| In his classic work, Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of | | | | physical body, the earthly plane, and material reality. |
| Ecstasy, eminent religious scholar Mircea Eliade defined | | | | Higher levels are higher in frequency, less dense, and |
| shamanism as a technique of ecstasy.(1) Shamanism is | | | | subtler. |
| based on the principle that the spiritual world may be | | | | The colors you perceive on journeys are important, for |
| contacted through the inner senses in ecstatic trance. It | | | | they often indicate what level of awareness you are |
| is a great emotional adventure open to whoever | | | | experiencing or which center of consciousness you |
| wishes to transcend their normal, ordinary definition of | | | | are activating. The chromatic hues correspond to the |
| reality. The shaman is able to contact and utilize an | | | | seven chakra centers and are from bottom to top: |
| ordinarily hidden reality in order to acquire knowledge | | | | red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. For |
| and power and to help others. | | | | example, if you enter a world of violet mountains, sky, |
| According to shamanic cosmology, there are three | | | | or sun, you have most likely achieved one of the |
| inner planes of consciousness: the Upper, Middle, and | | | | highest levels of awareness. If you perceive more red, |
| Lower Worlds. Humans did not invent these inner | | | | orange, or yellow, you are probably activating lower |
| realms; they discovered them. Far from being a human | | | | centers of consciousness. |
| contrivance, these archetypal worlds are inherent in | | | | Understanding Your Journey |
| the collective unconscious, the common psychological | | | | It would be advisable to record your journey in a |
| inheritance of humanity. They are woven into the | | | | journal as soon as you have returned to ordinary |
| matrix of the psyche. They are a part of our psyche, | | | | reality. Journeys, like dreams, tend to fade quickly from |
| a part of us whether we choose to become aware of | | | | conscious awareness. Keeping a journal provides a |
| it or not. | | | | record of your spiritual growth and allows you to |
| The three realms are linked together by a vertical axis | | | | reflect upon and better interpret journeys. In some |
| that is commonly referred to as the "World Tree." The | | | | cases, your journey experiences will be clear and |
| roots of the World Tree touch the Lower World. Its | | | | easy to understand. At other times, your journey may |
| trunk is the Middle World and its branches hold up the | | | | be dreamlike and full of symbolism. Interpret such |
| Upper World. This central axis exists within each of us. | | | | journeys as you would any dream. Look for possible |
| Through the sound of the drum, which is invariably | | | | associations related to each symbol or image. Don't |
| made of wood from the World Tree, the shaman is | | | | overanalyze the journey, for its meaning will become |
| transported to the axis within and conveyed from | | | | clear at the appropriate time. |
| plane to plane. As Tuvan musicologist Valentina | | | | Not every journey you undertake will necessarily be |
| Suzukei explains, "There is a bridge on these sound | | | | coherent, vivid, or powerful. Still, no matter how |
| waves so you can go from one world to another. In | | | | esoteric or random the experience may seem, it |
| the sound world, a tunnel opens through which we can | | | | augments your shamanic skill and knowledge. |
| pass-or the shaman's spirits come to us. When you | | | | Seemingly insignificant events in a journey or vision |
| stop playing the drum, the bridge disappears."(2) | | | | may manifest in a powerful way in your ordinary state |
| The shaman traverses the inner planes in order to | | | | of awareness. Be on the lookout for synchronicities, |
| create and change experience and to help others do | | | | for they confirm that your shamanic work is producing |
| the same. It is an inward spiritual journey of rapture in | | | | effects beyond the bounds of probability or |
| which the shaman interacts with the inner world, | | | | coincidence. |
| thereby influencing the outer world. In the shaman's | | | | Like developing any skill, journeying takes practice. |
| world, all human experience is self-generated. | | | | Nothing may happen on your first journeys. You may |
| Experience is shaped from within since the three | | | | only experience darkness. When this happens, simply |
| realms or resonant fields that define our experience of | | | | try again at a different time. Step-by-step instructions |
| reality exist within each of us. | | | | for making shamanic journeys are explained in my |
| The Spirit Journey | | | | book, The Shamanic Drum: A Guide to Sacred |
| The spirit journey is a time-honored shamanic method | | | | Drumming. |
| of inner consultation. It is a way of communicating with | | | | Journey Drumming Recordings |
| your inner or spirit self and retrieving information. Your | | | | A recent development in shamanic journeywork is the |
| inner self is in constant communication with all aspects | | | | use of compact disc recordings of shamanic |
| of your environment, seen and unseen. You need only | | | | drumming. When used with a high quality stereo with |
| journey within to find answers to your questions. Be | | | | optimal bass response, a sympathetic resonance |
| prepared, however, for whatever insights you may | | | | between the drums and the body-consciousness is |
| receive, whether you like them or not. | | | | provided. The effects are similar to those of having a |
| The spirit journey is not always what people expect, | | | | real drum in the room. The healing vibrations of a |
| and sometimes there is uncertainty as to what one | | | | recording may lack the intensity of the actual drum, yet |
| should experience in altered states. The ecstatic | | | | it allows complete freedom to journey without the |
| trance is an individual journey into nonordinary reality; | | | | necessity of placing part of the conscious mind on the |
| therefore, experiences vary from person to person | | | | physical aspects of playing a drum. It takes time and |
| and from journey to journey. Once you enter a trance | | | | practice to relax and allow the intuitive mind to flow, |
| state, the rhythm or sound of the drum tends to | | | | while at the same time maintaining an even rhythmic |
| change. The drumbeat may appear to speed up or | | | | pattern. Portable compact disc players with |
| slow down, while the sound may grow louder, softer, | | | | headphones allow you to alter your consciousness |
| or disappear. You may experience a change in body | | | | anywhere and anytime without disturbing others or |
| temperature, feel energy flowing through your body, or | | | | when using a drum may be impractical. However, one |
| find yourself twitching, swaying, or rocking. It is not | | | | should avoid listening to such recordings while driving a |
| uncommon to hear sounds or voices. You may even | | | | vehicle or operating heavy machinery. There are times |
| smell specific aromas. You may see colorful patterns, | | | | when entering altered states is inappropriate, so use |
| symbolic images, or dreamlike visions. Some people | | | | discretion. |
| may find that they have a highly developed inner vision | | | | I recently recorded a CD to support the listener in |
| while others may rely more on instinct, intuition, or intent. | | | | making shamanic journeys. Shamanic Journey |
| Prevalent among the descriptions given of shamanic | | | | Drumming is available at Amazon and iTunes. The |
| journeys is that of a tunnel or tube to which the | | | | harmonic overtones and undertones on this digital |
| shaman is transported. The tunnel sometimes appears | | | | recording were produced by a 22-inch single-headed, |
| ribbed and may bend or spiral around. This tunnel-like | | | | elk hide; cedar frame drum pulsed at a tempo of |
| imagery is associated with the central axis that unites | | | | four-beats-per-second. When pulsed at |
| the three inner planes of consciousness. The shaman | | | | four-beats-per-second, rhythmic drumming induces a |
| is conveyed up or down the tunnel to an exit that | | | | theta wave cycle in the brain. Theta activity reflects |
| opens out upon mystical worlds. In these worlds, the | | | | the dreamlike state between wakefulness and sleep. |
| shaman experiences sensations and communications | | | | Theta rhythms are associated with meditation, prayer, |
| that go beyond the usual senses. Conversing with | | | | spiritual awareness, and the deepest states of |
| plants, animals, and the guiding forces of nature | | | | shamanic consciousness. Theta increases creativity, |
| becomes possible. The shaman accesses knowledge, | | | | enhances learning, reduces stress, and awakens |
| power, and healing. Upon finishing the explorations, he | | | | intuition. Researchers have found that if a drum beat |
| or she returns via the tunnel to ordinary reality. It is | | | | frequency of around four-beats-per-second is |
| interesting to note that such tunnel imagery is prevalent | | | | sustained for at least fifteen minutes, most people can |
| among descriptions given of the near-death | | | | journey successfully even on their first attempt. To |
| experience. | | | | support your journey you can choose from three |
| During the spirit journey, one's awareness transcends | | | | different drum tracks: |
| ordinary reality. In journeys to the Lower World, one | | | | 1. 15 minute solo drumming with callback |
| may experience the sensation of falling, sliding, or | | | | 2. 15 minute solo drumming with rattle and callback |
| spiraling downward into or under the Earth. In Upper | | | | 3. 30 minute solo drumming with callback |
| World journeys, one may experience the sensation of | | | | References |
| rising, floating, flying, or spiraling upward through the air | | | | 1. Mircea Eliade, Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of |
| or sky. Journeys to the Lower World involve the | | | | Ecstasy (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1972). |
| movement of awareness to a level beneath ordinary | | | | 2. Kira Van Deusen, "Shamanism and Music in Tuva |
| reality and Celestial journeys involve movement to a | | | | and Khakassia," Shaman's Drum, No. 47, Winter 1997, p. |
| level above ordinary reality. Lower levels are denser, | | | | 26. |
| lower in frequency, and more involved with the | | | | |