How Many Ways are there to Contact the Hidden Realm?

Chavin Lanzon Stela

by David Warner Mathisen

Three recent posts have advanced the argument that the world's ancient scriptures and traditions share a common, unifying, and shamanic worldview: 

• "The shamanic foundations of the world's ancient wisdom"
• "Humanity's shared shamanic heritage"
  and
• "Outlaw drums: evidence of the suppression of the shamanic worldview."

Together, they provide evidence that cultures around the world and across the millennia, from ancient Egypt to the steppes of Mongolia, and from the far northern boundaries of Scandinavia to the southern continent of Australia, at one time shared a worldview characterized by the understanding that our familiar, material, "ordinary" reality exists in conjunction with and is interpenetrated by another reality: the seed realm, the hidden realm, the realm of the spirits, the realm of the gods. 

This shared shamanic worldview was characterized not only by an awareness of this other realm, but by the understanding that it was possible in this life to deliberately undertake journeys to the spirit world in order to obtain knowledge or effect change that could not be accomplished in ordinary reality. 

There is also abundant evidence that this worldview has been deliberately stamped out over the centuries and that practice of shamanic techniques of ecstasy (or transcending the boundaries of the static, physical, ordinary reality) has been discouraged, stigmatized, and even prohibited by law in some places right up to the present day or very recent decades, and that the tools used to cross the boundary to the other realm -- the shamanic drum in particular -- have been outlawed, seized, and deliberately destroyed. 

The extent of this persecution of the shamanic worldview across both geographic space and historical time leads to the possibility that those responsible for the campaign are not persecuting this worldview because they believe that it is false, but rather because they know that it is true, and that there actually is knowledge which can only be obtained and change which can only be effected through shamanic techniques.

Mircea Eliade's Shamanism: Archaic techniques of ecstasy, first published in 1951, was the first text to attempt to attempt to map the outlines of the entire broad landscape of the phenomenon of shamanism, and to attempt simultaneously to situate the shamanic worldview within the history of human religion. As such, it contains many first-hand accounts describing shamanic technique from parts of the world where the old traditions were still relatively undisturbed.

Let's examine the various methods recorded in Eliade's work by which men and women from traditional shamanic cultures were able to journey to the world of the spirits and to return.

The Power of Silence

Meditation is when you listen to God

Let's incorporate the power of silence into our shamanic circles. Make room for silence to enter between "rounds" of the circle so that deeper thoughts and feelings can surface as the group proceeds. Shamanic circles revolve around rounds. These rounds usually evolve from participant concerns, issues or healing requests. Rounds of dialogue involve passing a symbolic talking piece (e.g., a stick, feather or stone) from person to person in a circle. If one does not feel moved to speak, they may pass the talking piece on or hold it in silence. Other rounds may involve sessions of group chanting, drumming or journeying.

Between each round of the circle, allow time for reflection or meditation, so that inner truth can emerge. When there is silence, there is time for deep introspection and to allow the true self to speak. Silence is the source of everything; the gateway to inner knowing. Silence creates the resonance of contemplation, insight, and direct communication with the source. When we create sacred space and sit in silence together, we can better feel our soul connections. Sacred space and silence go hand in hand. They both expand our capacity for listening and speaking from the heart.

There is likely to be some uneasiness the first time your shamanic circle sits in silence for more than thirty seconds. It takes practice to get acquainted with the power of silence. While some people in the group might choose to go into a meditative state, others may struggle with the sense that "nothing is happening."

To experience the power of silence requires the ability to surrender to the silent pulse within. Every living thing has a unique song, a pulsing rhythm that belongs only to it. Within the heart of each of us, there exists a silent pulse of perfect rhythm, which connects us to the totality of a dynamic, interrelated universe. This silent pulse is ever-present within each of us, but our awareness is rarely in sync with it. Eventually, sitting together in silence will produce a sense of connectedness and attunement. Needless to say, it will take time before harmony is attained and everyone feels in sync.

The Call of the 13 Shamans

Tuvan shaman Nikolay Oorzhak

At the end of July, the festival "The Call of 13 Shamans" took place in Tuva (southern Siberia). The creator and main organizer of the forum festival is Tuvan shaman Nikolay Oorzhak. By means of his songs, he called shamans from all over the world to the sacred land of Tuva. On the sacred mountain tops of Tannu Tuva, thirteen shamans of thirteen countries from all over the world conducted rituals, prayed and meditated with the intention of creating universal harmony on the Earth, and to reveal to the world the predictions about the future of the Earth.

Despite the social upheavals of different periods, the shamanic tradition in Tuva has never been interrupted, and is currently undergoing a revival. In a bewildering urban landscape where long traditions of nomadic lifestyles are things of the past, the ancient beliefs of Tengrism (modern term for a Central Asian religion characterized by features of shamanism, animism, totemism, polytheism and ancestor worship) serve to fill a spiritual void. Read more. 

Was the Buddha a Shaman?

In this post, Alexander Duncan, a Buddhist blogger and writer, discusses the question, "Was the Buddha a shaman?" To address this question, he begins by explaining that shamanism is the primordial experiential spiritual tradition of humanity that therefore underlies all human spirituality, including Buddhism. The Buddha himself refers to a forgotten, ancient tradition that he himself rediscovered. This is the dharma, the truth of things as they are or the cosmic order. Duncan then discusses why we might ask this question of the Buddha. That is to say, how is this question relevant to Buddhism? He then proceeds to a discussion of soma. Soma was the forgotten ecstatic plant medicine that was the central object of the Aryan Vedic cult that became the determining cultural influence of India after 1500 BCE. Thus, by definition it influenced Buddhism too. Next, Duncan compares the elements of the Buddha's life and teachings to those of the classic archetype of the shaman. Finally, he concludes the Buddha was, indeed, a shaman! Read more.

A Shamanic View of Mental Illness

The Dagara people of West Africa have an entirely different view of what is actually happening to someone who has been diagnosed as "mentally ill." In the shamanic view, mental illness signals "the birth of a healer," explains Dagara shaman and writer, Malidoma Patrice Somé, Phd. Thus, mental disorders are spiritual emergencies, spiritual crises, and need to be regarded as such to aid the healer in being born. What those in the West view as mental illness, the Dagara people regard as "good news from the other world." The person going through the crisis has been chosen as a medium for a message to the community that needs to be communicated from the spirit realm.

A different perspective opens up very different possibilities. The Dagara people use ritual to relieve the suffering at the core of "mental illness." According to Somé, ritual can open the way for the individual's healing relationship with helping spirits that supports a cure or definitive movement out of the "mentally ill" state of being and back into the world as an individual better equipped than most to give their gifts to the world. To learn more, read "The Shamanic View of Mental Illness," featuring Malidoma Patrice Some´ (excerpted from The Natural Medicine Guide to Schizophrenia).

The Owls at Devil's Peak Lookout

Devil's Peak Lookout

I have felt a close kinship with owls for most of my life. Over the years, I have had many encounters with these stealthy raptors, but none was more memorable than an incident with a pair of great horned owls at the Devil's Peak forest fire lookout 11 miles southwest of Oregon's Mt. Hood. I backpacked to the summit and spent the night in the old, decommissioned lookout on three separate occasions in the early 1980's. It is a difficult 3.8 mile hike up a very steep trail that is not very scenic. However, when you summit Devil's Peak and ascend the steps of the historic lookout tower, the views are spectacular. The volcanic peaks visible from the lookout include Mt. Jefferson to the south and Mt. Hood to the northwest. Now that the peak is no longer an official fire lookout, the surrounding trees are growing up and will soon obscure most of the expansive views.

I have visited fire lookouts throughout the Pacific Northwest, but Devil's Peak is one of the few lookouts that still remains open to the public and you can actually camp in. The tower is well maintained by volunteers and there is a log book inside where many overnight visitors have signed in. I have had some interesting experiences while camping at the lookout. I remember being awakened early one morning by the lookout door banging in the wind. When I got up to latch the door, I was greeted by the most magnificent sunrise I have ever seen.

During an overnight stay in the summer of 1980, I ventured out onto the wrap-around deck at dusk. Just as I stepped out the door, I came face-to-face with an airborne great horned owl that narrowly missed colliding with me. I was startled, to say the least, and retreated back into the lookout. I spent the remainder of the evening sitting quietly inside the lookout, observing the owl and its mate hunting mice around the perimeter of the structure. The stealthy owls perched atop the tower's overhead window shutters to stalk their prey. Using keen vision and silent wings, they glided to the ground, capturing rodents in their powerful talons. Even when it became too dark to see the owls, I could still hear the high pitched squeaks of their prey. It was a rare experience in the wild that I will never forget.

Owl Medicine

Many people have a fear of owls and owl medicine. Contemplate what it means if you're not comfortable with an animal. If you dislike or are afraid of an animal, it's especially important to connect with it and learn its wisdom. The message it holds for you will be particularly meaningful. Power animals help us connect to the parts of ourselves that we've lost or denied, so it may be mirroring a trait or quality that is ready to come back to help you be in your wholeness.

Owl medicine includes prophecy, wisdom, stealth, silence, intuition, clairvoyance, clairaudience, shapeshifting, and keen vision that can pierce all illusion. Owls and hawks possess the keenest eyesight of all raptors, giving them broad vision. Call upon Owl to unmask and see what is truly beneath the surface -- what is hidden or in the shadows. Night Eagle, as Owl is called, is the bird of magic and darkness, of prophecy and wisdom. Great Horned Owls have a large repertoire of haunting calls that can be heard over several miles on a still night. Owl is a messenger of omens who will call out to let all share in its vision. Click here to view my music video "Owl Vision - Ayahuasca Journey." 

The Soul of the Shaman

The distinguishing characteristic of shamanism is its focus on an ecstatic trance state in which the soul of the shaman is believed to leave his or her body and ascend to the sky (heavens) or descend into the earth (underworld). The drum, sometimes called the shaman's horse, provides the shaman a relatively easy means of controlled transcendence. Researchers have found that if a drum beat frequency of around three to four beats per second is sustained for at least fifteen minutes, it will induce significant trance states in most people, even on their first attempt. During shamanic flight, the sound of the drum serves as a guidance system, indicating where the shaman is at any moment or where they might need to go. The drumbeat also serves as an anchor, or lifeline, that the shaman follows to return to his or her body and/or exit the trance state when the trance work is complete.

The shaman's mount, namely the single-headed frame drum, originated in Siberia along with shamanism itself thousands of years ago. The word shaman comes from Siberia, and it is in this vast geographical region where shamanism proper is to be found. Siberian shamans use the frame drum to convey to the spirits of a place their greetings, any requests, and thanks. It is a spiritual practice designed to help human beings relate to all of nature. Siberia is one of the few places in the world where the shamanic heritage has remained unbroken. Read more.

Top 10 Books on Shamanism

This is a list of the ten books that most influenced my path of shamanism. I have read many other informative books, but these are the books that most resonated with me on my shamanic path of learning and fulfillment. Shamanism offers a valid and effective path back to our soul and its purpose for being here. By engaging life from a shamanic perspective, we rediscover our core values and deep loves, find others who share them, and recommit our lives to living from what has heart and meaning. Listed in order of year of publication, my top 10 books are:

1. The Way of the Shaman: A Guide to Power and Healing (1980) by Michael Harner. Founder of the Foundation for Shamanic Studies, Harner blazed the trail for the worldwide revival of shamanism and shamanic drumming with his 1980 seminal classic. This informative guide to core shamanic practice set me on a new course in life. From this guide, I learned to hone my skills of shamanic journeying. Harner teaches core shamanism, the universal and common methods of the shaman to enter "non-ordinary reality" for problem solving and healing. Particular emphasis is on the classic shamanic journey; one of the most remarkable visionary methods used by humankind to access inner wisdom and guidance by the teachers within. Learning to journey is the first step in becoming a shamanic practitioner.

2. Secrets of Shamanism: Tapping the Spirit Power Within You (1988) by Jose Luis Stevens. This was among the first books I read about shamanism. It is a useful introductory guide to personal shamanic practice. It is very easy to read and has lots of information. I keep a copy of this on my bookshelf for reference and recommend it to anyone interested in learning core shamanic techniques.

3. Urban Shaman (1990) by Serge Kahili King, Ph.D. Dr. King is the author of many works on Huna and Hawaiian shamanism. He has a doctorate in psychology and was trained in shamanism by the Kahili family of Kauai. Today he teaches people how to use shamanic healing techniques and uses his knowledge of Huna to help others discover their own creative power. Huna refers to a way of life, a way of being, that brings healing to the self and to the world at large. Uniquely suited for use in today's world, Hawaiian shamanism follows the way of the adventurer, which produces change through love and cooperation -- in contrast to the widely known way of the warrior, which emphasizes solitary quests and conquest by power.

4. The Spirit Of Shamanism (1990) by Roger N. Walsh, Ph.D. This scholarly text is a great addition to any library. Dr. Walsh offers an exciting look at the variety of shamanic practices and its basis in sound psychological principles from a thoroughly Western perspective. The timeless wealth of spiritual insights available through shamanic techniques are shown to the modern, non-tribal student.

5. Being and Vibration (1993) by Joseph Rael and Mary Marlow. Of the many books I have read on sound healing, none resonated with me more than Rael's beautiful treatise on vibration. Highly respected Ute healer and visionary Rael teaches that the nature of all existence is vibration. From human breath and heartbeat to the pulsating energies of subatomic particles, to expansion and contraction of stars and of the universe itself, there is pulsation-vibration inherent in all that exists. Rael's teachings show how we may experience spiritual reality in its totality through drumming, chanting, and vision quests. The book includes practical instructions and visualizations around breath, chant, and sound.

6. The Invisible Landscape: Mind, Hallucinogens and the I Ching (1994) by Terence and Dennis McKenna. This is a thoroughly revised edition of the much-sought-after early (1975) work by the McKenna brothers that looks at shamanism, altered states of consciousness, and the organic unity of the King Wen sequence of the I Ching. I discovered this visionary book while researching my 1997 book, I Ching: The Tao of Drumming. I was fascinated by Terence McKenna's theory that the King Wen sequence of the 64 hexagrams represents a wave model of time. I spent hours trying to decipher the complexities of the "Time Wave Theory" in order to write about it in my own book. Simply put, the King Wen sequence is a symbolic blueprint of the unfolding continuum of time in which events and situations recur on many different scales of duration. Each hexagram represents a unique yet integral wave cycle within the continuum. Many reputable scientists and physicists have embraced it. It has broken the barriers between esoteric philosophy and pragmatism.

7. Ecstatic Body Postures: An Alternate Reality Workbook (1995) by Belinda Gore. Anthropologist Felicitas Goodman discovered that specific yoga-like poses recur in the art and artifacts of world cultures, even societies widely separated by time and space. Goodman's hypothesis, therefore, was that these postures represented coded instructions on how to produce consistent trance-like effects. Goodman researched and explored ritual body postures as a means to achieve a bodily induced trance experience. She discovered that people who assume these body postures report strikingly similar trance experiences irrespective of their worldview or belief systems. With clear instructions and illustrations, Belinda Gore, one of Dr. Goodman's prominent students, demonstrates these shamanic postures and how to work with them. There are different postures that facilitate divination, shapeshifting, spirit journeys, and more.

8. Riding Windhorses: A Journey into the Heart of Mongolian Shamanism (2000) by Sarangerel Odigon. The first book written about Mongolian and Siberian shamanism by a shaman trained in that tradition. This is a great introduction to Mongolian and Siberian shamanic beliefs and practices. Sarangerel was an American of Mongolian descent. As an adult she returned to live in the place of her ancestors and studied Mongolian shamanism for many years. She was the author of two books on Tengerism (Mongolian shamanism). Both of her books are in my top 10.

9. Chosen by the Spirits: Following Your Shamanic Calling (2001) by Sarangerel Odigon. In her second book, Sarangerel delves more deeply into the personal relationship between the shamanic student and his or her spirit family. She recounts her own journey into Mongolian shamanism and provides the serious student with practical advice and hands-on techniques for recognizing and acknowledging a shamanic calling, welcoming and embodying the spirits, journeying to the spirit world, and healing both people and places. Sarangerel traveled across the globe passing on the teachings of her people to all who wanted to learn them. Sadly, in 2006 she passed into spirit.

10. Shamanism: A Biopsychosocial Paradigm of Consciousness and Healing (2010) by Michael Winkelman. Winkelman is one of the world's foremost scholars on shamanism. His groundbreaking book contains cross-cultural examinations of the nature of shamanism, biological perspectives on alterations of consciousness, mechanisms of shamanic healing, as well as the evolutionary origins of shamanism. It presents the shamanic paradigm within a biopsychosocial framework for explaining successful human evolution through group rituals. According to Winkelman, shamanism is rooted in innate functions of the brain, mind, and consciousness. As Winkelman puts it, "The cross-cultural manifestations of basic experiences related to shamanism (e.g., soul flight, death-and-rebirth, animal identities) illustrates that these practices are not strictly cultural but are structured by underlying, biologically inherent structures. These are neurobiological structures of knowing that provide the universal aspects of the human brain/mind." This book is a must read for any serious student of shamanism.

 

Affiliate disclosure: I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

The Bear Spirit Posture

In my previous post, I described anthropologist Felicitas Goodman's research on ecstatic trance postures. To introduce you to ritual body postures, I have selected a powerful healing posture from Belinda Gore's book, Ecstatic Body Postures: An Alternate Reality Book. According to Gore, one of Dr. Goodman's prominent students, the ancient Bear Spirit Posture is for curing disease and restoring harmony and balance to the individual and the community. This comfortable standing posture connects us to Grandfather Bear -- the "great healer." Evidence of this posture has been found throughout the world, dating from 6000 BC and still in use today. The Bear Spirit will absorb any negative feelings, blockages or emotional trauma within you. It is not unusual to experience being split open. Trancers often describe having their bodies scored by the claws of the Bear Spirit to release emotional and physical toxins. And even though mutilation is a common theme in this posture, rarely do people report having real physical pain with this trance. It is not uncommon for people to sway, rock, bounce, or shake in this posture; however, no one has ever fallen. Along with physical movement, people frequently experience intense heat, which is associated with being healed. Members of my shamanic circle have effectively utilized the Bear Spirit Posture in psychopomp work -- the shamanic art of assisting others in their death journey to the other side.

To assume this posture, stand with your feet parallel, about six inches apart, and point your toes straight ahead. Keep your knees slightly bent, removing any strain on your lower back. Curl your hands, as though you are holding a small, imaginary egg in the palm of each hand, and then place them across your belly. Place your thumbs loosely on your fingers, and hold your fingertips next to one another, but not pressed against each other. Position your hands so that your folded fingers form a tall triangle over your navel. The first joint of the index finger of each hand should touch to form the apex of the triangle. Keep your upper arms relaxed and close to your body. Tilt your head back to look at the seam where the wall meets the ceiling of the room. Close your eyes, and relax your jaw so your mouth hangs slightly open.

To enter a trance state and support your journey, you will need to listen to a shamanic journey drumming recording. Close your eyes, focus your attention on the sound of the drum, and imagine the power of Spirit Bear flowing through you, with all of its corresponding abilities. You may feel it, see it, sense it, or simply imagine it. As you focus on it, it will occur. All energy follows thought. If your mind wanders, bring the focus of your attention back to the beat of the drum. Drumming opens portals to the spirit world, draws spirit in, and opens you up to receive it.

Keep in mind that trancing requires a large amount of energy. After the journey, get plenty of rest and drink a lot of water. Avoid any kind of focused or intense activity for the rest of the day, and get a good night's sleep.

Ecstatic Trance Postures

I highly recommend incorporating ecstatic trance postures into your shamanic practice. Some of my most profound journey experiences have taken place while holding shamanic postures. Anthropologist Felicitas Goodman discovered that specific yoga-like poses recur in the art and artifacts of world cultures, even societies widely separated by time and space. Goodman's hypothesis, therefore, was that these postures represented coded instructions on how to produce consistent trance-like effects. Goodman researched and explored ritual body postures as a means to achieve a bodily induced trance experience. Her studies led her to many countries, and to trying out these body positions practically with hundreds of participants worldwide. She discovered that people who assume these body postures report strikingly similar trance experiences irrespective of their worldview or belief systems.

These postures produce a common effect, according to Goodman, because they all share one thing in common: the human body, the basic structure and functioning of which has remained unchanged since the time of our most ancient ancestors. The nervous and endocrine systems are, in fact, all much the same as they were 30,000 years ago, a fact which enables contemporary urban dwellers to enter non-ordinary reality as effectively, and through the same neural doorways, as shamans throughout history. You can access, energize, and integrate your creative and intuitive potential. Combined with shamanic drumming, the postures engender a profound change in consciousness, leading to new insights into healing, inner development and soul purpose. In her book, Where the Spirits Ride the Wind: Trance Journeys and Other Ecstatic Experiences, Goodman describes different postures that facilitate divination, healing, spirit journeys and more. In my next post, I will introduce you to my favorite trance posture.

Goodman identified several prerequisites for a successful trance posture experience, many of which will be familiar to you from your standard shamanic journey:

1. Preparing oneself spiritually, mentally and physically;
2. Establishing a sacred space with intention and respect;
3. Quieting the mind through meditation and breathing practices;
4. Inducing a trance state with a repetitive rhythm on a drum or rattle;
5. Holding a specific trance posture for at least 15 minutes.

What you will experience

Ecstatic trance is not always what many people anticipate it to be, and sometimes there may be doubt that anything at all takes place. There are, however, some key indicators that confirm a transcendent state of consciousness. Once you enter a trance state, the rhythm or sound of the drum tends to change. The drumbeat may appear to speed up or slow down while the sound may grow louder, softer or disappear. You may experience a change in body temperature, feel energy flowing through your body, or find yourself twitching, swaying or rocking.

It is not uncommon to hear sounds or voices. You may even smell specific aromas. You may see colorful patterns, symbolic images or dreamlike visions. Some people may find that they have a highly developed inner vision, whereas others may rely more on an inner voice of insight or an inner feeling of certainty. Be prepared to experience ecstatic trance with any of your senses. The key is to observe whatever happens without trying to analyze the experience.

Ancient Wisdom for the Modern World

Huichol Yarn Painting

The Huichols, an indigenous tribe that lives in the mountainous region of central Mexico, are some of the happiest, healthiest, wisest people on earth. Many of them are shamans, and a surprising number of their tribe surpass 100 and work in the fields up until the day they die. Shaman-healer Brant Secunda traveled to Mexicoas a young man and was invited to live with the Huichols for 12 years, where he became the adopted grandson of a shaman named Don José Matsuwa, who lived to be 110. There are many lessons he learned from the Huichols, which he now writes about and teaches to others. One of them is how to cultivate a personal bond with nature. In the modern world we often get so caught up in our busy lives that we forget to honor our inherent connection with the natural world. Read more.

The Shamanic Revival

Shamanism has achieved a dramatic modern resurgence. A recent study by one of the foremost scholars on shamanism today reveals that the contemporary world still hungers for transcendent experiences because the shamanic narrative is hard-wired in us all. In his 2010 book, Shamanism: A Biopsychosocial Paradigm of Consciousness and Healing, Michael Winkelman presents the shamanic paradigm within a biopsychosocial framework for explaining successful human evolution through group rituals. According to Winkelman, shamanism is rooted in innate functions of the brain, mind, and consciousness. As Winkelman puts it, "The cross-cultural manifestations of basic experiences related to shamanism (e.g., soul flight, death-and-rebirth, animal identities) illustrates that these practices are not strictly cultural but are structured by underlying, biologically inherent structures. These are neurobiological structures of knowing that provide the universal aspects of the human brain/mind" (n1)

The psychobiological basis of shamanism provided it with functional roles in survival and cultural evolution, producing an evolved psychology that has applications in relatively intractable modern problems such as addictions treatment and in addressing the consequences of psychological trauma, alienation, and disconnectedness. Winkelman elaborates on shamanism as a paradigm of self-empowerment which strengthens individuals' ability to take an active role in their health and well-being. Shamanic practices produce deeper self-awareness by enhancing the use of the entire brain and provide "a vital connection with community and the spiritual dimensions of human health that have been lacking in modern societies." (n2)

Furthermore, recent studies demonstrate that the innate "modules" of rhythm, like percussion or dance, provide a secular approach to accessing a higher power and applying spiritual perspectives. The American Journal of Public Health reviewed drum therapy in its April 2003 edition, concluding that "shamanic drumming directly supports the introduction of spiritual factors found significant in the healing process. Shamanic activities bring people efficiently and directly into immediate encounters with spiritual forces, focusing the client on the whole body and integrating healing at physical and spiritual levels. This process allows them to connect with the power of the universe, to externalize their own knowledge, and to internalize their answers; it also enhances their sense of empowerment and responsibility. These experiences are healing, bringing the restorative powers of nature to clinical settings." (n3)

To learn more, visit my website at ShamanicDrumming.com. This site is part of my effort to create a vibrant international community devoted to shamanic drumming as a vehicle for healing, consciousness expansion, and community building. I invite you to listen to shamanic music, try a shamanic journey, and browse articles to learn more about shamanism and shamanic drumming. Find shamanic circles, drums, books, music, supplies, and practitioners at www.ShamanicDrumming.com/.

References

(n1.) Michael Winkelman, Shamanism: A Biopsychosocial Paradigm of Consciousness and Healing (Praeger; 2 edition 2010), p. 38.

(n2.) Michael Winkelman. Shamanism as Neurotheology and Evolutionary Psychology. Tech. 13 May 2002. Web. 28 Feb. 2012. <http://www.public.asu.edu/~atmxw/absneuro.pdf>.

(n3.) Michael Winkelman, "Complementary Therapy for Addiction: Drumming Out Drugs," American Journal of Public Health; Apr 2003, Vol. 93 Issue 4, p647, 5p. 

The Life Cairn Project

The Life Cairn Fire

Throughout human history, cairns have been built as landmarks to help guide a journey, to memorialize fallen comrades, for spiritual or shamanic practices, or simply to indicate a reverence for the natural world. The Life Cairn is a powerful new version of this tradition established in England by Reverend Peter Owen-Jones and Andreas Kornevall and assisted by Vanessa Vine, to memorialize species rendered extinct by human activity. The mission of The Life Cairn Project is to promote and catalyze the creation of Life Cairns as memorials to species that have become extinct due to human impacts on the environment, and to sound urgent alerts about critically endangered species, cultures and island nations.

A Life Cairn is more than a static memorial; through repeat visits to add stones and express our grief when another species disappears forever, a Life Cairn becomes a crucial touchstone for our sacred interdependence. As board member Diana Lightmoon puts it, "Grieving for the loss of a fellow creature of creation is an act of acknowledging what is happening right now. From this place of acknowledgement, we may be able to find a new way of being in this world with each other and with all species." To learn more about constructing Life Cairns and what you can do about our Earth Community's suffering, visit the Life Cairn Project website. 

2014 Summer Solstice Drum Circle

Sunday June 22, 2014, 1 to 4 pm at the Silverton Grange, 201 Division St., Silverton, OR 97381. Facilitated by Michael Drake, author of Shamanic Drumming Circles Guide. At the Summer Solstice, we begin a new cycle on the Medicine Wheel of Life, entering the South -- the home of summer, midday, youth, joy, trust, growth and Coyote, the Spirit Keeper of the South. As we celebrate in ceremony, we participate in this season of abundant growth, attuning ourselves to the cyclical rhythms of nature. By joining our hearts in prayer and sacred drumming, we create a sacred union with the vital energy of our Mother Earth which reaches its full expression in the South. Nurtured by our Earth Mother's limitless energy, we become limitless co-creators of all that is needed to benefit all beings unto seven generations. Bring a drum, a dish, and a donation. 

Heyoka Coyote

Coyote is a cunning shapeshifter who can adapt to any habitat. While the habitats of most predators are diminishing, Coyote’s territory is expanding. Call upon Coyote for these shapeshifting qualities, but beware, for Coyote is a magician, trickster, and heyoka. The heyoka or sacred clown uses satire, folly and misadventure to awaken people to innovative and better ways of doing things. The mischievous heyoka behaves in ways that are contrary to conventional norms in order to violate peoples’ expectations. In such paradoxical states, people can assimilate new information quickly, without filtering.

Coyote’s lesson is to stop acting out of habit. You must be willing to plow old habits into the soil in order to cultivate new patterns that enhance your natural growth. Innovative change will revitalize your life and precipitate renewed growth and creativity.

Sometimes we unwittingly cut off the voice of our inner truth, or sense of what is correct; relying instead on old, soul-killing patterns of judgment, control, and distrust. Inner truth reflects, like a mirror, the higher, universal truth that exists in every situation. Yet even when our point of view is at its most positional, narrow and self-righteous, higher truth, often in the guise of the trickster, is there to open the way back to balance and wholeness. Click here to listen to the Coyote chant.

Shamanic Drumming Circles Guide

I am pleased to announce the publication of the Kindle eBook edition of my new drum guide. The paperback will be available in a few weeks. This book is the culmination of twenty-five years of shamanic circling. Since 1989, I have been involved in facilitating shamanic drumming circles and hands-on experiential workshops nationwide. Many of the participants in my seminars were inspired to start or join drumming circles in their communities. Over the years, a number of these shamanic practitioners have shared the specific challenges and issues their circles experienced. This ongoing networking with other practitioners evolved into the Shamanic Drumming Circles Guide. This comprehensive manual provides guidelines for creating, facilitating and sustaining shamanic drumming circles.

A shamanic drumming circle is essentially a modern adaptation to an ancient form of cultural expression attributed to indigenous shamanic peoples. In indigenous cultures, the term "drum circle" would not be used. Rather, the term "ceremonial drumming" or "drumming rite" would be more accurate. 

The shamanic drumming circle is the most powerful way I know to connect with the spirit and oneness of everything. Everything has a rhythm, and that rhythm is circular. Drum circles provide the opportunity for people of like mind to unite for the attainment of a shared objective. There is power in drumming alone, but that power recombines and multiplies on many simultaneous levels in a group of drummers. The drums draw individual energies together, unifying them into a consolidated force that can be channeled toward the circle's intended goal. Look inside my new book here. View the YouTube book trailer here.

Interview with Sandra Ingerman

Sandra Ingerman is one of the respected leaders of the neo-shamanic movement here in America. She is the author of eight books including Soul Retrieval and Medicine for the Earth. Sandra has been teaching for over 30 years. She teaches workshops internationally on shamanic journeying, healing, and reversing environmental pollution using spiritual methods. She has trained and founded an international alliance of "Medicine for the Earth" teachers. Sandra is recognized for bridging ancient cross-cultural healing methods into our modern culture addressing the needs of our times.

In a recent interview, Sandra shared her struggle with depression and how she used the methods derived from the beliefs and practices of traditional cultures to create her sense of well-being. Sandra says, that even though shamanism has been practiced in cultures that seem to have little in common with our modern society, the underlying philosophy is timeless for its relevance to humanity. She states "shamanism is a way of life." It reminds us that everything is alive with energy and that we are all connected to and inseparable from a universal web of life. She believes that so much of the mental illness we see today largely comes from our disconnection from nature. Watch the interview here. 

Solo Time in Nature

Trail through the Tatoosh Wilderness

When was the last time you took a hike into the forest or a walk onto the beach alone? When you go solo in nature, the entire experience is different than if you're with someone else. Hiking with other people, there is little hope of seeing any real wildlife and not much solitude. Solitude allows time for self-examination, relaxation away from the daily grind for awhile, and a chance to meditate, contemplate, or just zone out for hours at a time. The longer the solo immersion; the more transformational the experience.

I did my first solo in nature at the age of twenty (1974); backpacking for three days in rugged Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. That first trek challenged and inspired me to pursue more outdoor solo adventures. Many of my most memorable experiences took place during solo journeys into nature. My longest solo was a (1980) three week backpacking trek through the Salmon Mountains of Klamath National Forest in Northern California. It was an epic adventure and transformational experience that I will never forget. I recounted my backpacking adventure (and shamanic initiation) in my book Shamanic Drumming. At the age of 59, I still spend solo time in nature. I no longer backpack, but still like to go tent camping alone for days or weeks at a time. I always return home feeling spiritually renewed. My inner self is most nourished when I am immersed in nature.

Shamans have always gone solo in nature because they knew that the only way to recharge was to connect with nature's healing energy. What better way to reenergize than to sit in a deep forest, or next to a waterfall for a few days and nights? Shamans knew that some of that natural power could be gathered and stored using shamanic techniques and then applied later to their active endeavors. There is no reason why an ordinary person cannot learn and apply similar techniques to recharge, gather, store, and apply the renewed vitality gained from solo time. To learn more, read my journey into nature and shamanism, Shamanic Drumming: Calling the Spirits.

Yup'ik Shaman Masks

For many generations the Yup'ik (real) people of Alaska have created beautifully expressive masks for their traditional dances and ceremonies. Over the long winter darkness, dances and storytelling took place in the qasgiq (communal men's house) using these masks to honor and connect to the beings that made life possible in the Arctic environment. The masks were said to have made the unseen world visible. Masked dancing was once at the heart of Yup'ik spiritual and social life. It was a bridge between the ancient and the new, the living and the dead and a person's own power and the greater powers of the unseen world.

Many of the masks were visual representations of the shaman's journeys into the spirit world and often portrayed spirit helpers. The shaman either carved the masks himself or directed their carving. Masks were carved from driftwood collected on the shores and painted with natural pigments. The symbolic meaning of color varies with the creator of the mask and the story he or she is relating. Recurring colors include red which may sometimes symbolize life, blood, or give protection to the mask's wearer; black which sometimes represents death or the afterlife; and white which sometimes can mean living or winter. Painted spots appear on many masks and even on some participants. They represent snowflakes, stars, or eyes, depending on the mask's story. As in healing, the artist's touch may have been as significant as the mark left behind.

Masks were decorated with teeth, beads, animal hides, feathers and other organic materials related to the story being portrayed. They differ in size from forehead and finger 'maskettes' to enormous constructions that dancers need external supports to perform with. Ingenious theatrical devices were created and hung from the roof of the communal house, and beautiful costumes were sewn, all as part of a complex enactment of sacred stories.

After Christian contact in the late nineteenth century, masked dancing was suppressed, and today it is not practiced as it was before in the Yup'ik villages. However, the art of making masks is once again making its way into the traditional lifestyles of the Yup'ik. The elders are trying to get the young people involved and it's still a work in progress, but the revival of mask making is a hopeful story of Yup'ik continuity. 

"Drumming for the Orisa"

Colin Townsend is a cultural anthropologist and drummer who published a study on the ways identity is constructed among a group of drummers at Oyotunji Village, South Carolina. Oyotunji Village was founded by Oba Oseijeman I, born Walter King of Detroit, in 1970 with the purpose of providing African-Americans in the United States with a geographical, political, and cultural space to experience African culture. Modeled after Yoruba culture of southwest Nigeria, members of the community practice a religion known as orisa-voodoo.

Throughout the year, festivals are held dedicated to various orisa, "deities," in which the drummers play a crucial role in the religious experience of the orisa-voodoo adherents. An essential part of Yoruba culture, drumming acts as a musical bridge between humans and orisa, enabling orisa-voodoo practitioners to petition the orisa for guidance and intervention in their daily lives. Drumming traditions at Oyotunji Village provide drummers with a repository of cultural knowledge and practices from which to draw, while at the same time offering them a creative outlet capable of reshaping and redefining those very same traditions.

Townsend examines various processes of identity formation among the drummers as part of their musical apprenticeship, during which they learn not only how to play the instrument but also about Yoruba culture in general. He employs an analytical framework involving a "subject-centered musical ethnography" within a three-dimensional space of musical experience including time, location, and metaphor. Read "Drumming for the Orisa: (Re)inventing Yoruba Identity in Oyotunji Village."

To learn more about African drumming, I highly recommend Sule Greg Wilson's informative book, The Drummer's Path: Moving the Spirit with Ritual and Traditional Drumming. Wilson provides a useful introduction to the many different styles of traditional African drumming. This is an intriguing work that shows the relationship between drumming, spirit and health. His writing offers an interesting insight into the physical, metaphysical and spiritual aspects of drumming.