Product DescriptionThis CD has been digitally recorded to support the listener in making shamanic journeys. The shamanic journey is a time-honored method of inner consultation. It is a way of communicating with your inner self and retrieving information. Your inner self is in constant communication with all aspects of your environment, seen and unseen. You need only journey within to find answers to your questions. To support your journey you can choose from three different tracks:
Track 1: 15 minute solo drumming with callback
Track 2: 15 minute solo drumming with rattle and callback
Track 3: 30 minute solo drumming with callback.
The overtone harmonics on this recording were produced by a 22-inch single-headed, elk hide, cedar frame drum pulsed at four-beats-per-second. This tempo induces a theta wave cycle in the brain. Theta activity increases creativity, enhances learning, reduces stress, and awakens intuition. Theta rhythms are associated with the deepest states of shamanic consciousness. Researchers have found that if a tempo of four-beats-per-second is sustained for at least 15 minutes, most people can journey successfully even on their first attempt. For best results, listen to this recording while wearing headphones.
From the Artist
Begin your journey by sitting in a dimly lit space. Close your eyes and gently exhale any tension you might feel. Reflect for a moment on the purpose of your journey. It is important to focus on the issue that you want to know more about. Focusing on an issue develops a receptive state of mind and helps you clarify what it is you are truly seeking.
Once you have defined a specific question, begin listening to the CD. Focus your attention on the beat of the drum, then close your eyes and allow yourself to be carried away by the rhythm. Once you enter a trance state, you may experience a change in body temperature, feel energy flowing through your body, or find yourself twitching or rocking. It is not uncommon to hear sounds or voices. You may see colorful patterns, symbolic images, or dreamlike visions.
Prevalent among the descriptions given of shamanic journeys is that of a tunnel or tube to which the journeyer is transported. The tunnel sometimes appears ribbed and may bend or spiral around. According to shamanic cosmology, this tunnel-like imagery is associated with the central axis that unites the three inner planes of consciousness: the Upper, Middle, and Lower Worlds. It is commonly referred to as the World Tree and exists within each of us. Drumming opens the tunnel and conveys the journeyer up or down the passageway to an exit that opens out upon the archetypal worlds of the collective unconscious. In these worlds, the journeyer experiences sensations and communications that go beyond the usual senses. Conversing with plants, animals, and the guiding forces of nature becomes possible. The journeyer accesses knowledge, power, and healing. Upon finishing the explorations, he or she returns via the tunnel to ordinary reality.
When you hear the four strong beats of the callback, begin your return journey. Try to retrace the same route back; otherwise you might have trouble remembering the details of your journey. In some cases, your journey experiences will be clear and easy to understand. At other times, your journey may be dreamlike and full of symbolism. Interpret such journeys as you would any dream. Look for possible associations related to each symbol or image. The key is to observe whatever happens without trying to analyze the experience. Like developing any skill, journeying takes practice. Nothing may happen on your first journeys. You may only experience darkness. When this happens, simply try again at a different time. Step-by-step instructions for making shamanic journeys are explained in my book, The Shamanic Drum.
Track Listings (3) - Disc #1