Simpatico Expanded 2021 series
Continuing discussions based on previous topics covered in my book, Simpatico: Reconciling the Disparity of Spirituality, Ancient Wisdom, and Modern Science
March 21, 2021 Gathering
It has been a while since I posted anything to my blog, so I thought I would share some abbreviated versions of previous classes so far this year. With my book Simpatico in the (hopefully) final stages of editing before actual publication, I have been asked if I intend to start over with a new group and classes. I was reluctant to start a “new” group since the existing members wished to continue their studies. On the other hand, I did not want new members to feel they were “behind” everyone else.
I felt that the solution to this conundrum might be to use Simpatico as our group “textbook” with supporting and expanded lectures and discussions. I decided to try a new approach in teaching both new and established members referring to concepts in the book so that everyone would be on the same page, wavelength, and simpatico, so to speak. The first gathering of 2021 provided a nice mix of existing members with several new people, and I was eager to see how this experiment would play out.
I intended to have a “free-style” journey circle with no guidance to compare the results between the experienced people and the newcomers. I thought the new people could benefit from the experience of the established members, and wanted them to formulate some original questions based on their experience rather than just be lectured to.
I began with the original Introduction to the Shamanic Journey, but with critiques and expanded views along the way. The basis of teaching remained the same but with additional information not included in the traditional format. While the new concepts might be familiar to the existing members, I had never really tied them in with the shamanic journey in previous classes or discussions. The new members would get the foundational information as well as a preview of some more advanced concepts relative to the Journey.
In shamanic tradition, it is believed that (part of) the soul is free to leave the body and travel to non-ordinary reality, an energetic or spiritual realm that includes the Upper and Lower Words of our Power Animals, Spirit Guides, Ancestors, and more spiritual entities. As an essential skill of the shaman or healer, the Journey is a means to attain direct revelation from Spirit for healing, guidance, insights, information, and more.
Also known as soul flight, the journey is not merely meditation, visualization, or an out-of-body experience. The Journey is focused full-sensory state of being and a tool for spiritual development and growth. The soul might also leave the body during the dream state, astral travel, and to escape trauma (aka soul loss); however, these are often involuntary events. A Journey is an intentional event; it is driven by our intentions free of the critical mind and “rational” thinking and allowed to unfold.
Achieving the alpha level of consciousness, or pre-sleep brain wave frequency allows imagery we could not otherwise conceptualize while in our beta or rational mind consciousness; thus, the Journey depends on our ability to shift our level of consciousness. This state of being can fluctuate among individuals. Some people report that they become immersed in the “higher” state and oblivious to their physical surroundings. Some, including myself, are aware of “walking both worlds” simultaneously.
Now for some of the updated critiques of the classic view of the Journey according to other sources and concepts we have learned along the way and included in Simpatico. A soul does not leave the body; that is called death. A soul does not take flight and one does not lose a piece of his/her soul; the soul remains intact. The real subject of this discussion is not the soul, but of consciousness, which we might call a function of the soul.
Energy flows where our attention goes, and we focus our attention on shifting our consciousness to another level beyond our physical 3D reality. We focus our consciousness on reaching a non-physical level of being. We remain in our physical embodiment, but our consciousness can “take flight” to other dimensions. It is naturally our divine tendency as a non-physical vibrational being in a physical embodiment to always “walk both worlds.” In a Journey we just focus more on achieving that non-physical state of consciousness.
In the case of soul loss, it is also our consciousness that separates from our body, carrying the energy and memory of any traumatic event that might cause that dissociative event or dissociation. This is our coping and/or survival mechanism where a segment of our consciousness splits away from the mainstream consciousness. This topic is covered in detail in discussions and chapters on soul loss, soul retrieval, and the Shamanic Consciousness Integration that combines retrieval with a full-spectrum chakra/energy treatment.
All the various “worlds” are part of the multiple views of shamanic reality, the Upper and Lower worlds being the most common and popular in Journeys. However, these various and specific worlds are only metaphors of other dimensions, time zones, and realities that co-exist in our Space-Time. The Shamanic Cosmic Web Model of Time helps conceptualize and describe how all Time exists at once, simultaneously, concurrently, and at once. Past, Present, and Future are as a cosmic wheel overlapping each other. Ancient wisdom and modern science agree that Time is a static dimension within Space that we move through (via our conscious attention). In other words, time does not “pass” or flow; we pass and flow through Time.
Time is not linear or even sequential it simply “is.” Thoth explains in the Emerald Tablets that Time divides Space and keeps things in their proper place. Our limited biology perceives this concept as linear and chronological, but our soul and divine nature understand the concept of this dimension independent of “time” as we comprehend it.
We have come to understand then how past lives affect us in our present moment through the concepts of “resonance frequency” and “quantum entanglement.” We can now view the Shaman or healer as a traveler across Space-Time and other dimensions as he/she searches for our “lost” soul fragments and consciousness segments in soul retrieval. We can also begin to understand why a future event we have not yet experienced may “draw” us toward it as it vibrates somewhere in the cosmic web of Space-Time.
A group dynamic is always beneficial to those learning or participating in the Journey. This too is science, not just a spiritual concept. Only like vibrations or frequencies can share space, and when like-minded people come together to journey, these similar or like vibrations and intentions combine into a singular amplified energetic wave through a scientific concept called constructive interference. This is just one example of “vibrational matching” which becomes a repeating theme through Simpatico and this “new” circle.
The Introduction to the Shamanic Journey traditionally involves a journey to meet our power animals and/or spirit guides. However, in this gathering, I tried a “free-style” journey without structured guidance or specific intention. I did talk briefly about the imagery they might expect as Spirit typically communicates in metaphor, symbols, and imagery. The short answer is that a picture is worth a thousand words, and conveys messages beyond our simple words; plus, the Language of Light is all about pictographic imagery and concentrated information that expands as we achieve the capacity to understand the higher teachings.
Overall, the experiment was a success. The unstructured journey was not a challenge for the experienced members, and several of them had comparable and “matching” experiences and messages in their journey. The new members tended to struggle, which was understandable. They listened to the older members describe their journeys and how they approached or initiated their experience. For the next journey (the Dismemberment), I offered some suggestions on what to intend with a specific goal or purpose for the journey. With minimal guidance on the front end along with the descriptions provided by older members, even the new people then had successful journeys. Bravo!
While the purists of shamanic principles would strongly rebuke this “neo-shamanic” experiment and expansion on their sacred closed system of teaching, the group seemed happy with the results. At this point, I reached out to the group and asked for topic suggestions, rather than just choosing something to speak on. As of this writing, I am still creating papers for future gatherings to address these questions and suggestions.
Next, I will blog on the Akashic Records as a metaphor for our Space-Time. Keep the questions coming ya’ll. I learn from this as much as you do!
Journey on,
Steve
