Entering a Shamanic State of Consciousness

April 10, 2024 juniper stokes

I get some funny responses when I tell people that I’m a shamanic healer — and probably the most common one is, “Oh! Like ayahuasca?”

I am all for the psychedelic revival, but let’s get something clear:

Just because someone is using psychedelics, it does not mean that they are practicing shamanism. And just because some practices shamanism, it does not mean that they are using psychedelics.

But of course, psychotropic plant allies have played an important, spiritual role in many shamanic cultures throughout the world — from the ayahuasca popular with psychonauts today, to the amanita used by Tungus shamans (which is where the word even comes from!), to the Dionysian elixirs and fermented wines of old.

I love that plants can play such a supportive role in shifting our consciousness so we may more easily travel the other worlds…and, they are by no means the only way to shift your brain state.

In this article, we’ll look at different ways to enter the altered states of consciousness that are so central to shamanism.

This topic could be a book in and of itself, but I’ll do my best to share just enough of an overview that you can start to really explore what will work best for you.

Understanding Shamanic Brainwaves

Let’s start by looking at our actual brainwaves.

Brainwave states are different patterns of electrical activity in the brain, and they are associated with various levels of consciousness. They’re classified based on their frequency, which is measured in Hertz (Hz) — which is why you’ll often see the hertz listed after different types of meditation music tracks.

Each state is linked to different cognitive functions, behaviors, and experiences. Here are the main brainwave states and what they generally represent:

1. Beta (13-30 Hz): This is the state of normal waking consciousness. Beta waves are associated with active thinking, problem-solving, decision-making, and external focus. Some of the higher beta frequencies can be linked to stress, anxiety, and overthinking.

2. Alpha (8-12 Hz): The alpha state is when you are relaxed but alert. It's often experienced during activities like meditation, daydreaming, and light relaxation. Alpha waves are associated with a calm and creative mental state. You’re present and alert, but not working so hard at thinking — flow states can come in here.

3. Theta (4-7 Hz): Theta waves are present during deep relaxation, meditation, and light sleep, including the dream state (REM sleep). This state is linked to creativity, intuition, imagery, and accessing the subconscious mind. And this is generally what we hope to enter into for shamanic journeying.

4. Delta (0.5-3 Hz): Delta waves are associated with deep sleep and the unconscious mind. They play a crucial role in physical healing, restoration, and rejuvenation. Accessing the delta state while awake is challenging but can result in profound experiences of unity and oneness. As an aside, I find that combining yoga nidra with shamanic journeying can support entering Delta states.

5. Gamma (above 30 Hz): Gamma waves are associated with high-level cognitive processing, including perception, problem-solving, and conscious awareness. They are often seen during states of heightened focus, meditation, and moments of insight. Gamma waves are still an area of ongoing research, and their exact functions are not fully understood.

The brain is complex and we’re still learning about how these states of consciousness work and overlap.

In general, I find that people can have helpful shamanic journeys in the alpha state, but their conscious mind might still be quite active. If you can get into the theta state, shamanic journeys often seem deeper and more impactful.

How to Alter Your Consciousness for a Shamanic Journey

So how do we get into these altered states as we prepare to journey? There are many, many ways — and here are just a few.

Meditation

The first and most basic is simply meditation.

With practice, meditation alone can absolutely bring you into altered states. As you withdraw your attention from day-to-day life and external stimuli, you naturally quiet beta waves and enter into an alpha state. Over time, experienced meditators are able to quiet their minds and enter into theta states, and sometimes very experienced and committed practitioners can enter into theta-delta states.

Certain meditative practices, especially lovingkindness meditation, have even been shown to help people enter into Gamma states. I teach a powerful lovingkindness meditation in this class.

In addition to supporting your ability to enter altered states of consciousness, meditation greatly increases our ability to focus — this is why I recommend that any shamanic journey practice is supplemented with a meditation practice. We’re losing our ability to focus more and more — yet focus is the key to being able to stay in altered states and commit to shifting reality with more advanced practices.

If you don’t already have a meditation practice, start now!

Breathwork

Breathwork is another foundational, accessible way to shift your consciousness. By breathwork, I mean any practice that involves conscious control of your breathing patterns to achieve specific physical, mental, or spiritual effects.

Breathwork can significantly impact your consciousness by influencing your actual physiology as well as your mental states. It can help regulate your nervous system which brings you into calm, relaxed states. And It can influence the levels of oxygen in your bloodstream, which can potentially impact your mental clarity, energy levels, and overall sense of well-being.

Different breathwork techniques can have different effects on your consciousness and body, and some of them can be quite intense, even overwhelming your system if you’re not adequately prepared for them. In general, simple box breathing or alternate nostril breathing are safe places to start.

My personal breathwork practice is rooted in traditional pranayama, which I love so much that I’ve completed a teacher training in it. I teach a few of my favorite breathwork practices in this class.

Yoga Nidra

Yoga nidra (sometimes called “non-sleep deep rest”, or NSDR) could be considered a type of meditation — but like journeywork, it’s so unique and powerful that I want to call it out as a specific and effective way to alter your consciousness.

Some of my most profound spiritual experiences have come from combining yoga nidra with shamanic journeying — and I’ll share a recorded practice that bridges the two in a future class.

Yoga nidra is often referred to as "yogic sleep" because it guides you into a state that hovers between wakefulness and sleep. During a practice, you go through a structured meditation that systematically relaxes your body and mind by taking you through the five koshas, or different layers of your being. The idea is that you move your awareness from the outermost layer of the physical body to the innermost layer, which is pure consciousness.

There are tons of yoga nidra practices online these days…and some are much better than others at guiding you to this deep spiritual state. When you have the right intention and guidance, however, this practice is nothing less than magical.

Sound

Different sound frequencies, rhythms, and patterns can influence brainwave activity and therefore induce shifts in consciousness. This works in part because of brainwave entrainment — where your brainwaves naturally adjust to an external frequency.

The drum is one of the most commonly thought of tools for this, and has been used in cultures throughout the world for entering ecstatic or trance states. Most core shamanic workshops in the West use a traditional drumbeat to entrain your brain and body to altered states.

But, in this day and age, we have access to many musical frequencies that can also support entering trance states through entrainment — some people find they have deeper journeys by listening to binaural beats or frequency specific music.

Crystal singing bowls and gongs are often used in sound healing practices, and I find that using these to clear the energy of a room, and attune your energy as well, can be a beautiful addition to a journey practice.

And finally, there’s your own voice. Your own vocal cords have the power to alter your state of consciousness. Chanting seems to be a nearly universal practice for this — whether you’re using Sanskrit mantras, Tibetan sutras, or Monastic prayers.

Even simply humming or toning — opening your mouth and letting intuition guide the frequencies you produce — can enhance your ability to enter into and then sustain altered states.

I love the Norse tradition of Seidr for this. In this oracular shamanic practice, the community sings the shaman — or what would more accurately be called a völva — into the other realms. They continue to sing to hold this container, and then sing the völva back out again. It’s a beautiful practice that’s being revived today, and you might be able to find a circle near you.

Heroic Efforts

Another traditional way to induce altered states is through extreme, often purgative in some sense, experiences. I call these “heroic” efforts, taken from the language of heroic psychedelic doses.

Here, we can look at anything that puts your body into an extremely stressed state and therefore can induce consciousness shifts — think fasting, ecstatic dance, vision quests, fire walks, and sweat lodges or saunas, for example.

While some of these individual practices are culturally-specific and not something for just anyone to adopt, like the Sun Dance of Native American plains cultures, it seems that all cultures have some sort of tradition that involves undergoing extreme physical stress to induce altered consciousness.

While powerful, these heroic type practices clearly have inherent risks and are best done in partnership with an experienced and ethical guide.

Psychedelics

These heroic practices bring us to the final category, and one that I’m sure draws many people to shamanism — psychedelic substances.

There is a whole psychedelic revival happening now because of the unique ability of these substances to activate and open our consciousness — ayahuasca, san pedro, and psilocybin being just a few of the more well-known ones.

And, while many people in the West will immediately think of South American ceremonies when it comes to plant-induced altered states, we can actually trace this practice back through many cultures. It’s likely the Oracle of Delphi used psychedelic substances to enhance prophecy, and many scholars feel that Eleusinian Mysteries centered around mind-altering substances, as well.

Psychedelics can be amazingly effective for enhancing the shamanic journey, but there are a few things to know if you’re drawn to working in this way:

First, I believe that it’s important to form right-relationship with the plant spirit before ingesting or using it.

This is a bigger topic, but in general, you’ll feel a calling or knowing that a plant ally is wanting to work with you first.

Then, you’ll want to make sure that you're working with ethical practitioners, and that the material itself is attained in sustainable, kind, and reverent ways.

Part of being in right relationship with these plant spirits is avoiding abusing them. Many people enjoy using psilocybin or other substances recreationally, which is fine — but not shamanic.

Your intention matters when you're on this path, as does your relationship with the spiritual allies who support your journeys. With shamanism, you enter into relationship with psychedlic substances with reverence and respect, not just for entertainment.

Second, the type of journey you might experience with these substances is quite different from the ones you enter into through meditation or sound.

In general, you’ll have much less agency within psychedelic assisted journeys, and it can feel more like you’re just along for a wild ride, even at lower doses. There’s a time and place for both types of journeys for sure — this is just something to consider.

A note on non-plant psychedelics

You might notice that I only mentioned plant allies here. I know that many people are interested in kombo, which is obtained from frogs, and other manufactured substances like MDMA.

Personally, I’m drawn to the spirit of a substance in addition to its chemical properties, so my interest is much more on the allies we find in the natural world. I really can’t speak much to lab created substances for shamanic practice, but I know they’ve helped many people in other ways.

As for kombo, again — it’s important for us to be in right relationship with all allies, and I feel there’s even more care needed when it comes to our animal kin. The cultures who traditionally work with kombo have been doing so for thousands of years, and there is an established karmic agreement between the people and the frogs that supports both parties. When colonialism and capitalism enter into this equation, things can shift.

If your “medicine” is obtained from the suffering of another living being — and this goes for plants and animals — it will not serve your soul healing. Be very careful if you explore this area.

Honorable Mentions

I know I said that psychedelics were the last category, but I do have a few honorable mentions ... .our non-psychedelic plant allies, as well as the crystal kingdom.

Plants and stones are invaluable allies in many ways, and helping us subtly and safely shift our consciousness is one of their greatest gifts.

Plants have been ingested — through teas, foods, and smoke — for various healing purposes for as long as humans have been around. Sipping a tea that calms your nervous system or burning fragrant resins that clear the mind can absolutely support your shamanic journey practice.

Aroma has been used in spiritual ceremonies for millenia because of its ability to bypass the conscious mind. Flower and crystal essences work at vibrational levels and shift your energy field to allow for deeper spiritual communion. Placing crystals on the body or in intentional grid formations can also open you to greater connection with the spirit world.

Final Thoughts

So there you have it — the many, many ways to alter your consciousness and deepen your shamanic journeys: meditation, breathwork, sound, heroic experiences, psychedelics, and plant or crystal allies.

And of course, you can layer these practices on one another for even greater effects. Beginning with some breathwork or a yoga nidra practice, anointing yourself with sacred oils and aromas, and then listening to the beat of a drum can lead to truly magical journeys.

Which of these have you tried? And which are you drawn to experimenting with in your own practice?

Resources

If you’re just getting started with shamanic journeying, I go into more depth with all of this my mini course, The Art of the Shamanic Journey.

This course is included with paid subscriptions to my Substack, The Mythoanimist Path. Subscriptions are only $5 per month, and you can totally binge the entire 7-lesson course in one month if you want :)

The absolute best way to go deeper with these teachings and more is to join me in person this June! I’m offering a 3-day immersive workshop all about spiritual rewilding, shamanic practice, intuitive development, ritual, ceremony, nature communication…all the good stuff.

Early bird registration ends April 19th and there are a few spots left!

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