24601
exit stage left
I didn't want to derail the thread about meditation. My spiritual path was a huge question mark, raised Christian but didn't agree with it, so ended up religion-less for much of my life. I came across Shamanism in a book, in that book they referred to Celtic Shamanism, but through my research I see that what is practiced by western people is usually referred to as Neo-Shamanism in the literature. Still trying to figure out if that's good or bad. I mean, I don't want to be guilty of cultural appropriation, but whatever spiritual draw I've had in my life brought me to it.
@Mrbinx69 , you gave me a lot of information on the meditation thread but I'm not sure if I understand it all.
@Mrbinx69 said, "Shamanism is a connection with mother earth and the universe, through Presence first, plants second, rituals third, and ideology never"
Yes, I totally believe this. Was I speaking like I believed something else? I don't see any ideology in Shamanism. From what I've been reading and practicing, plants aren't needed to "journey", I just use a recorded track of drums and rattles. But I do want to try and see if kava will have any effect on my experience, if it's not disrespectful to either the spiritual practice or the nature of the kava.
Most of what I've been practicing about Shamanism are the journeys, as described by Sandra Ingerman and Michael Harner, in which the person on the journey gets to an altered state through rhythmic drumming/chanting/rattling/instruments. They then take their journey to one of the three worlds (lower, middle, upper) The lower world is where people go to first, to meet animal guides. The upper world is usually second, where you can meet human or human like guides that can advise you. I don't know much about the middle world yet. I'm not explaining it very well. I do know that I made many trips into my own personal lower world, am familiar with the layout of it, and of a fox and a wolf, the fox is around to cheer me up with her mischievous side and usually has advice for me on overcoming social problems. The wolf has led me to places where I am challenged and learn to grow stronger from those challenges. In the upper world, I reconnected with an aunt I never knew in life because of her early death, who said we were similar people and helped me get through some really rough times, and not end up taking the path she did.
Is it real? I don't think so. I mean, not in the sense that I'm literally meeting my aunt. I think it's all coming from me. I think everything I experience is in my subconscious, but does that make it unreal? Not in my opinion. If it is all about opening up to the universe, and the universe communicates through all of us, then I don't question what happens when I strap on headphones, listen to drums, get myself into the proper state, and learn the answers to things that are bothering me - even if those answers are coming from me myself.
I've never had another person to talk about this with, so replies are certainly welcome.
@Mrbinx69 , you gave me a lot of information on the meditation thread but I'm not sure if I understand it all.
@Mrbinx69 said, "Shamanism is a connection with mother earth and the universe, through Presence first, plants second, rituals third, and ideology never"
Yes, I totally believe this. Was I speaking like I believed something else? I don't see any ideology in Shamanism. From what I've been reading and practicing, plants aren't needed to "journey", I just use a recorded track of drums and rattles. But I do want to try and see if kava will have any effect on my experience, if it's not disrespectful to either the spiritual practice or the nature of the kava.
Most of what I've been practicing about Shamanism are the journeys, as described by Sandra Ingerman and Michael Harner, in which the person on the journey gets to an altered state through rhythmic drumming/chanting/rattling/instruments. They then take their journey to one of the three worlds (lower, middle, upper) The lower world is where people go to first, to meet animal guides. The upper world is usually second, where you can meet human or human like guides that can advise you. I don't know much about the middle world yet. I'm not explaining it very well. I do know that I made many trips into my own personal lower world, am familiar with the layout of it, and of a fox and a wolf, the fox is around to cheer me up with her mischievous side and usually has advice for me on overcoming social problems. The wolf has led me to places where I am challenged and learn to grow stronger from those challenges. In the upper world, I reconnected with an aunt I never knew in life because of her early death, who said we were similar people and helped me get through some really rough times, and not end up taking the path she did.
Is it real? I don't think so. I mean, not in the sense that I'm literally meeting my aunt. I think it's all coming from me. I think everything I experience is in my subconscious, but does that make it unreal? Not in my opinion. If it is all about opening up to the universe, and the universe communicates through all of us, then I don't question what happens when I strap on headphones, listen to drums, get myself into the proper state, and learn the answers to things that are bothering me - even if those answers are coming from me myself.
I've never had another person to talk about this with, so replies are certainly welcome.
