The term Journeying in Shamanism is when you’re being transported, not outwardly on the physical plane but often with the help of the rhythmic sound of drumming (or other shamanic sound/frequencies and rhythmic instruments) you go inward moving into altered states of consciousness where you experience realities outside your normal perception. Scientists have discovered that listening to monotonous beats facilitates moving into alpha and theta brain and even gamma wave states. Many Native Americans refer to drumming as “the heartbeat of the earth”. The electromagnetic resonance frequency of the earth is equivalent to high theta/low alpha brain waves. The drumming allows the shaman to align their brain waves with the frequency of the earth. When you enter non-ordinary reality, the rules of your outer world and space are suspended.  Time as we know it is suspended, plants and trees talk, fairies abound, and horses can fly. Shamans seek guidance and assistance from spirit helpers, and they can travel anywhere and any distance in moments outside of time. Just like many of you may have a special place where you can go in this physical world where you feel peaceful, happy and content, perhaps it’s the beach for you or a special garden.  A shaman or anyone for that matter journeying has a place like that in their inner reality. In my inner reality I enter a vast beautiful cave from behind a glorious waterfall in a forest. The walls and ceiling of the cave are covered in a soft and beautiful lush green moss. I stand behind the waterfall feeling the spray of the water on my back as I gaze into the cave looking at the beautiful moss covered walls and ceiling. Then I step inside and begin my journey into ‘no-thingness’. As I journey further into the cave, walking further and further from the entrance, it becomes very dark. The first time I traveled through this cave I contemplated turning around but decided to keep going gliding my hand along the wall of the cave. Then suddenly there was a slight and ever brighter illumination, just enough for me to see where I was going and enjoy the beauty of my surroundings. At first, I didn’t know where the light was coming from since I was nowhere near an opening to the outside then I realized the glow was my own divine light that was guiding the way. As I approach the other end of the cave, I begin to see the light streaming in from the outside and I find myself standing in a lush rainforest where my guides always welcome me. I feel my connection with the overwhelming beauty, sounds, sights and smells of this magical landscape. I usually walk through the rainforest to see what I may encounter along the way, sometimes being guided by my guide/s (I will keep them to myself as they are sacred to me). They lead me to either a location, a thing or a vision of something that is sometimes directly related to a question I may have asked. Sometimes I go to this rainforest without any particular questions, rather just to make a connection in any way that organically happens and I just ask to be shown what I need to be shown that will serve me in my present physical life, this is but one journey I may go on.

 Many shamanic traditions believe that this unseen reality is divided into three separate worlds: the Upper World, the Middle World, and the Lower World. Each world has distinct qualities, including particular entryways and recognizable landscapes, this also coming from knowing that truly we live in an unlimited multiverse and these descriptions of non-ordinary reality are sometimes limited by mental limitations. The Upper and Lower Worlds have many levels to them so you may have a number of experiences. However, these are some things you can look for in these realms. The three realms are linked together by a vertical axis that is commonly referred to as the “World Tree” where one can easily go, with permission, from the lower-higher worlds.

***Upper World***

The Upper World is the realm of unrealized potential, higher knowledge, and enlightenment. It is the domain of gods, goddesses, and evolved teachers/masters. Many people experience the Upper World as very ethereal. The light tends to be bright, although the spectrum of colors can include everything from soft pastels to colors beyond our description to complete darkness. The landscapes in the Upper World are varied, and you might find yourself in a crystal city, phenomenal places of learning, like spectacular classrooms and libraries or you may find yourself floating in the “no-thingness”.  The Upper World carries a much different vibration than the Lower World. To reach this world you journey out higher and higher beyond the earth, beyond the stars. You can be carried or guided by spirit helpers if you wish. To access this realm it is best to ask for permission from the keeper of the upper world and allow his/her guidance. The Upper World offers a higher perspective and can help you if you are having difficulty distancing yourself from a difficult situation and seeking a new perspective. It helps you discover finer parts of your being. When we journey to any of the worlds we call on the keeper of that world and ask for permission, very important and they can be you guide.

The 5 levels:

The shamans believe there are 5 levels within the upper world. Most people think of the 5th level which is the world of our becoming. This is a world only recently accessible to those who are ready. You travel these 5 levels along a golden and silver thread or twisted cord. You can think of it like an elevator that you ascend to each level and descend back down. Allow yourself to be lit up as you enter into this cord of light.

The 1st world within the Upper World is the world of the minerals and rocks. It is dark and dense. This is where you can call on your medicine stones or crystals and receive their medicine and wisdom. These are your stone aligns. The is also the realm where the spirit of the canyons and mountains are sourced from. Let them show you their world and guide you. Use your own senses too to explore this world. If you travel here or any of the levels and see another human just observe don’t engage as they are also on their journey of discovery. The ancient stone beings and the mountain spirits have vast knowledge and wisdom. They were on our earth long long before humans.

The 2nd world with the Upper World is where you will find plant beings. You will be dazzled by the light and beauty and color. Here you can call on your plant aligns, your plant medicine, your sacred medicine. What are the plants you have a connection with, the spices you love to cook with, the plant medicine you connect with. Call on their spirit to guide you. When you travel here explore meet the spirit of the great trees, the ancient woods and healing planet and the fragrant flowers. When you are here ask that you be gifted with your plant medicines, the ones that are perfect for you. The shamans travel here to receive the gifts and remedies of particular plant, learning about their virtues and properties for healing and then they will return to the physical world and find that plant that will help the patient they are working with.

The 3rd world within the Upper World is the Spirit Animal world. Animals share collective souls. Here you can meet your spirit animal guide. Ask them to show you their world. Meet the other spirit animals and learn what their medicine is. Again if you see other humans in any level observe but do not engage. Ask to be shown the spirit of the different animals and their wisdom and medicine.

When you enter the cord of light to ascent to the 4th world allow the light of the cord to wash over you and rid you of anything you can not bring to the 4th world. The 4th world within the Upper World is that of the Humans, Ancestors and the Whales and Dolphins. These are the beings that have individual souls. Meet your spiritual ancestors these are not necessarily your human biological ancestors, rather your soul family. Who are they..they are similar souls that you reincarnate with to serve a higher mission and purpose. Ask them to take you to your spiritual village of origin. Where you can meet others that are part of your soul family. This is where your soul family resides between incarnations. Ask to be show where the whales and the dolphins are. the guardians of the oceans.

The next world within the Upper World is the 5th world which is the World of our Becoming. Ask one of the luminous beings to show you around. This is the world of our becoming, the world of peace and love, the place where our entire planet is evolving to a long time from now. Look around at the landscape, the cities and communities of light. This is the world we can dream into being where the air is clean and rivers and oceans are pristine The shamans believe there are 5 levels within the upper world. This is also where your spiritual parents live. The ones who are guiding you through your journey, your mission. Ask them what you came here for. What is your mission. Ask them before you are sent back so you can bring this knowledge and wisdom with you. This is the world of homo-luminous beings, the beings we are becoming.

 ***Middle World***

The Middle World is a place recognizable as our own ordinary earth reality but transposed into non-ordinary. It includes all soul aspects and spiritual dimensions. Here is where you can travel back and forth through human history, through dimensions. Communicate with the spirits of all things present in our physical reality.

 All things happen now. All realities are happening simultaneously, it’s just a matter of vibrating at different frequencies. There as an infinite number of dimensions.

 Universal Law 4 says “Everything changes, except the first three laws”. If you understand the nature of existence, you can understand what change actually is. It’s not what you may think it is. From a higher perspective…there is not time as we experience here. From a higher perspective everything is here and now so everything simultaneously co-exists…everything. Not only every reality but everything you can perceive as a different moment already exists now…with the moment you are experiencing now and now and now. So how is that possible…if every moment is like a frozen snapshot without the concept of time and space…how do we experience change in our consciousness? It’s a matter of shifting frequencies ..what we call change or movement is us shifting our perspective and having a different point of view of the same now moment. We are seeing the same moment from different points of view with such a degree of rapidity that it appears to be movement through space and time. From a higher perspective it only looks that way if you choose it to look that way. What we call our past selves, our future selves and our present selves are all Now moments…like various frames on a film strip.…so when it appears that some people are accessing the past or the future they are not actually doing that, they are actually accessing different aspects of the Now because just like when you hold up a film strip you can choose to look at any one of the different frames because they are all here and now, you can choose to focus on one or the other or the other. It’s the same idea and it’s also why your higher self ‘Knows’ what you are capable of because you are already capable of it Now because it exists right now it’s just that when you are focus on one frame you don’t know that you know it. When you connect with your higher self or with another higher frequency being you are connecting with the part of you that knows you know it, or with a being that knows you know it. Does that make sense? It may be a little confusing so re-read it if you want to see if it makes sense and resonates with you. If it doesn’t leave it alone, it’s just not the moment for you to see it.

***Lower World*** 

The Lower World is reached by traveling deep into our Mother Earth, Pachamama through the Tree of Life down along the main root, down to another level where your internal Garden of Edan is. You can always have access to The Garden of Edan. You must ask the gatekeeper of the lower world for permission to enter the lower chambers, if allow and feel your intentions are pure. The Gate Keeper, the protector of the chambers will be your guide if you desire to go any further into the many Chambers of the Lower World. The Chamber of Wounds, The Chamber of Contracts, The Chamber of Grace and The Chamber of Treasures . You must not enter without permission and the blessing of the gatekeeper because the gatekeeper also the one who allows you out and you do not want to get stuck there because you entered without permission or with un-pure intensions.

The Lower World is where the record of all human history is held. This the a realm of healing and transformation.

This is the realm you can go to heal wounded soul parts that have split off and went to hide in moments of crisis and trauma. They are no longer wounded the wounding is left with you. The soul part that split off from you in order to live in peace. A shaman can journey on your behalf to retrieve a lost soul part and can ask if this soul part would like to rejoin with you. It may have conditions that you would have to agree with otherwise it will flee again. You can discover ancient treasures that are meant for you. They are sources of power for you. In the Chamber of Wounds a shaman can see the original wounding, see it, sense it like a short movie in that lifetime. They can see what happened to cause this soul part to leave. In the Chamber of Contracts the shaman can see what was the contract you agreed to at a time of great pain or trauma. You can write the contract, because it is usually a very disempowering contract and if you don’t re-write it and connect with the new contract you can continue living the trauma in your mind.

The first time you journey here you can visit the sacred garden. This is a personal Garden of Eden that is in the belly of Pachamama. Doing this will reestablishes your connection to the Great Mother and the feminine energy.