specifically the mean tempo and inter-onset interval (i.e., the time interval between successive note onsets), were determined using the Tempogram Toolbox in MATLAB [59] and verified by visual inspection of the amplitude envelopes ( Table 3 ). The mean tempo was much faster (254.7 beats per minute [BPM], corresponding to 4.2 Hz) for the repetitive drumming than for the instrumental meditation excerpt (48.9 BPM, or 0.8 Hz). The coefficient of variation of the tempo (standard deviation divided by the mean tempo, expressed in percentage), which provides an indication of the stability of the tempo, was slightly higher for the instrumental meditation excerpt (1.4%) and for the rattle callback (1.4%) than for the repetitive drumming sequence (0.5%). In addition, the instrumental meditation excerpt exhibited a much greater rhythmic variety than the drumming sequence, as indicated by a comparison of the standard deviation of the inter-onset intervals.

In this study, we evaluated whether listening to 15 minutes of repetitive drumming or instrumental meditation music, while lying down, with instructions for shamanic journeying led to different effects on salivary cortisol and emotional states compared with listening to the same music excerpts with instructions for relaxation only. The main hypotheses were that after exposure participants would report increased feelings of wellbeing and relaxation, and that a decrease in salivary cortisol concentration would be observed. The reduction in salivary cortisol concentration was predicted to be stronger for the experimental groups with instructions for shamanic journeying. Moreover, reported experiences were expected to be different for the groups with instructions for shamanic journeying compared to the groups with instructions for relaxation.

We found a significant effect of the overall treatment on salivary cortisol concentration, with lower cortisol concentrations post-exposure, but no significant interactions with instructions or music style. The observed decrease in cortisol concentrations post music exposure is in line with previous observations [35] . Moreover, the magnitude of the decrease (−0.35 ng/ml) was comparable to that observed in participants after one hour of music listening (−0.33 ng/ml) [36] or after a 15-minute conversation with a remote partner using a huggable human-shaped device (−0.50 ng/ml) [60] . Here, we found that only 15 minutes of exposure to either repetitive drumming or instrumental meditation music, while participants lay on their backs, are sufficient to induce a significant decrease in salivary cortisol concentration, thus corroborating our first hypothesis. However, no additional effect on salivary cortisol concentration associated specifically with exposure to repetitive drumming or to shamanic journeying instructions was detected, thus disconfirming our second hypothesis.

The analysis of the mood questionnaire subscales revealed a significant increase on the quietude/disquietude subscale, suggesting that, as predicted by our first hypothesis, participants felt calmer and more relaxed after music exposure, regardless of the instructions or music style. This is in line with previous studies in music research [33] – [35] . There was no significant effect associated with the positive/negative mood subscale. We observed a complex three-way interaction on the alertness/fatigue scale, but this effect is difficult to interpret and probably irrelevant due to pre-experimental differences in the level of alertness between the participant groups (even though participants were randomly assigned to the groups).

The analysis of the experience questionnaire revealed a significant interaction between experimental instructions and musical style for three items. Most of the participants exposed to repetitive drumming and shamanic instructions reported experiencing heaviness, a decreased heart rate, and dreamlike experiences, whereas the majority of the participants exposed to repetitive drumming and relaxation instructions did not report these experiences. These findings suggest that shamanic instructions combined with repetitive drumming may lead to a greater likelihood of subjective experiences associated with relaxation, decreased arousal levels, and dreamlike states, when compared to other musical styles or instructions.

Because the shamanic instructions given to the participants may have suggested specific subjective experiences [8] , the fact that these experiences differed between participants exposed to shamanic instructions and those exposed to instructions for relaxation is not entirely unexpected. However, these different outcomes were only observed for the groups exposed to repetitive drumming, whereas no significant differences emerged between these two instructions for the groups exposed to instrumental meditation music. Although very few studies have investigated this phenomenon systematically, participants exposed to repetitive drumming while completing an imagery task reported significantly different subjective experiences in comparison to participants who completed the imagery task without exposure to drumming [61] . Furthermore, differences between subjective experiences related to shamanic instructions and other instructions, such as sitting quietly, were previously reported by Rock [12] , [13] . In a similar vein, Shapiro and Lehrer [62] found that participants given autogenic training (which has some similarities with shamanic journeying) reported more sensations of warmth and heaviness in the limbs than participants in a progressive relaxation group. However, no differences in heart rate were found between both groups.

Given that the music excerpts used in our study differed substantially in terms of their spectral and rhythmic features, we might have expected to find a main effect of musical style, especially with respect to the mood and experience questionnaires. Indeed, music characterized by a high frequency range and a varied rhythm is generally perceived as happy and graceful, whereas a low frequency range and an unvaried rhythm tends to be perceived as solemn and heavy (see e.g., [38] ). Here, the frequency range for the instrumental meditation excerpt was substantially higher than that of the repetitive drumming sequence. Moreover, although the former exhibited a slower tempo, its rhythmic variety was much greater than that of the strictly isochronous drumming sequence. Nevertheless, we did not observe any significant main effect of musical style, either on the salivary cortisol concentration or on the responses to the questionnaires. To be sure, these findings are far from conclusive, considering that we only compared drumming to meditation music, and a broader repertoire should be explored to fully investigate the impact of various musical styles.

In summary, our results indicate that, whereas differences in subjective experiences were observed between experimental conditions, no significant differences were observed in the salivary cortisol response, suggesting that the subjective experiences specifically attributed to repetitive drumming and shamanic journeying may not be reflected in differential endocrine responses. Although there are few comparable studies in the literature, Nater et al. [63] also reported no significant treatment × condition interaction for salivary cortisol levels between two groups of participants exposed to heavy metal (pre-selected as arousing and unpleasant) versus Renaissance music (pre-selected as relaxing and pleasant), in spite of differential effects for psychological responses such as the positive/negative mood and quietude/disquietude subscales (this study used the same multidimensional mood questionnaire employed here). However, the same study also reported significant differences for other psychophysiological responses such as heart rate and skin conductance, indicating that differential effects observed on psychophysiological measurements may not be reflected in endocrine variables.

In contrast to related studies (e.g., Thoma et al. [64] ), we did not attempt to control for all potential confounding variables. Hence, our sample of participants exhibited a large range of variation in age, and included participants from both genders. The latter is a potentially confounding factor given that it has been shown that males and females differ in their physiological and emotional responses to music listening [63] , [65] . While this may have reduced the internal validity of our study, it also suggests that our conclusions may be generalized to a broader population. Furthermore, we note that no statistically significant differences were observed between experimental conditions for either age (although a marginal tendency was found in this case) or for the proportion of male/female participants. To be sure, we cannot exclude the possibility that using a different experimental design might have yielded different results. For instance, participants were tested in small groups in our study, as in Knight & Rickard [66] , although a meta-analysis has suggested that music interventions might be more effective with individuals than with groups [67] .

As shown in earlier studies [14] , [68] , [69] , the composition of the participant groups and the setting (environment and circumstances) can have a strong influence on the outcome of shamanic journeying. The intentions and goals associated with the journey, as well as the personality traits, psychological states, or belief systems of the participants may play an important role in the personal experiences and physiological changes associated with exposure to repetitive drumming and/or instructions for shamanic journeying. Besides the physical setting, the presence of live drumming or rattling versus the use of recorded music, or the presence of one or more experienced shamanic practitioners may potentially lead to different outcomes. Future studies may compare the effects experienced by shamanic practitioners to those experienced by naïve participants. Furthermore, although the reported association between repetitive drumming and ASCs was the motivation for our use of repetitive drumming, other musical styles with contrasting rhythmic or timbral features should be employed in order to assess the impact of different acoustic parameters in a more systematic fashion. Finally, other physiological markers besides cortisol, such as IgA, salivary alpha-amylase, testosterone, or possibly oxytocin, could be analyzed from saliva samples.

Supporting Information

Experimental data collected for each individual participant in the main study. The data includes the following: salivary cortisol concentration, inter-assay coefficient of variation for the salivary cortisol measurements, responses to the multidimensional mood questionnaire, responses to the experience questionnaire, and NEO-FFI scores. Each row represents the data for an individual participant. The participants’ age is not included in order to preserve their anonymity.

Acknowledgments

We thank Elisabeth Pschernig and Eva Millesi for their assistance with measuring the salivary cortisol concentrations, Ruth-Sophie Sonnweber for her advice regarding the cortisol analysis, Gesche Westphal-Fitch for help with recruiting the participants, and Manuela Marin for her comments and suggestions on the manuscript.

Funding Statement

This research was supported by European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Grant SOMACCA [grant number 230604] and a University of Vienna startup grant to W.T.F. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Shamanic Drumming

What is Shamanic Journeying?

Shamanism represents a universal conceptual framework found among indigenous tribal humans. It includes the belief that the natural world has two aspects: ordinary everyday awareness, formed by our habitual behaviors, patterns of belief, social norms, and cultural conditioning, and a second non-ordinary awareness accessed through altered states, or ecstatic trance, induced by shamanic practices such as repetitive drumming. The act of entering an ecstatic trance state is called the soul flight or shamanic journey, and it allows the journeyer to view life and life's problems from a detached, spiritual perspective, not easily achieved in a state of ordinary consciousness.

Basically, shamanic journeying is a way of communicating with your inner or spirit self and retrieving information. Your inner self is in constant communication with all aspects of your environment, seen and unseen. You need only journey within to find answers to your questions. You should have a question or objective in mind from the start. Shamanic journeying may be undertaken for purposes of divination, for personal healing, to meet one's power animal or spirit guide, or for any number of other reasons. After the journey, you must then interpret the meaning of your trance experience.

The drum, sometimes called the shaman's horse , provides a simple and effective way to induce ecstatic trance states. When a drum is played at an even tempo of three to four beats per second for at least fifteen minutes, most novices report that they can journey successfully even on their first attempt. Transported by the driving beat of the drum; the shamanic traveler journeys to the inner planes of consciousness. To learn more, preview my online audio course and new book, Shamanic Journeys: An Anthology .

The Shaman's Universe

According to shamanic cosmology, there are three inner planes of consciousness: the Upper, Middle, and Lower Worlds. Humans did not invent these inner realms; they discovered them. Far from being a human contrivance, these archetypal worlds are inherent in the collective unconscious, the common psychological inheritance of humanity. They are woven into the matrix of the psyche. They are a part of our psyche, a part of us whether we choose to become aware of it or not.

The three realms are linked together by a vertical axis that is commonly referred to as the "World Tree." The roots of the World Tree touch the Lower World. Its trunk is the Middle World and its branches hold up the Upper World. This central axis exists within each of us. Through the sound of the drum, which is invariably made of wood from the World Tree, the shaman is transported to the axis within and conveyed from plane to plane. As Tuvan musicologist Valentina Suzukei explains, "There is a bridge on these sound waves so you can go from one world to another. In the sound world, a tunnel opens through which we can pass-or the shaman's spirits come to us. When you stop playing the drum, the bridge disappears." 1

Journey Technique

To enter a trance state and support your journey, you will need a drum or a shamanic drumming recording . Shamanic drumming is drumming for the purpose of shamanic journeying. A good shamanic drumming recording should be pulsed at around three to four beats per second. You may also rattle, chant, or sing to induce trance. There is no right or wrong way to journey. Be innovative and try different ways of journeying. Many people need to move, dance, or sing their journeys. My first journeys were supported by listening to a shamanic drumming recording, but now I have stronger journeys when I drum for myself.

For your first journeys, I recommend traveling to the Lower World using the technique taught by Michael Harner. Founder of The Foundation for Shamanic Studies, Harner is widely acknowledged as the world's foremost authority on experiential and practical shamanism. In his book, The Way of the Shaman , Harner suggests that you visualize an opening into the earth that you remember from sometime in your life. The entrance could be an animal burrow, hollow tree stump, cave and so on. When the journey begins, you'll go down the hole and a tunnel will appear. The tunnel often appears ribbed and may bend or spiral around. This tunnel-like imagery is related to the central axis that links the three inner planes of consciousness. Enter the tunnel and you will emerge into the Lower World -- the realm of power animals, spirit guides and ancestral spirits. It is a beautiful, Earth-like dimension, where we can find lost power, retrieve lost souls and connect with animal and plant spirits. Step-by-step instructions for making shamanic journeys are explained in my book The Shamanic Drum .

Engaging the Imaginal Realm

Imagination is our portal to the spirit world. Internal imagery enables us to perceive and connect with the inner realms. If a shaman wants to retrieve information or a lost guardian spirit, "imagining what to look for" is the first step in achieving any result. According to C. Michael Smith, author of Jung and Shamanism in Dialogue , "The shaman's journey employs the imagination, and the use of myth as inner map gives the shaman a way of imagining non-ordinary reality, so that he or she may move about intentionally in it." 2 By consciously interacting with the inner imagery, the shaman is able to communicate with spirit guides and power animals.

Communication in non-ordinary reality is characteristically archetypal, nonverbal and nonlinear in nature. The images we see during a shamanic journey have a universal, archetypical quality. Imagery from these experiences is a combination of our imagination and information conveyed to us by the spirits. Our imagination gives the journey a "container;" which helps us to understand the messages we receive. It provides us with a way to understand and articulate the experience for ourselves and to others. Now that you know the basics, try a shamanic journey .

1. Kira Van Deusen, "Shamanism and Music in Tuva and Khakassia," Shaman's Drum, No. 47, Winter 1997, p. 24. 2. C. Michael Smith, Jung and Shamanism in Dialogue (New York: Paulist Press, 1997) p 16.

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what happens during a shamanic journey

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The Shaman's Journey: Exploring the Upper World

what happens during a shamanic journey

Shamanic journeying is one of the most powerful tools for healing and growth. I’m been having so much fun this week exploring it with you. And judging from the responses and comments I’ve been getting, so have you! Again, everyone can learn the shaman’s skill of journeying; it is an active practice to consciously travel into spiritual worlds as explorers and creators. In yesterday’s blog, we explored the cosmology of the shaman and the “maps” of the realms you may experience while journeying. We talked about the cosmology of the Three Worlds – Upper World, Middle World, and Lower World – and even journeyed to the Lower World to find a power animal. [ If you haven’t downloaded the Power Animal Journey yet, access it here. ] Today, we’re going to go on journey to the Upper World. The Upper World is where we turn for wisdom and guidance that has a higher vibrational essence. But there's no hierarchy between the realms. The Upper World is not "better" than the Lower World or Middle World. It's just different. Journeying to the Upper World can reveal the depth of our true essential nature, allowing us to enter into the flowering of our purpose. Here we receive guidance that can bring us into harmony with all that is, allowing us to step beyond the personal, and into service to humanity and the world. In this classic shamanic journey, you will have the chance to meet and begin a relationship with a spirit guide from the Upper World. Remember, this is the realm populated by angels, guardians, enlightened beings, mystics and magicians, mythic power animals, wisdom teachers, ancestors and ancient ones. [ GET THE UPPER WORLD JOURNEY NOW ] This will be a 15-minute guided journey – versus drumming only. My voice is only to assist, so feel free to follow your own guidance. I’ll walk you through the journey first, so you have a chance to check out the landscape – like a runner walking the course before a race. Then you can go at your own pace; you’ll already be familiar with the territory. The drum will call you back at the end with some shorter beats and a pause. As we journey, notice everything you see, hear, feel. All of these are part of the journey. Use your mind’s eye and senses. Even if you don’t see, hear or sense anything immediately, that doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong. If you’re feeling stuck, ask yourself, what if I did see something? What would it be? What would I hear? Taste? Feel? Remember, journey is a co- creative process. You’re not “making it up” and it’s not “just your imagination.” What happens during the spirit-journey is real in that dimension. It actually becomes more real than what we call “reality.” This is where miracles happen… healing, clearing, creation, guidance. As comfortable as it is as to have someone guide you on journey – and as much as I enjoy being that guide – over time you’ll want to learn to journey on your own. As you continue to practice, the steps fall away and journey becomes a direct communication with Spirit, your guides or your power animal. When you’re first beginning to journey – just like learning any new skill – it’s important to practice correctly. Go down the root to the Lower World… up the ladder to the Upper World. Learn to work with and strengthen your multiple senses. If you get mostly visual images (i.e., seeing), then start with what you see. Then deepen and expand to “what if I heard, or tasted or felt” that thing you are seeing. Develop your full sensory awareness… step in and make it rich.. become the eagle and fly – feel the wind, see through their eyes, become the flower and ask for guidance… merge… explore… use your allies. You can use different journeys for different purposes: to explore beyond your death, to explore and heal past lives; to bring back soul parts so you can be whole; to offer clearing and protection; to connect with guides, guardians and/or power animals; or for creating and empowering your destiny. When working with clients, I often use journey to explore their stuck place – and call on allies to help me find what healing needs to happen and how to do that. But, no matter what, I ALWAYS go with an intention – even if that intent is just to explore. So, are you ready to go? Before you start the Upper World journey, I want to share one more thing. Over 20 years of teaching shamanism and leading journeys around the globe, I’ve had students ask me over and over again if my guided journeys are available for download, so they can revisit and experience them whenever they need to, or share them with family, friends or clients. Well, the answer is finally YES! In addition to the three free journeys I’ve shared this week, I’m offering a brand new collection of guided journeys that will be available for a limited time beginning tomorrow. This new set of six full-length guided audio meditations is called The Shaman’s Journey , and I’m so excited to bring it out into the world. Each of the included journeys is about your life flowing in right relationship, and each is a place of service for helping the world as well. I’ve also added a couple of extra journey bonuses based on your feedback and requests. So, be on the lookout for the launch announcement in email tomorrow. The Shaman’s Journey goes on sale for a limited time only on December 15 , at a special discounted price, and you won’t want to miss it. Now…off on journey you go! [ Click to access your free 15-minute guided Upper World journey ]

#journey #visioning #TheShamansJourney

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What is Shamanic Journeying?

Throughout history, shamans have acted as the interface between the spirit and mundane worlds. Shamans keep an eye on the physical, emotional, and spiritual health of their people, as well as the environment in which they live. If a malady shows up in one, it’s likely to have a counterpart in the other.

One way that shamans communicate with the spirit world is through shamanic journeying. This allows the shaman to leave ordinary reality and step into what’s commonly known as non-ordinary reality — a structured reflection of the spirit world, rendered in images and forms that a human can understand.

This allows shamans to perform divination, speak to deities and the spirits of ancestors and nature, and seek out cures for spiritual ills.

Shamans live with one foot in the mundane world, and one foot in the spirit world. In this way, they bring balance to the people and nature around them.

See article: Shamanism For Beginners: Beliefs, Practices & More.

Shamanic journeying is simply a way of using one’s spirit-self to retrieve information. During a journey, the shaman meets with the spirits of gods, goddesses, lesser divine spirits, animals, ancestors, shamans who have passed on, or even the spirits of plants and places. These spirits can speak directly to the shaman, or act out scenes that provide answers in a symbolic form.

The Lower, Middle, and Upper Worlds

The spirit world of the shaman is split into three basic parts, though each of these has many layers of their own. Despite their names, they are not truly above or below each other — each realm has its own importance, and none are more divine, more important, or more beautiful than the other.

The lower world is regarded as the world of nature spirits. This is the world of primordial life and energy, a world where nature still reigns with red teeth and claws. Journeying here is generally undertaken to speak to the spirits of animals, plants, sacred springs or wells, and the spirits of a location.

The middle world is the spirit world that runs parallel to — and reflects — our ordinary reality. Journeying here is done for remote viewing, visiting others, and what most people picture of when they hear the words “astral projection.”

The upper world is the realm of spirit guides, ancestors, and shamans who have passed on. Journeying here is done to contact these helpful spirits.

The worlds are often visualized as a tree, with the lower world acting as the roots, the middle as the trunk, and the upper as the branches.

Shamans may climb or descend this tree as needed. Shamans around the world also often describe descending to the lower world as going down a ribbed or striated tube, like an esophagus.

Some spirits are not confined to a single realm. Deities can appear how and wherever they wish. Some nature spirits — including ones typically regarded as part of the fae — can also show up in the lower, middle, or upper realms as they please.

It should be noted that not all shamans experience non-ordinary reality as if it were a movie playing out in front of them. While some are able to have vivid visual and auditory experiences, others might receive information as colors, light, touch, smell, or even taste.

Just because two shamans experience their journeys differently doesn’t make one of them any better or worse than the other.

See also: Check out the current top 100 Best-Selling Shamanism books in the USA here.

How does Shamanic Journeying Work?

Before setting out on a shamanic journey, a shaman must have a goal in mind. Keeping this goal at the forefront of their thoughts is what allows shamans to find the places and spirits they need in non-ordinary reality.

After figuring out a goal, the shaman enters a state of altered consciousness. Shamanic journeying consciousness is different from meditative consciousness — shamans must be at least partially aware of their surroundings, even as they navigate the spirit world.

This altered state can be achieved in multiple ways, including:

  • Concentration.
  • Meditation.
  • Drumming, rattling, or chanting.
  • The use of mind-altering plants, called entheogens.

Entheogens and Shamanic Journeying

It takes a lot of experience to be able to enter a shamanic state through concentration alone. While all shamans must concentrate in order to make it through the spirit world, drumming, rattling, chanting, or entheogens are invaluable aids when it comes to entering the correct state of mind.

Entheogens are psychoactive plants or fungi. Hallucinogenic mushrooms, for example, are a very ancient entheogen used by shamans. Their use is so old, in fact, that they are depicted in cave paintings from as far back as 5,000 BCE!

It should be noted that, in most ceremonies, the shaman isn’t the one who uses entheogens. Instead, the plants or fungi are employed as part of a ceremony for another individual or group. The participants use the entheogens, and the shaman then drums, chants, and acts as a guide as these people journey through non-ordinary reality. The shaman, then, facilitates their self-healing and communication with spirit.

If one intends on using entheogens in order to produce a journeying experience, it’s important to remember that they can easily be misused. These plants and fungi open the mind and make it more receptive, which is what allows the mind to pick up on subtle input from the spirit world.

For this reason, it’s important to first quiet and calm the mind, after cultivating mental discipline through meditation. Entheogens should also only ever be used in a place where the user feels safe, preferably in nature.

For best results, this ceremony should be undertaken at night. If these instructions aren’t followed, it’s very easy for a mind-altering substance to have some unintended effects — instead of a healing journey, the user might find themselves on the receiving end of a waking nightmare.

Benefits of Shamanic Journeying

Shamanic journeying has numerous benefits, and none of them are limited to experienced shamans. Even novices can experience them, as long as they develop a dedicated shamanic practice.

Some of the benefits of shamanic journeying include:

  • Deeper insight into personal situations.
  • Decreased anxiety and fear.
  • Decreased physical pain.
  • Increased creativity.
  • Resolved personal trauma.
  • Physical, psychological, or spiritual healing.
  • Obtaining knowledge about the nature of reality.
  • Validation.
  • Increased intuition and spiritual connections.
  • Deeper feelings of connection and support from others.
  • Obtaining mystical knowledge.

Getting Started With Shamanic Journeying

Getting started with shamanic journeying can feel a little daunting. The best place to start may be in a group setting, with a seasoned shaman available to drum and guide participants on their first journey.

After experiencing this, novice shamans can turn to books, online or in-person classes, or shamanic teachers to further guide them in navigating non-ordinary reality.

More adventurous spiritual explorers may even venture out into nature on their own to practice journeying in solitude. If you choose to do this, be sure to practice meditation beforehand and to go into the experience in a pleasant state of mind.

Overcoming fear and the breaking down of perceived mental limitations can be a great way to reach a state of fluidity and heightened consciousness, which can help you to more easily break through into the non-ordinary realms of reality.

Shamanic journeying allows shamans to see connections that often get missed in the ordinary world. They can communicate with spirits, ancestors, and the divine, gaining the insight they need to keep their communities and environments safe, healthy, and whole.

For new shamanic practitioners, journeying can feel like a difficult undertaking, and they might not feel like they make much progress at first. With time and experience, the wonder, mystery, and wisdom of the spirit world will open.

As an Amazon Associate, Terravara earns from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to readers.

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what happens during a shamanic journey

Shamanic Meditation: A Journey Within

  • January 10, 2018

what happens during a shamanic journey

When pursuing a balanced life , building a strong personal connection to the spirit is essential to your journey. Most of us imagine shamans as being somewhat frightening — but really, shamans are people who use altered states of consciousness to access the spirit world.

In many respects, it’s a lot like what happens during very deep meditation! Many cultures throughout history have looked to Shamans as healers and spiritual guides, and shamans have been known to access and use both malevolent and benevolent spiritual energies to manifest certain outcomes in the physical world.

Your own Shamanic Journey is an evolution of communication with your spiritual guides (your higher self as well as others) — and by so doing, to lead you on a personal journey of healing and understanding.

Shamanic meditation is simple, even for beginners. It is similar to eastern meditation practices as they, too, push towards the discovery of and connection with the higher spirit in order to heal the mind and body and to gain a better understanding of the self and the world.

The difference between shamanic meditation and eastern meditation philosophies is that shamanic meditation seeks to connect with spiritual guides in order to live more fully and openly in physical reality rather than transcend physical reality, as is the general focus with eastern meditation practices.

Shamanic meditation does not concentrate on leaving behind the stresses and illnesses of daily life.  Instead, it focuses on using a spiritual connection to heal these worldly concerns.

Starting On A Shamanic Journey

Below are various concepts to meditate on. Some of these concepts are harder to understand intellectually than others, which means in order to understand them, we must move beyond logic into the realm of spirit.

When you feel you are ready to begin your personal connection to your spirit to access higher levels of spiritual awareness, you are initiating your Shamanic Journey. Entering an altered state of consciousness is the next step. Traditionally, this has been accomplished through the use of repetitive drumbeats, chanting, and in some cases  mind-altering substances .

The repetitive nature of drumbeats is a lot like brainwave entrainment: within minutes, you are in a deep meditative state (an altered state of consciousness). Then, the judgment of your logical mind is suspended and you can more easily access your spiritual guides.

Shamanic Meditation creativity

Expressing Creativity

“Creativity is not the making of something through a quality of the mind. It is a spontaneous movement of Spirit energy within the Soul, as the revolving of the Earth around the Sun which creates night and day.” Creativity is far less of an intellectual/mental ability than it is an expression of spirit. By accessing this spirit energy and allowing it to move through us, we reach our creative potential.

Finding Determination

“Determination is the power that gives momentum to desire.” Meditate on this. Many of us are stuck in unrewarding  careers  and relationships; your spiritual guidance will give you clarity and courage to pursue what you want and need.

Seeking Understanding

“Everything that can be understood is already within us.” This ancient wisdom is part of all of the world’s great spiritual traditions. Every question we have is already answered; and shamanic meditation will help you uncover whatever knowledge you seek. Like an archaeologist digging for lost civilizations, dig into your spirit to find the knowledge and understanding that is hidden from your awareness.

Following The Heart

“Follow your heart, for what you feel is nearer the truth than what you think.” Thought can carry too much weight and can have the tendency to turn negative. (If you have ever talked yourself out of doing something that felt intuitively right but on the surfaced looked logically wrong — only to regret your decision later —  you understand the repercussions of favoring intellect).

Sharing Happiness

“Happiness is unattainable alone for it can only be shared.” Happiness is not something to hoard, to keep for yourself. You can’t run out of it — instead, as you share your happiness with those around you, you’ll find that your own happiness expands. And there is no external force that can create happiness within. You can be happy if  you choose to be happy — and so,  your happiness can only be shared, not “found.”

Discovering Your Innocence

“Innocence is not that which is separate from moral wrong, for innocence is not divisive.” An innocent child lives for the moment. The past is forgotten and the future does not exist. Only the moment has importance. That is innocence; purity; peace. Meditate for the here and the now. Look to connect with what is happening to you and around you now. You cannot fix what has already happened and you cannot break that which has not yet come to pass. Focus your healing spirit energy on what is going on right now.

Appreciating The Journey

“Look to a Way that is not a route to a destination but rather the journey itself, for you cannot become what it is you aspire to unless you can be it where you are now.” Don’t try to move toward your destination. Bring the destination to yourself.

Shamanic Meditation nature

Love Your Real Self

“To love Nature is to love your Real Self, for Nature itself is an expression of the essence of what you are.” We do not see what is, we see what we are. In other words, what is within us determines our outlook.

Towards The Spirit, Out Of Ego

“Spirit is obscured when the Ego is allowed to get in the way.” Our egos make us prideful and afraid. The spirit is the essence of oneness, healing, and light. There is no fear of loss or feelings of being “less than” in the spirit.

Discovering Your Power

You alone have the power to make something of yourself simply by choosing to do so.

Shamanic meditation is not about searching for what you think you don’t have that you need. It is about discovering what was there all along.

Look to these meditations as ideas as your practice your Shamanic Journey. Choose the concepts that resonate with you most, or the ones you intuitively feel are most valuable to you; and get answers as you listen to your inner guidance!

Irina Yugay

Irina Yugay

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what happens during a shamanic journey

Shaman Elizabeth Herrera | Shamanic Healing & Lessons

Shamanic healing can be used for all mental, health and spiritual concerns., what is shamanic journeying.

dreamer

Shamanism is the oldest known spiritual practice in the world and is still practiced by indigenous people on every continent today. While there are many different rituals, one commonality is that the shaman acts as a catalyst between this world and the spirit world.

Shaman Elizabeth Herrera has personally found the practice of shamanism to be life changing. The connection to the Divine power has opened her mind to the wonders of the unseen world, which affects every aspect of our lives and even the entire universe. Through shamanism, she has learned that we are all connected—the earth, sky, nature, animals, winged and sea creatures, and mankind—singing one song of unending love.

  • During a shamanic journey, a shaman will use a visionary process to travel to the spirit realm to request healings, receive divine messages, help guide lost souls home (psychopomp), and commune with nature and the universe.
  • In the spirit realm, a shaman interacts with spirit guides, ancestors, spirits of people from this world, angels, and enlightened beings.
  • Power animals act as protectors and guides for the shaman. They can be a part of a shaman’s journeys for many lifetimes or brief periods during which their archetype power is needed.
  • The spirit realm has three “worlds”: the lower, middle, and upper. None of the realms are better than the others; they simply offer different experiences that are appropriate for different circumstances.

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what happens during a shamanic journey

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Shamanic Journey

Exploring the mystical world: what exactly is a shamanic journey.

Have you ever heard of a shamanic journey? It's a practice that has been around for centuries and is deeply rooted in many indigenous cultures. The concept of a shamanic journey involves traveling to different realms of consciousness to connect with spirit guides, ancestors, and other mystical beings. It's a way to gain insight, wisdom, and healing from the spiritual world. But what exactly happens during a shamanic journey? How does one prepare for it? And what are the benefits of this ancient practice? In this article, we'll explore the mystical world of shamanic journeys and discover what makes them such a powerful tool for personal growth and transformation. Whether you're a spiritual seeker or just curious to learn more about this intriguing practice, join us on this journey as we explore the mystical world of shamanism.

What is Shamanism?

Shamanism is a spiritual practice that has existed for thousands of years in various indigenous cultures around the world. It is based on the belief that everything in the universe, including animals, plants, and natural elements, has a spiritual essence. Shamans, the practitioners of shamanism, are regarded as the intermediaries between the human and spirit realms. They use various techniques, including shamanic journeys, to connect with the spiritual world and harness its wisdom and healing powers.

History of Shamanic Practices

Shamanic practices can be traced back to ancient civilizations, with evidence found in archaeological discoveries and historical accounts. Shamanism has been an integral part of cultures such as those of the Native Americans, Siberians, Australian Aborigines, and indigenous tribes of the Amazon rainforest. Despite cultural differences, the core principles of shamanism remain consistent throughout these diverse traditions.

The Purpose of a Shamanic Journey

The purpose of a shamanic journey is to explore non-ordinary reality and access realms of consciousness beyond the physical world. During a journey, the shamanic practitioner enters a trance-like state to connect with spirit guides, ancestors, power animals, and other spiritual entities. The journey serves as a means to gain insight, receive guidance, seek healing, and retrieve lost parts of the soul. It is a powerful tool for personal and spiritual growth, self-discovery, and transformation.

The Stages of a Shamanic Journey

A shamanic journey typically consists of several stages that guide the practitioner through the process of connecting with the spiritual realm. These stages include preparation, intention setting, entering trance, exploration, interaction with spiritual entities, receiving guidance, and returning to ordinary reality. Each stage plays a crucial role in facilitating a meaningful and transformative journey experience.

Shamanic Journey Techniques

There are various techniques used to induce the trance-like state necessary for a shamanic journey. Drumming, rattling, chanting, dancing, and breathwork are some of the common methods employed by shamans and modern practitioners alike. These techniques help shift consciousness, quiet the mind, and open the door to the spiritual dimensions.

Common Experiences During a Shamanic Journey

During a shamanic journey, practitioners often encounter vivid imagery, symbols, and archetypal beings. These experiences can vary greatly from person to person, but some common encounters include meeting spirit guides, power animals, ancestral beings, and elemental forces. The journeyer may receive messages, insights, and healing energies, which can have a profound impact on their life and well-being.

Benefits of Shamanic Journeying

Shamanic journeying offers numerous benefits for personal growth, healing, and spiritual development. By connecting with the spiritual realm, individuals can gain clarity, receive guidance, and access their inner wisdom. Shamanic journeys can facilitate emotional healing, help release energetic blockages, and bring about a sense of wholeness and empowerment. The transformative nature of shamanic journeying allows individuals to cultivate a deeper connection with themselves, nature, and the spiritual forces that surround them.

One of the significant benefits of shamanic journeying is the opportunity to gain insight and clarity on life's challenges and decisions. By consulting with spirit guides and receiving guidance from the spiritual realm, individuals can tap into a higher wisdom that goes beyond their everyday consciousness. This expanded perspective can offer fresh perspectives, innovative solutions, and a deeper understanding of one's purpose and path.

Furthermore, shamanic journeys can be a powerful tool for emotional healing and trauma resolution. The encounters and experiences during a journey can help individuals confront and release emotional wounds, fears, and past traumas that may be holding them back. Through the support and guidance of spiritual beings, the journeyer can experience profound emotional catharsis, forgiveness, and inner peace.

Shamanic journeying also nurtures a profound sense of interconnectedness and harmony with nature and the universe. It allows individuals to recognize and experience the web of life, understanding their place within it and the interdependence of all beings. This awareness often leads to a deep reverence for the Earth and a desire to live in harmony with its rhythms and cycles.

Shamanic Journeying and Healing

Shamanic journeying has been used for centuries as a potent method of healing. Shamans believe that many physical, emotional, and spiritual ailments have their roots in energetic imbalances or disharmony. By journeying to the spiritual realms, shamans can identify the underlying causes of illness and work with spiritual allies to facilitate healing on multiple levels.

In a shamanic healing journey, the practitioner may seek guidance from spirit guides or power animals to identify the energetic imbalances or blockages within the individual. They may then perform energetic healing techniques, such as extraction, soul retrieval, or energy balancing, to restore harmony and vitality to the person's energy field. Shamanic healing journeys can complement conventional medical treatments and therapies, offering a holistic approach to well-being.

Shamanic Journeying Resources and Communities

If you're interested in exploring shamanic journeying further, there are abundant resources and communities available to support your journey. Books, workshops, and online courses provide guidance on shamanic practices, journey techniques, and the interpretation of journey experiences. These resources can help you deepen your understanding, refine your skills, and connect with like-minded individuals on the shamanic path.

We recommend exploring the courses offered by Oscar Miro-Quesada on Humanity Stream+ . His courses, such as " Becoming the Shining One " and " Ancestral Shamanic Star Wisdom ," provide valuable teachings and practices to deepen your shamanic journeying experience.

Oscar Miro-Quesada is a renowned shamanic practitioner, author, and teacher who has dedicated his life to the study and practice of shamanism. With over four decades of experience, he is widely respected for his profound understanding of indigenous wisdom traditions and his ability to bridge ancient teachings with contemporary life. Oscar Miro-Quesada's shamanic work is deeply rooted in the Peruvian lineage of curanderismo, which encompasses both the Andean and Amazonian traditions. He has traveled extensively, sharing his teachings and leading workshops and ceremonies around the world. Through his courses, such as "Becoming the Shining One" and "Ancestral Shamanic Star Wisdom," Oscar Miro-Quesada offers transformative practices and insights that allow individuals to deepen their connection with spirit, explore their inner landscape, and awaken their true potential. His teachings emphasize the importance of honoring the Earth, cultivating harmonious relationships with all beings, and embracing the sacredness of life. Oscar Miro-Quesada's shamanic work continues to inspire and guide countless individuals on their spiritual journeys, offering profound wisdom and practical tools for personal growth, healing, and connection with the divine.

Shamanic journeying is a profound and ancient practice that offers a gateway to the mystical realms of consciousness. It allows individuals to connect with spirit guides, ancestors, and other spiritual entities to gain wisdom, guidance, and healing. The stages of a shamanic journey, the techniques used, and the common experiences encountered create a transformative and deeply personal experience.

The benefits of shamanic journeying are vast, ranging from personal growth and self-discovery to emotional healing and spiritual connection. By engaging in this practice, individuals can tap into their inner wisdom, access guidance from the spiritual realm, and foster a profound sense of interconnectedness with the universe.

Whether you're a spiritual seeker or simply curious about exploring different dimensions of consciousness, shamanic journeying offers a profound and transformative path. It allows you to embark on an inner adventure, delving into the depths of your being and connecting with the vast realms of spirit. Through shamanic journeying, you can discover aspects of yourself, receive guidance, and experience healing on multiple levels.

Remember that each person's journey is unique, and the experiences and insights gained are deeply personal. It's essential to approach shamanic journeying with respect, intention, and a willingness to surrender to the wisdom of the spiritual realms. Before embarking on a journey, take time to prepare yourself mentally, emotionally, and energetically. Set a clear intention for what you seek to explore, heal, or receive guidance on during your journey.

As you deepen your practice of shamanic journeying, consider seeking guidance from experienced practitioners, teachers, or mentors who can provide support and insight along your path. Engaging with a shamanic community or participating in workshops and ceremonies can also enrich your journeying experience, allowing you to connect with others who share your interest and passion for this mystical practice.

Shamanic journeying is not just a solitary endeavor but a bridge that connects you with the wisdom of the ages, the spirits of nature, and the vast universe that exists beyond our ordinary perceptions. Embrace the mystery, trust the process, and allow the magic of the shamanic journey to unfold in your life.

In conclusion, the practice of shamanic journeying offers a profound way to explore the mystical realms, connect with spiritual guides, and tap into the wisdom and healing powers of the spiritual world. It is an ancient practice that has stood the test of time and continues to be relevant in our modern lives. By embarking on a shamanic journey, you open yourself up to a world of infinite possibilities for personal growth, transformation, and connection with the sacred.

So, whether you are a spiritual seeker, an explorer of consciousness, or simply curious about the mystical world, shamanic journeying invites you to embark on a profound adventure of self-discovery, healing, and spiritual awakening. Step into the realms of the unseen, listen to the whispers of your soul, and allow the magic of the shamanic journey to guide you on your path of illumination and transformation.

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RHYTHM, DRUMMING, AND SHAMANISM

by Dr. Steven Farmer Nov 21, 2018

In the Beginning, There Was the Beat

When you came into this life, your first felt experience was the sensation of rhythm. Not the sound, but the sensation of rhythm. Before you could hear, see, or think, you were unadulterated physicality—pure instinctual and primal substance, a human animal in its infancy, animated by the spark of life that foretold of a human being. You sensed your being as only slightly distinct from your mother’s body, intimately connected to her physical and emotional rhythms, yet very gradually emerging into a sense of your own self.

what happens during a shamanic journey

So your initiation into life is first sensed completely through rhythm. It didn’t register consciously—at least not in the usual sense—or even through the usual senses. Instead, it registered as a non-localized physicality when you were just a tiny fetus, permeating every cell in your organismic self, responding not only to your mother’s rhythms but to the rhythms that were emerging in your evolving body, especially at the center of your physical self: your pulsating heart.

Throughout our lives we continue to come in contact with innumerable internal and external rhythms. We are so intimately familiar with these physical sensations created by rhythm that whenever we’re exposed to any kind of percussion, these earliest, primal sensations are once again activated, particularly to the degree that our bodies are open to these sensations.

Our sense of rhythm can be thrown off kilter in the earliest stages of life. Some recent studies suggest that prenatal stress can affect the baby’s temperament and neurological functioning. Infants whose mothers experienced consistently high levels of stress during pregnancy, especially in the first trimester, showed signs of depression and irritability. While in the womb fetuses were considerably more reactive and slower to tune out repeated stimuli, seemingly unable to readily habituate to that stimuli ( more info ).

Further, one study has suggested that a mother’s stress can contribute to her child’s ADHD. One of the symptoms of ADHD is that the individual typically has difficulty with rhythm perception, evidenced by difficulty in detecting a change in the duration of a rhythm sequence. In other words, difficulty in tracking a beat. Though requiring further study, researchers have speculated that “. . . rhythmic auditory stimulation may serve as a remediation strategy in ADHD.” (Serrallach, B.  et al . Neural biomarkers for dyslexia, ADHD, and ADD in the auditory cortex of children.  Front. Neurosci.   10 , 324 (2016).) In other words, drumming can help mitigate ADHD. As you’ll see, not only does drumming have the potential to help those with ADHD, it can help with other conditions.

Rhythm and Community

When we’re exposed to any rhythmic music or percussion, what typically happens—even if only temporarily—is that parts of the body that have remained frozen or dormant and whose life force has become diminished are stirred once again, filling up with renewed vitality. Drumming and rattling in a group of any size can only enhance this experience. After all, when you’re in the midst of good percussion, who can resist moving at least some part of their body, even if it’s only tapping your finger or your toes?

When rhythmic play is brought into a group or community, such as in a drumming circle, a gathering of friends, or a tribal ceremony, this adds other layers of richness and texture to the healing quality of this kind of experience. Healing takes place at the physical, emotional, instinctual, and communal level, sometimes obviously, sometimes subtly, in ways that are beyond our meager human consciousness and understanding.

When the body experiences the sensations generated by rhythmic percussion, such as drumming, rattling, didgeridoo, or other rhythm instruments, especially in the context of community, the life force, or vitality, begins to blossom again, not only in our most basic physical selves, but in those areas of our hearts and minds that have been closed off and locked away. Anyone who is involved in a shared percussion experience on a regular basis, such as a drumming circle, knows the healing power of rhythm, power that not only positively affects the participants, but often extends into the field of the larger community.

what happens during a shamanic journey

There was one drum that caught my eye. I notice the carvings on either side, one side being the head of a jaguar, and the other being what looked like a tree. I started playing this one, and soon the owner of the booth picked up another drum and played along with me. Gradually three others joined us for a spontaneous drumming session that lasted several minutes.

When we finished, I knew that I wanted the drum I was playing. I asked the fellow who ran the booth about the carvings. He explained that the jaguar was an animal common to Senegal and that this particular drum was imbued with the spirit of Jaguar. Then he told me about the story of the carving of the tree that was on the drum.

“In the village in Senegal where this drum was made, every Saturday night just after sunset, the villagers gather around this very large, very special tree at the edge of the village. It is called the Peace Tree. They bring with them their drums and rattles and sticks, and as they form a circle around the tree, randomly playing their various instruments, the sound becomes very noisy and chaotic.

“After a while, once everyone finds their place in the circle, a magical thing happens. The drums and rattles and sticks start to coordinate in a beautiful symphony of rhythm, where the various sounds of the instruments weave in and around one another. It’s quite amazing. This goes on for a couple of hours. Everyone holds the intention while drumming to generate peace through this process. It is hoped that by drumming in this way not only will there be continued peace in the village, but that this peace will spread throughout the entire world.

“And so, my friend, the carving on your drum is the Peace Tree. May it bring you peace and happiness whenever you play it.”

Benefits of Drumming

Not only are there a number of anecdotal experiences that tell of the immense healing power of percussion, there is increasing scientific evidence that drumming, especially drumming in the context of community, actually reduces stress, boosts our immune system, and increases the Alpha rhythms of the brain ( more info ).

In his book, The Healing Power of the Drum (White Cliffs Media Co: 2000) Robert Lawrence Friedman cites several studies demonstrating this power of drumming, such as veterans releasing some of their post-traumatic emotional pain, “at-risk” adolescents discharging their anger and negative emotions, and corporate executives letting go of some of their day-to-day stress. Drumming has also been shown to help Alzheimer’s patients improve their short-term memory and increase their social interactions, autistic children increase their attention span, and aid Parkinson’s patients and stroke victims regain control of their movements. Drumming can relax the tense, energize the tired, and heal the emotionally wounded.

As author Natalie Goldberg said about stress, “Stress is basically a disconnection from the earth, a forgetting of the breath…. It believes that everything is an emergency. Nothing is that important.” Drumming can help us know that of most things that we stress ourselves about are really not that important.

As Friedman notes, “It’s hard to be having fun, playing, and be stressed at the same time. Some of our stress is created from past or future thoughts of fear, worry, or regret, but it is very difficult to be stressed and be in the present moment. When one hits the drum, he or she is placed squarely in the here and now . . . (the) drum creates states of euphoria, induces light trance, promotes play, releases anger and promotes feelings of community and unity.” Quite a lot of positive effects for such a simple instrument!

what happens during a shamanic journey

A study by Barry Quinn, PhD., a clinical psychologist who operates a neuro-biofeedback clinic specializing in stress management and who has studied a variety of techniques that affect brainwaves, shows that drumming for brief periods can actually shift a person’s brainwave pattern to Alpha, thus dramatically reducing stress. Dr. Quinn estimates that as much as 30-40% of the population is unable to achieve Alpha , and although over an eight year period he has experimented with a number of stress reduction techniques, drumming for 30-40 minutes has been the only method to achieve a significant return of the Alpha state on a number of highly-stressed individuals.

Dr. Quinn calls the results of drumming for the highest-stress clients “by far the most amazing results I’ve encountered thus far in my research.” One of Dr. Quinn’s clients, a Vietnam veteran who has long suffered from high stress, hypervigilance and chronic sleep problems, regularly produced almost no Alpha. During a single 30-minute session of slow, gentle drumming, this client nearly doubled his Alpha brainwaves. No other techniques in a series of 15 stress-reduction sessions had been able to produce any Alpha in this client.

Drumming, Stress, and the Immune Response

what happens during a shamanic journey

Dr. Bittman discovered that drumming tended to increase the activity of these NK cells. However, he found that while listening to relaxing music while watching nature imagery clearly reverses the classic stress response, what he calls “basic drumming” did not. Adding things that enhanced relaxation, plus camaraderie and support within a group affected positive immune system changes. He experimented with four different types of one-hour group drumming sessions, as follows:

  • Basic —instructor spends half the time discussing drumming and half the time leading the group in the actual activity
  • Impact —same drumming technique, but was increased to 80%
  • Shamanic —Mayan shaman led the group and punctuated the drumming with a presentation of spiritual and cultural elements
  • Composite —Began session by passing hand to hand hollow, bead-filled “shaker eggs” around a circle, faster and faster until inevitably they would drop to the floor. The levity that this produced was followed with an activity in which participants played their drums in rhythm with the syllables of their own names. After periods in which all participants drummed together varying tempo and rhythm, they spent a half-hour drumming along with two “guided imagery” themes.

The “Composite” drumming group showed the best results in the reversal of the stress response and the increase in the immune system response, evidenced by the increase in various immune system components, especially the increase in NK cells. This suggests the healing power of drumming in a community, especially when it is combined with play, laughter, and perhaps guided imagery meditations.

Shamanism and Drumming

With shamanism one of the most common ways to achieve the altered state of consciousness required to journey to non-ordinary reality is through a specific pattern of drumming. In her research, Melinda Maxfield discovered that when subjects listened to a steady rhythmic beat of the drum at 4.5 beats per second for 13-15 minutes, their brain activity synchronized to this rhythm. As in deep meditative states through other means, such as Transcendental Meditation or Kirtan chanting, the drumming elicited a Theta cycle, which again is 4-7 cps.

It’s no coincidence that 4.5 beats per second corresponds to the 4-7 cps of the Theta brain wave activity that induce a very deep trance. It’s in this deep trance that the shamanic practitioner can then transport her consciousness into non-ordinary reality. Based on archeological and anthropological evidence this way of inducing the trance state with drumming appears to have been used by shamans throughout history, stemming back to the Paleolithic era.

Healing in a Group Drumming Ceremony

what happens during a shamanic journey

Everyone had been asked to bring a drum, rattle, or something that would create a rhythm.  A few who didn’t have a drum or rattle brought vitamin bottles that served as an impromptu rattle. We began with the shamanic drumming of 4-7 beats per second, and everyone quickly joined in. We drummed and rattled for several minutes as many in the group danced around the circle.

Following is a story of a spontaneous healing that took place:

After some preparation and instructions, we started the ceremony by drumming and rattling, and before long nearly every one of the 120 students had spontaneously stood up and were dancing around the room.

As sometimes happens in sacred ceremony, there was some unexpected healing that occurred. One of the participants, Paddy Orr, described her experience as she drummed and danced with the group:

Suddenly, with a quiet firmness, a voice whispered into my consciousness, “Keep moving. It’s important that you keep moving.” So I moved, feet trying to go in one direction and my drum pulling me in another. It was so much like the battles I’d been waging with depression and my life purpose for many years. I was again instructed, “Concentrate on the beat. Move into the drum beat.” I felt no fear whatsoever—a most unusual thing for me—only a very positive energy, as intense as anything I’d ever experienced.

Abruptly, Steven gave the signal to stop drumming. The quiet was palpable. The group had gathered in the center of the room as if following instructions, yet none had been given. Steven said that if anyone felt the need for healing, let someone nearby place their hands on you for support.

Just before he said this, I realized that I’d become very, very, hot. I actually felt as though I was the fire! I sought someone out and asked them to place their hands on my shoulders.

I lost track of time at this point. My singular focus was to remain standing, which was becoming more and more difficult. “Hold on!” I told myself. I feared that if I didn’t hold on for dear life, as I’d done for so many years, I’d lose control.

Suddenly, there were two voices speaking to me. The first one was from Steven, who instinctively had come to my side. He assured me that it was all right to fall, that he’d catch me and I would be safe. I hesitated for only a few moments, desperately trying to discern the difference between falling and falling apart.

Then I heard the second voice. Was it Holy Spirit, ancestors, or my guardian angel? It didn’t matter. Filled with the wisdom and love of the entire universe, it gently but firmly whispered. “You’ve been holding on far too long. What you really need to do is let go .”

At this point, I was on the floor.

I have no idea if I was on the floor for two minutes or two hours. I saw gray, depression-filled clouds leaving my body, emerging from my head, my heart, and my solar plexus. Some of the gray puffy clouds had pictures in them; one of the pictures was me when I was three years old. When this cloud left, I heard my voice saying, “No one should have done this to a three year old child!”

I felt as though I was both above my body and inside my body as the clouds were leaving. I felt no emotional attachment to what was happening. It was all so beautiful, peaceful, and divinely orchestrated.

Abruptly, the whole event was over. The clouds disappeared, and I was suddenly aware of many people surrounding me, gently touching me with their hands. For the rest of eternity, I can close my eyes at any time and picture those beautiful faces around me and feel the love that replaced the departed gray energies from my past.

Although I literally lost two pounds of emotional garbage, I gained my life. I know there are wonderful things coming to me in my future, since I now have a very expectant, productive mind-set. I’ve been happy and filled with wonderment and awe as to how each of us is helped in our earthly journey by the supportive love of Spirit.

Although this story is dramatic and life-altering, more often the healing that takes place by drumming in a group is subtler. No matter what form the healing takes, you will come away from drumming in a group feeling differently, and your instinctual self will come to know and remember the place where you came from, as if for the first time.

About the author

what happens during a shamanic journey

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Follow me on a winding journey: 1. Authenticity: People like to argue over what is authentic and what is not. In shamanism, in all religion, in art, in science. In my world of Western-urban-neo-shamanic practice, it’s always “how the indigenous masters do it or did...

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What to Remember During a Dismemberment

Jane Burns November 20, 2016 Uncategorized

rocky-shore

A great deal has been felt and remarked upon due to recent changes on the political stage of this country. Whether this is a time of hope and celebration for you, or a time of impending doom, it should remain clear to everyone that a turbulent and difficult time lies ahead. For everyone.

Almost everyone has an idea about what will happen next. However, we should keep in mind that what is happening now is unprecedented for us, and none of us knows what will happen next, not even those who have taken the reigns. If there is any rule to follow now, it is: expect the unexpected.

A seasoned sailor knows that one must be awake and present when a boat enters shallow, rocky waters. It is the place that calls on all the greatest navigation skills, knowledge and insight into the laws of the sea, and an unwavering faith in the bond shared by sea and navigator.

To the ancient adventurers, the sea was a majestic being who was honored and invoked whenever a voyage was undertaken. Were they in right relationship with the sea, so that she would be willing to guide them safely to their destination—even if that destination was unknown?

In early Christian times, monks and missionaries would sometimes enter an oarless sea craft called a corracle, place their fate entirely in the hands of the sea, trusting her to bring them to the teaching, experience or land their soul required. And, the sea could be a harsh mistress: the journey arduous, the elements chaotic and unyielding, the deprivation fierce and taxing, and the results sometimes perilous.

One enters the sea as one enters life, knowing it will not always be smooth sailing. Smooth sailing does not make seasoned and proficient sailors—turbulent seas do. The rougher the seas, the wiser the sailor.

In shamanism, there is an archetypal journey known as the dismemberment journey. The student or practitioner of shamanism recognizes an illusion or fear that diminishes or impedes the expansion of his soul. The student asks for this flaw to be healed and in doing so, surrenders to the wisdom of the helping spirits and the laws of the Otherworld to remove and sand down the jagged protrusion or impediment, just as a rough stone is tossed and tumbled in the waves of the sea until it is polished and smooth.

In a classic dismemberment journey—or what is also called a death-rebirth or death without dying journey—the shamanic “adventurer” is sometimes torn limb from limb, thrown from a cliff, burned in a fire or drowned in the sea. A symbolic death that gives way to a profound rebirth. The subject is lovingly restored, reassembled, revived and brought back to life, whole and empowered, the fear or illusion vanquished.

What the journey demonstrates is what happens to us in life all the time. We are chewed up and spat out by some experience, a loss of control or betrayal, an illness or disability, the death of a loved one, a reversal of fortune. And we must contend. No matter how much we resist and try to rewrite the script, return again and again to the original plan or dream, our original way of being, everything we thought we had has turned to dust. What once was is no more.

storm-clouds

Regardless of whether the dismemberment (transformation) is invited or not, worldly or Otherworldly, individual or collective, familiar or foreign, the same rules apply. We need to be awake and present or we will miss the point of the sacrifice we are making and the suffering we are enduring. No change is random or mindless, so we cannot afford be mindless in it.

We must practice what we know and draw on all the strength and insight we have already gained. We must have faith that there is inherent and ultimate mercy and goodness in the turbulent seas surrounding us, and respect the greater wisdom that has ordained it. We must tend and deepen our relationship with the divine. We must believe that it is divine power that has engineered this change and divine wisdom that will steer us through it.

Spiritual practice is not practice forever. There are times when we are called upon to apply what we have learned. There are times when what has been unusual or hidden becomes commonplace and real. There are times that will test and try the steadfastness of our practice.

I think of a story Ram Dass told years ago:

A village is invaded by an army. Following the siege, the general calls his aides to him and asks for a status report.

“All resistance from the villagers has been quelled. The people stand ready to accept you as their leader, and await your command.”

“This is good,” says the general. “What about the monks?”

“The monks have fled for the mountains, sir.”

“This is good,” says the general.

“However,” says the aide, “there is one monk who has remained.”

The general is livid. He grabs his sword, marches to the monastery and crashes down the gate. He finds the monk in his garden, praying. The general stalks up to the seated monk, presses the point of his sword against the monk’s belly and shouts: “Don’t you know who I am? I am the one who can run this sword through your belly and never blink an eye!”

The monk opens his eyes and looks at the general. “And don’t you know who I am?” he asks quietly. “I am the one who can have you run this sword through my belly and never blink an eye.”

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We are divine beings. We are just visiting here, and what we see and experience in this life is temporary, mattering only insofar as how our soul  engages in the experience. In one way or another, the world will forever fall short and disappoint. It will fail us. It is meant to do that, and here, perhaps, is another way in which it has.

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COMMENTS

  1. The Basics of Shamanic Journeying: What It Is and How to Do It

    After completing a shamanic journey, it can be helpful to take some time to reflect on and integrate any insights or experiences you had during the journey. One way to do this is through journaling. Journaling: Set aside some time to write down your thoughts and experiences from the journey. This can help you make sense of what you saw, felt ...

  2. The Shamanic Journey

    The shamanic journey occurs by shifting awareness or consciousness in order to allow part of your soul to leave the body. ... on a spiritual level. So journeyers can go and visit guardian spirits, they can go and visit spirits of the land. During a journey an individual can also examine the health of their body or another's body. The journey ...

  3. Shamanic Healing: What Is Shamanism and How Can It Heal You?

    What Happens During a Shamanic Healing Session. A shamanic healing session has three main parts: preparation, the shamanic journey, and the after-journey (return). A typical healing session can take place inside or outdoors in a quiet, safe, and relaxing environment. It's a 'sacred space' dedicated to opening, releasing, and healing.

  4. Shamanic Journeying / Psycho Shamanic

    Shamanic journeying is a technique that is learned and mastered while being experienced and practiced. By allowing a person to symbolically journey, they will hear and feel various things. A ...

  5. Article: Opening the Doors to the Self

    By Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D. Summary: Shamanic journey work can help people understand and heal imbalances that create difficulty and distress in their lives. Two shamanic counseling case studies are described. We understand the breadth and depth of the self in many ways through many types of experiences. Often, we come to understand our experience ...

  6. Shamanic Journey Tutorial: Roots, Rituals, and Steps

    The shamanic or trance journey is an age-old ritual to communicate with your spirit-self and intuitively access deep inner guidance. ... Consider sitting up during your journey, especially if you tend to fall asleep lying down while you journey. ... (sky). Trust what needs to happen—allow the sound wave to take you where you are meant to go ...

  7. Shamanic journeying: how to get started in 20 minutes

    I start going in slowly, somehow swaying to and fro. Eventually I am in and I instantly pop out on a huge plane of red sand and rocks — a barren and vast landscape under a dark sky. I ask the dolphin to show me around and he swims through the air forward as I run behind him. Then, all of a sudden I see Him.

  8. The stages of a shamanic journey

    Shamanic journeys have eliminated pain and suffering from many people that have been on this journey with me. The first stage of the shamanic journey involves re-integrating the soul fragment (s). This step can manifest itself in a number of ways. Sometimes, actual bodies will appear stuck in traumatic events at different ages.

  9. Brain changes during a shamanic trance: Altered modes of consciousness

    The authors cite Walsh (Citation 1989) stating that "the experiential content of the shamanic journey is complex and coherent…highly structured, meaningful, consistent with the shaman's learned cosmology and the purpose of the specific session, and [apparently] under partial voluntary control" (p. 60). They conclude that shamanic ...

  10. Exploring Shamanic Journeying: Repetitive Drumming with Shamanic

    Introduction. Shamanic journeys - are associated with an ancient spiritual practice to reach shamanic trance states, typically described as "journeys to a non-ordinary reality". The shamanic trance is generally described as an altered state of consciousness (ASC) associated with particular psychophysiological changes such as parasympathetic dominance .

  11. WHAT TO EXPECT DURING A SHAMANIC HEALING

    Shamanism believes that when there is a trauma and an individual dissociates, part of one's vital essence will leave in order to lessen the impact. The shamanic practitioner journey's to retrieve this vital essence and will blow it back into the client three times through their heart chakra and three times through their crown chakra.

  12. Shamanic Journeying

    Basically, shamanic journeying is a way of communicating with your inner or spirit self and retrieving information. Your inner self is in constant communication with all aspects of your environment, seen and unseen. You need only journey within to find answers to your questions. You should have a question or objective in mind from the start.

  13. 14 classic signs of a shamanic awakening

    6) You feel a strong pull to help and heal others. From a young age, you may have felt an urge to work with people, the planet, animals, anything to do with the natural world. And it makes sense - shamans are the healers of the world. They heal on a personal level, and a communal level.

  14. The Shaman's Journey: Exploring the Upper World

    In this classic shamanic journey, you will have the chance to meet and begin a relationship with a spirit guide from the Upper World. Remember, this is the realm populated by angels, guardians, enlightened beings, mystics and magicians, mythic power animals, wisdom teachers, ancestors and ancient ones. ... What happens during the spirit-journey ...

  15. Shamanic Journey: What it is, How to Do it & Why You Should

    Many times, the help of a drumbeat or other sounds are used during a shamanic journey to induce us into this state. The steady, rhythmic sound begins the opening to expand our consciousness and bring us back again. ... Awakening the Soul: How it Happens & Important Steps to Take. Next. Next. Homeopathy for Rashes & Burns: 11 Natural Remedies ...

  16. What Is A Shamanic Journey

    The Shamanic Journey is a way of finding answers, information, healing, wisdom and knowledge as well as guidance or help with one's personal life. During the Journey he meets with spirits who may be regarded as ancestors, elders, gods, goddesses, deceased shamans, spirit guides, power animals and angels. These beings are seen as beings with ...

  17. What is Shamanic Journeying?

    Shamanic journeying is simply a way of using one's spirit-self to retrieve information. During a journey, the shaman meets with the spirits of gods, goddesses, lesser divine spirits, animals, ancestors, shamans who have passed on, or even the spirits of plants and places. These spirits can speak directly to the shaman, or act out scenes that ...

  18. Shamanic Meditation: A Journey Within

    When pursuing a balanced life, building a strong personal connection to the spirit is essential to your journey.Most of us imagine shamans as being somewhat frightening — but really, shamans are people who use altered states of consciousness to access the spirit world. In many respects, it's a lot like what happens during very deep meditation!

  19. Shaman Elizabeth Herrera

    During a shamanic journey, a shaman will use a visionary process to travel to the spirit realm to request healings, receive divine messages, help guide lost souls home (psychopomp), and commune with nature and the universe. In the spirit realm, a shaman interacts with spirit guides, ancestors, spirits of people from this world, angels, and ...

  20. Journey Series: The Dismemberment Journey

    A dismemberment journey is a healing, and after the journey you can feel different. Occasionally your entire point of view about the world can be shifted. Sometime this shift happens for a time directly after the healing, sometimes it is more permanent. The world can seem more beautiful or alive. Everything around you can feel imbued with light ...

  21. Shamanic Journey

    Shamanic journeying is a profound and ancient practice that offers a gateway to the mystical realms of consciousness. It allows individuals to connect with spirit guides, ancestors, and other spiritual entities to gain wisdom, guidance, and healing. The stages of a shamanic journey, the techniques used, and the common experiences encountered ...

  22. RHYTHM, DRUMMING, AND SHAMANISM

    With shamanism one of the most common ways to achieve the altered state of consciousness required to journey to non-ordinary reality is through a specific pattern of drumming. In her research, Melinda Maxfield discovered that when subjects listened to a steady rhythmic beat of the drum at 4.5 beats per second for 13-15 minutes, their brain ...

  23. What to Remember During a Dismemberment

    In a classic dismemberment journey—or what is also called a death-rebirth or death without dying journey—the shamanic "adventurer" is sometimes torn limb from limb, thrown from a cliff, burned in a fire or drowned in the sea. A symbolic death that gives way to a profound rebirth. The subject is lovingly restored, reassembled, revived ...