Spirit Journeys

[Toby Stimpson]

Hey all,

Ok so another contributing thread :).

I was curious about spirit journeys... and their impact on ancient shamanistic paths and modern ones.

When i say spirit journeys, Im talking about the sense of either taking form or possessing an animal with spirit in order to travel to the spirit world or even to project themselves around this world. It seems that it is central to some shamanistic traditions in Africa, Siberia and north america.

What do you think?? I know some modern practitioners use drugs t gain a sense of spirit journey, (Im a little leery to say astrally project as Im not sure if it is different or not).

Namaste

Tobias

[Shanti]

I can only speak from my experience and perspective.
For me,
There is no need to take any form or possess anything.
You can if this is part of your practice.
I sometimes allow possessions in my work.
To journey, its just a matter of shifting the consciousness.
Astral projection is leaving your body to travel. The body is inactive.
In a shamanistic journey the body is active and participates as the spirit walks in this world and other worlds at the same time.
you are in 2 places at once.

I know from talking to other practitioners that often the physical memory of the journey doesn't exist. The spirit is doing the traveling, not the human brain and thus there is no recorded memory. Because of this common occurrence, its essential to be able to be in the world and the spirit worlds at the same time so the info from the spirit world can be given to those in this world as it happens or the learning's would be lost upon completion of the journey.

I have my own personal recorder that keeps a mental log for me during my journeys. My mate works as my recorder.
The NA medicine man I used to work with had another elder of the tribe be his personal recorder.
My mate's job is to just watch and listen and remember everything done or said.


Now this is not correct for everyone.
Its just correct for myself and the people I personally have known.

[Toby Stimpson]

I definitly appreciate that, thats cool :).

I wonder though, do you believe that you could somewhat possess an animal's body and be there with the animal as it travels or moves??

I can only speak from my experience and perspective.
For me,
There is no need to take any form or possess anything.
You can if this is part of your practice.
I sometimes allow possessions in my work.
To journey, its just a matter of shifting the consciousness.
Astral projection is leaving your body to travel. The body is inactive.
In a shamanistic journey the body is active and participates as the spirit walks in this world and other worlds at the same time.
you are in 2 places at once.

I know from talking to other practitioners that often the physical memory of the journey doesn't exist. The spirit is doing the traveling, not the human brain and thus there is no recorded memory. Because of this common occurrence, its essential to be able to be in the world and the spirit worlds at the same time so the info from the spirit world can be given to those in this world as it happens or the learning's would be lost upon completion of the journey.

I have my own personal recorder that keeps a mental log for me during my journeys. My mate works as my recorder.
The NA medicine man I used to work with had another elder of the tribe be his personal recorder.
My mate's job is to just watch and listen and remember everything done or said.


Now this is not correct for everyone.
Its just correct for myself and the people I personally have known.

[Shanti]

I definitly appreciate that, thats cool :).

I wonder though, do you believe that you could somewhat possess an animal's body and be there with the animal as it travels or moves??
I have and it was a very learning experience.

I had the pleasure to experience the actual physical existence of an animal.
I know what the animal felt like being the animal.

And the part that did manage to stay with me in this realm extremely clear is looking down at the ground while walking and seeing paws, mine. :)
I never, personally, really understood an animal as well till after that journey and experience. I learned how they think (in connections of mental pictures and physical and emotional feelings) and what drives them and such.
Very, very important learnings came from it all.

I retained much memory from that experience. I feel that memory can come into this mind when the experience has important personal lessons that only the partitioner needs to remember for their future path.

[omar]

In my case I rode the back of a black bear as it lumbered through the forest. A strange ride in a strange place. Must have been because my family clan is the bear clan.

[PaganPaul]

Sorry for the lateness of my reply, but I've been away on a family vacation to Chincoteague Island for the past week and a half.

Once, long ago, I shared a dream with one of my cats. We were stalking something in tall grass, and the entire dream was non-verbal. Not just no talking - I mean my thoughts weren't even verbal thoughts like a human has. I won't call them instincts, because there were thoughts involved. There just weren't any words involved in the thought process. I can't really describe it any better than that. Very strange experience...

Now when I do a Shamanic Journey, I am usually accompanied by an animal Guide, but that's something totally different.