| Cross-culturally, there is a common belief in spiritual | | | | develop a modality through journeying that is useful |
| help that is witnessed as an intervention from a | | | | to everyday life. They can reach and communicate |
| non-physical realm into the physical realm that | | | | with their spirit helpers in a constructive and accurate |
| transcends, changes, or heals. This non-physical realm | | | | way. |
| is where the spirits dwell. | | | | Remember that your spirit helpers and power animals |
| I was taught that the Lakota people believe there | | | | are magical and they can do anything, they do not |
| are 405 helping spirits that you are born with that are | | | | follow physical law. Birds can swim under water, |
| literally assigned to you: A small army of helpers | | | | whales can fly, and tigers can talk. They are your |
| whose main function is to be of service to you and | | | | protectors and guardians. They do not lie, that is only |
| your human experience. You may choose to use this | | | | a human trait-you can trust them. |
| help throughout your life, or not. There is no | | | | Each journey will be different; some will be more |
| judgment if you don't. But why wouldn't you? | | | | powerfully realized than others. There is much to |
| Whether it's 405 or 1, their help can bring sensational | | | | learn about the spiritual realm. In each journey I |
| results---magical, miraculous, profound, guiding, | | | | gather information concerning my intention, but I also |
| transformative, informative, and fun. | | | | listen openly for what the spirits may want to tell me. |
| You can use your spirit helpers for minor things or | | | | I have found the shamanic journey to be one of my |
| gain insight and direction for the major decisions of | | | | most profound ways of connecting with the spirits |
| your life. You can heal yourself and your loved ones. | | | | and one of the richest sources of understanding and |
| You can learn to direct energy in such a way that | | | | awareness. It has literally healed me and keeps my |
| you can change the past and look into the future. | | | | mind curious and reaching. |
| The non-physical doesn't follow the same physical | | | | To me, imagination is the gateway into the spiritual |
| laws that you have been taught. There are no limits | | | | realm. It is not the spiritual realm; the spiritual realm is |
| to this realm except those from your own | | | | real, not imaginary. However, imagination can be used |
| perspective. | | | | as the way in to the realm. |
| One of the most effective ways to access help | | | | Imagination is a tool that we are given as children, |
| from the spirit helpers is the shamanic journey. The | | | | but often forget how to use. Children usually have a |
| shamanic journey is filled with mystery, and despite | | | | profound awareness of the spiritual realm; they have |
| its ancient history, is little understood in Western | | | | wonderful vivid imaginations, and many have |
| culture. The altered state of consciousness achieved | | | | imaginary friends. Children become completely |
| in a journey allows you to transcend the limitations of | | | | entranced with other realities; they easily talk to |
| the rational world and connect with a non-ordinary | | | | trees, sing to flowers, see magical kingdoms in |
| reality. The shamanic journey is common to all | | | | sparkling sand, and physically "see" spirits. Kids see |
| cultures (even European) and the nature of the | | | | and communicate with spirit beings quite naturally. |
| journey is remarkably similar, even in cultures widely | | | | Unfortunately, these fabulous encounters with the |
| separated by era and geography. In the spirit world, | | | | spirit realm are categorized as imaginations and are |
| both time and place are illusions. The lessons from | | | | often stifled as children grow up and conform to |
| the other worlds are universally true, drawing from a | | | | society. Family, school, church, and other external |
| collective consciousness that is accessible to all. | | | | forces of the culture shape their beliefs and |
| Learning how to journey successfully takes time and | | | | responses. Mothers lovingly but with authority, say, |
| practice. Journeying requires you to tune in to all of | | | | "Now honey, you should not lie. There really is not |
| your senses. It is vital to activate as many of the | | | | anyone sitting next to you. Rocks do not have |
| senses as possible to stimulate your powers of | | | | mouths and they cannot really talk." The fabulous, |
| observation beyond the visual. Many people depend | | | | magical, fun, mystical connections are lost or blocked. |
| too much on the visual in journeying, and fail to | | | | What the spirits have taught me about imagination is |
| access the total information contained in the journey. | | | | that it is actually a gift from Spirit, it is how we as |
| Often, the information will come through a sense of | | | | humans create and that Spirit is providing us with an |
| "knowingness," a kind of sixth sense that is beyond | | | | avenue to creation and connection that our psyche |
| seeing or any of the other single senses. | | | | will accept. |
| To practice stimulating your senses, try this simple | | | | Imagination connects you back into the magical, |
| exercise: | | | | mystical worlds of Spirit you once knew as a child. |
| Close your eyes and imagine a red rubber ball. Bounce | | | | When I work with people in journeying they will |
| the ball and hear its bounce. Throw the ball up against | | | | often say, "I feel like I am making the whole thing |
| the wall. Squeeze the ball; feel its texture. Bring the | | | | up, like it is just my imagination." |
| ball up to your nose and smell it. Stick your tongue | | | | And I say, "Good." Trust it and let's see what |
| out and taste it. | | | | happens. |
| Now open your eyes. Could you see the ball? Could | | | | Imagination is the portal in. It gives permission to the |
| you hear the ball and notice the difference in sound | | | | psyche (your limited mind) to experience something |
| qualities from bouncing the ball close to your feet and | | | | that is out of the realm of what you would call an |
| throwing it against a distant wall? Could you feel the | | | | ordinary experience, or real. Because of conditioning, |
| elasticity of the ball and its texture? Could you smell | | | | you are extremely limited by your own perception of |
| it and taste it? Notice which of your senses was the | | | | what you define as real. If the imagination can travel |
| strongest. If you close your eyes and it is totally | | | | further into the realm of the unknown than your |
| black, then tune into your knowingness and "see" | | | | belief system allows, then by all means travel on the |
| with that sense. Many people have absolutely no | | | | imagination. What you will find is that you are not |
| visual sense in a journey, yet the detail of the | | | | making it up at all. The spirits are alive and well, |
| journey is exceptional. | | | | existing in other realities that you probably cannot |
| This exercise will help you become more attuned to | | | | see with your physical eyes, but are real just the |
| your senses and discover which ones are more vivid | | | | same. The imagination provides the avenue to get |
| for you. The goal of the ball exercise is to literally | | | | there. |
| activate your senses to a reality (the ball) that is not | | | | So use your imagination, develop it, and allow it to |
| currently in your ordinary reality. In a journey, you will | | | | expand, create, grow, and become. Open the door |
| do the same thing. Through your senses you will | | | | and get out of the box that society has placed |
| activate a non-ordinary reality and journey through a | | | | around you. You will find that the shamanic journey |
| place unfamiliar to your ordinary reality. | | | | and your spirit helpers continually provide you with |
| I have taught several hundreds of people how to | | | | ideas, information, possibilities, and potentials for your |
| journey, most with remarkable success. The journey | | | | own growth and development. |
| method empowers and enriches their lives. They | | | | |