Journeying is a classic technique and is practised in one form or another by Shamans all over the world. Journeying enables you to send your Dream Body or Spirit into the Spirit World and is a powerful way of meeting with Power Animals, Spirit Teachers, finding answers to problems or to discover information and wisdom that can facilitate your personal growth and understanding.
All things in the Universe are connected and all things have Spirit, therefore we can communicate with all beings with our Spirit. The particularly wonderful implication of this is that YOU are an important part of the grand scheme of things! No one else has your unique blend of talents and way of being - you are unique and connected to the web of life.
A classic way of entering the Spirit World is by using a steady rhythm of drumming of about 200-280 beats per minute. This encourages theta brain waves that induce the altered state of consciousness required to travel to the Spirit Worlds.
The drum is a sacred tool and it has its own Spirit. It is used for journeying, healing and other energy work as well as singing and chanting (either to raise power or to have a good time!) The drum's own Spirit can often be sensed while it is being played and people often report that they hear other sounds within the drumming such as music, chanting, animal sounds, and it often seems as if the drumming is coming from all around or from varying directions.
The drum has been referred to as "The Shaman's Horse" as the Shaman "rides" the drumming rhythm to enable him/her to get to the Spirit world and it is like a lifeline enabling them to find their way back quickly and easily. It can also be a time keeper as the Spirit World exists outside of time and it is difficult to have any concept of time while you are there (for example, 15 minutes amy seem like 2 or 3).
It is generally accepted that there are 3 Spirit Worlds, although they are really all interconnected: it is easier to think of them as separate for now. The Lower World is a very beautiful place and the landscape is very much like beautiful scenery here in this awareness. Power Animals reside here and if you journey to the Lower World, the advice you will receive is very "earthy", practical and specific. The Middle World is the Spirit equivalent to this every day world that we are conscious of. You can visit places and times that are important to you, experience Nature Spirits, to communicate with another's spirit and so on. It is advisable to become experienced in journeying before travelling to the Middle world as this is also the place where illness and wandering Spirits reside. The Upper World tends to be somewhat etherial in nature and you generally meet Spirit teachers here who offer more philosophical and general advice. As I mentioned previously, all the worlds are interconnected and you will always meet with the Spirit Teachers and be in the Spirit world that is most useful to you on that journey.
One Way to the Spirit Worlds
If you want to try this path to a Shamanic Journey, you will need a personal tape player and headphones, a drumming tape (or someone to drum for you). Some incense or herbs to burn (and something to put them in and something to light them with). You will need some time when you will be undisturbed and the phone unplugged. Ideally you can be out in the deepest countryside, but this is not always possible.
Be very clear in your mind why you are making this journey. Intention is the key to all shamanic work as energy follows thought. It is worth spending some time getting your intention absolutely clear before you start. Lets suppose you are journeying to the Lower World to explore. Make the place where you will be working special so that this will aid your journey and you will also be protected (Sacred Space). Using the incense or herbs, cleanse yourself with smoke with the intention of cleansing yourself. Next, cleanse the room/ area you are in. Go to each of the compass points and call in the Spirits of those directions holding in your mind the qualities that they each hold for you. Ask them for their help. Speak to the Spirits of the place where you are working and ask them to be with you too. Give thanks for all the beings that help you on a daily basis: your food, your shelter, your clothes, your Spirit tools and so on and also give thanks to the herbs that you are burning.
Lie down and get comfortable. Spend a bit of time really relaxing and slowing your breathing. Imagine the Earth under your body supporting you and taking your weight. Next think of somewhere that you have been that feels really "earthy" to you: somewhere you felt really comfortable and connected to Nature. Travel to this place using your imagination.. really feel that you are there; try and sense as much about the place as you can. Look around for a place where you can go down: a hole in the ground, an animal burrow, a hole in the roots of a tree, a well shaft... anywhere where you can go down. Enter the hole and you will typically find yourself in a tunnel that goes downwards: it may slope or spiral or drop, but it will go down. You can run, walk, fly, swim anything you like. Make your way along the tunnel and out into the landscape of the Lower World. Make yourself a promise: that you will accept everything you see and hear with an open heart and an open mind. Your critical mind can have its turn when you get back! Repeat your intention to yourself to keep you going and to focus yourself. Sometimes you may come out into a cave and you will find that you can move easily out into the landscape.
Venture out into the landscape and notice as much as you can with your open heart and mind. Feel everything, see everything notice yourself, who is there, talk to the Spirits and if you feel unhappy about anything at all for any reason, pass them by. Keep restating your intention if you find your mind wandering. Enjoy yourself!
When you hear the call back drumming you must start to make your way back. Retrace your path to the tunnel. You will find that you can float up or otherwise move back up the tunnel easily and you will come out into the place where you started. Really feel as if you are there, feel the ground underneath you, and then make your way back into your body and back into this consciousness. Record you journeys as this can be a helpful way of remembering them and also something that may not have seemed significant at the time may be a useful piece of information to you at a later date.
Your next journey could be perhaps to find your Power Animal.
Sometimes your mind wanders during a journey or you start to doubt what you are seeing or you judge your performance. This will flip you out of the journey so restate your intention and pick up where you left off. Sometimes no matter how hard you try you will not get into the journey. This is OK, it probably means that it is not the right time for you, or you are tired or whatever. Just try again another time. Trying too hard is a common mistake that people make and it is easier to focus your mind on something, like a place that feels earthy to you rather than trying to make your mind blank. Relax and have fun and try not to compare your "performance" to others. It is not a stage, this is for you and you alone, and if you start acting you are only playing to yourself and preventing yourself reaching your truth.
After your journey it is important to close down your space and to thank the Spirits that have been working with you. Go to each of the compass points and say "thank you" in whatever way is meaningful to you.
Good Luck!