At its core, a shaman is the oldest known type of conscious magical practitioner. In order to become a shaman, in days before consciousness was more thoroughly explored, a tribesman would have to undergo a near death transformation and return with messages from the other side of the veil as well as an ability to speak with the dead. (The trance state was/is traditionally accomplished in ancient cultures using hallucinogenic substances, smoke, and rhythmic drumming which represent the spirit world.)
As many ancient cultures revered their ancestors and even asked them for help and guidance, the Shaman would be used as a mediator between the spirits of the dead and the living. As time went on, cultures merged, and safer methods of developing a shaman consciousness were discovered. Let’s take a moment to discover what some shamanistic beliefs are, and how you can use these tools to help you every day.
Spirituality
Cultures with a strong tradition of shamanism believe that spirits, both good and evil, are interacting with us every day. Some are working to improve our lives by imparting us with good luck, moments of inspiration, secret insight into situations, and occasional bursts of energy and focus that allow us to do good in the world.
Likewise, evil spirits are working against us, making us sick, chronically weak, and giving us a generalized sense of unease in certain places and situations. The shaman detects the presence of spirits and beseeches the help of good ones, while banishing the evil.
Before advanced techniques of meditation, and before there was such a thing as brainwave entrainment therapy, the mental state of openness to the other side was very difficult to observe. Those attempting to acquire shaman consciousness should be warned that the painful process is beyond what most today are capable of enduring. And why endure such suffering when the mental state of the shaman is scientifically studied? If Shamanism is something that interests you, be sure to visit our Shaman Consciousness Page.
Those hoping to communicate with the other side should practice focus and protection first. As you attempt to see your surroundings, remain calm and imagine a bright blue or white circle surrounding you. (Imagine your bright circle of light encased by a bubble of golden orange light.) Focus your imagination in a way that says that nothing from the other side can enter the circle without your permission.
If you find a magical incantation that reinforces your ability to focus your energy on the circle of protection, feel free to whisper it to yourself. Some people find this communication is better by themselves, while others like the presence of others who will take it seriously. (Christians employ a form of shamanism when calling upon the facets of God through His Biblical Names.)
If those in the room are in harmony, they may be able to observe the circle with their Third Eye. The third eye is the name of our ability to understand the position and general appearance of objects in the spiritual realm.
In this realm, everything works as a symbol that is interpreted through the subconscious into a series of images the viewer can understand. Often shamans will see images from their own mystical traditions (angels, demons, Egyptian gods and goddesses, figures from mythology, etc.) and find this confusing.
This is because all energy is interpreted through the lens of our own beliefs (like our dreams). As you practice, you may be able to even shift your paradigm of belief (if you choose to) and pick up on useful or important symbols you would have missed with a different lens. Of course that would be up to you.
(Awakening the Third Eye by Samuel Sagan activates the 3rd eye by way of energizing the throat chakrum which, in turn, stimulates the brow chakrum (3rd eye) to tune into objects of focus. The method of “tuning” is similar to the creation of geometric patterns on a chladni plate and of crop circles, resonant patterns of energy formed into recognizable patterns or symbols. You can get your own copy of Awakening the Third Eye with your free subscription to Way of the MindGate newsletter.)
Contacting the Spiritual Realm
Next, let’s take a look at more techniques of contacting the spirit world. You’d be surprised how possible it is to confidently communicate with the other side once you’re in the right state of mind and know how to interpret symbols.
After a brief discussion of Shamanistic culture, and the basics of Shamanistic principles, it’s time to discuss the potential avenues for spiritual communication. There are several different means of divination, and contacting of the other side. A common misconception is that spiritual communication can only take place through traditional ritualistic means, but this is simply not the case. A shaman essentially finds communication (makes sense) out of chaos.
Forms of divination throughout history have spanned from direct perceived conversation, in which the shaman “hears” the voices of the other side and speaks back to them verbally to the reading of tea leaves.
Does a ghost come down from the other side and physically move the tea leaves knowing you’ll be able to interpret them to divine your future? One interpretation says yes. Another would say the spirit communicates with the mind rather than the tea leaves. The communication occurs when we allow ourselves to see the signs rather than depend on the mathematical nature of rituals.
(Sensitive people can also see subtle signs in nature since all of nature is vibration. However, overselling the value of tea leaves rather than the collective signs is a “sign” in itself: “Psychic” sales people who claim to be sensitive are usually selling snake oil.)
While some can use everything from the voices they hear coming out of crowds, to the arrangement of gumballs in a machine to help them interpret signals from the other side, others find it’s important to be able to turn these impulses “on and off.” Ritual serves an important divider between the concrete every day world and the world of many fold truths the entranced shaman sees.
Ritual can be everything from a simplistic listening for whispers in moving grass on the wind after saying “talk to me, spirits,” to interpreting shamanistic visions gained through the implementation of our binaural entrainment therapy. Shaman Consciousness Entrainment therapy is an incredibly useful tool for just this sort of mentality, as it helps focus brainwaves in the exact way required.
OuiJa Boards
Let’s take a look at one of the most common and controversial devices used for spiritual communication. What makes a piece of cardboard with a plastic cursor a dangerous tool? Is it the mystical symbolism emblazoned all over it? Of course not. Often the symbols on commercial Ouija boards aren’t even remotely mystical in the traditional sense.
The reason the Ouija board is a powerful, and potentially dangerous tool, is because of the consciousness it creates. By moving your hands across the board, you are using the board as a symbolic gateway to the other side. This gateway could be dangerous, depending on what you let through.
(The following is a treatise on dowsing or radiesthesia which is the basic premise within the Ouija board:
When a question is asked, the subconscious mind, which knows the answer, will try to get into contact with the conscious mind (i.e. gut feelings, intuition). The conscious mind, however, is too busy or discursive to listen to the answer and gets lost in the noise. There are nerves which do listen to the subconscious and respond. Under normal circumstances, we do not notice this response because the messages of these nerves, like that of the subconscious, cannot get through. These nerves create minute muscular responses and create well defined patterns in the autonomic functions of the body… See Breathing Exercises for more info on this.
In essence, dowsing is the subjective identification of objective phenomena. When we treat dowsing scientifically, our intention is to gain objective information from subtle vibration. When we treat dowsing mystically as with the Ouija board, our intentions can vary. Unless our minds are cleansed of dark thoughts, we can bring dangerous things into our lives through power of attraction.
To Skeptics, this concept may seem like a whole lotta “woot.” Advanced human performance is not built on pure skepticism, a healthy dose, maybe. Dreamers and innovators are the ones who truly push humanity forward. As you know, nature is composed of all kinds of energy vibration. People who remain true to their feelings sense subtle vibrations in nature including their own; this is in direct opposition to skeptics who would rather lock away their feelings of nature in a casket of emotional securities and character armor. Enough said.)
If you wish, you can create a symbolic token that will keep the evil from the other side from coming through. It can be anything from a favorite stuffed animal from your childhood to a magic crystal or even a sign bearing the words “No Evil Entities Allowed.”
It may border on comical, but the truth of the matter is, it’s all in intention and symbol. If you do not wish to be bothered by the negative side, intend on evil not passing through. Absolutely you should focus your shaman consciousness before using such a device.
And if you must use a Ouija board, keep in mind it’s a divination for two people. Don’t go into it with someone who has not likewise become in tune with methods of spiritual communication.
Another thing to keep in mind when contacting the other side is this: when you intend to communicate, you narrow down your targets for communication before you strike up a conversation. Social venues are often divided up so like-minded people will congregate. By setting criteria ahead of time, you are far more likely to have a safe communication experience. And this goes for all forms of divination.
With this in mind, it’s easy to understand why people have attached such a negative connotation to mass produced objects such as the Ouija board. Should the average uninitiated person use it? Absolutely not. The potential for negative “forces” to intervene is far too great (as from negative thoughts and mental instability). Could it be a useful tool for those who know how to, and have their minds focused the right way? Undoubtedly, yes.
Next time I want to take a look at channeling yourself in the way of a “medium” you would see on a typical ghost hunt. There are very specific do’s and never-do’s for mediums, and with the increased popularity of psychics in popular culture, demand is going up.
Have a safe and enlightened journey!
Jim McElwee
Unexplainable Store
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