Shamanic journeys are such a rich part of my life. I have been journeying long before I knew that it was a ‘thing’. My journeys have an almost psychedelic quality to them that differs from hypnosis or daydreaming. It is thru journeying that I have been able to fly as an eagle, run thru a forest as a panther and morph back into human form only to be taken to the crystal palace to be taught healing methods by the Archangels.
Shamanic journeys are a core aspect of shamanism. They involve going into a trance state and interacting with the spiritual world to find answers, transform energy, and bring about healing. Journeys within traditional shamanic practices can involve bringing about trance state thru mind altering substances, stressful experiences, and dance. They are often accompanied by drums or rattles. Such journeys often occur with the support of a highly skilled shaman within the context of a group experience.
Nonordinary Reality
Journeys bring you into the spirit world. Traditionally there is an underworld, middle world and upper world. If you make journeying a regular practice, you will likely find that you return to some spaces more than often and create your own map of nonordinary reality. You may start out in one space and move to another level within the same journey.
My experience of the underworld is that it almost always includes animal guides and connections to nature and often involves working with the unconscious or shadow aspects of self. If you grew up in a Christian family or community you may wonder if the underworld has any relationship to hell. The answer is no. I love the richness of the underworld.
The middle world is a bit like an alternative dimension of day to day life. Places visited and experiences during journeys here bring more familiar experiences and information about day to day problems.
Visiting the upper world is a bit different in that it often involves moving thru space, clouds, and vast whiteness. One of the frequent places I find myself is in what I call the crystal palace. It’s a bit like a crystal mountain scene. This is where I am often taken for teaching sessions. The upper world is often where angels and ascended masters will show up. But know that guides of all sorts do show up in every level.
Tips for Making the most of a guided journey
Guided shamanic journeys are a means of experiencing some of the benefits of shamanic journeying without the full experience of working with a traditional shaman and can be utilized by anyone. I’ve found that the messages and healing that can occur with guided journeys are quite useful and powerful. In my coaching, I use guided journeys along with traditional mindset coaching and energy healing to support clients to make the changes they desire and move further along their path of self discovery and empowerment.
Enjoying the benefits of a guided shamanic journey requires the intention to journey and receive, use of your imagination as an entry point into the journey, curiosity about the experience, and openness to seeing what comes up for you. Here are some of the ways you can approach listening to a guided journey to receive the greatest benefits:
- When doing a guided journey, you will receive the greatest benefit if you go into it thinking about what it is you want to experience or learn. Generally guided journeys are created for a specific purpose that provides you with a starting point for your intention.
- Go ahead and use your imagination as you listen along to the guidance and trust that doing so is the pathway for a deeper experience to show up. Sometimes people worry that if they are using their imagination, the experience isn’t real. Fully using your imagination as you begin the journey is the best way to have a rich experience when you first start doing guided journey.
- Be curious. Journeys often bring surprising and often unreal experiences. You may find that even as you are being guided on the journey, additional things will show up for you. And part of the guidance will often include prompts for experiences unique to you.
What Next?
Shamanic journeys are a means of shifting into nonordinary reality (the spirit world/alternate dimension). They are meant to bring you into direct interaction with energy and spirit guides. You might think of it as your soul traveling to an alternative spiritual reality where you can meet other souls and manifestations of energy. If you prefer a psychological explanation, you can think of it as a means of overriding the logical mind and letting yourself explore your subconscious.
You will find that guided shamanic journeys can be a powerful addition to your journey of self discovery and healing. You may find that if you make use of guided journeys, overtime you will begin to experience journeys on your own. You may find yourself being drawn to exploring shamanism at a deeper level.
This is a brief overview to help you know what to expect and get the most out of a guided shamanic journey. Shamanic journeying is only one of the many things I bring into my coaching but I am currently offering some ways to experience this separate from my larger coaching practices. You will find several ways to experience a powerful Distance Healing Shamanic Journey from the comfort of your own home here.
