Shamanic Healing 2 - Spencer Beeson

The healing process is often highly ceremonial or ritualized and can go on for hours. The shaman will normally embark on a spiritual journey into the spirit world in search for a lost soul or a way to help the suffering patient. Usually, depending on the patient, the shaman will either travel to the upper world or the lower world, distinct imagery is reported to be associated with each world. The shaman will enter into the lower world in his visions normally through a hollow stump, a cave, a water hole, or a tube or hole in the ground. In the lower world the shaman looks for a power animal, or an animal that will appear numerous times in the vision and is often summoned by the shaman by wearing parts of the animal in the ceremony, such as deer antlers. The lower world is typically an area that brings tests and challenges. The upper world is entered through a vision of climbing a tree, cliff, mountain, ladder, or rainbow, floating up into the sky or flying to meet a teacher. The upper world experience is very different than the lower world and can often be very euphoric.