IV. Key Understandings to Trance Induction or Shamanic Cognition
IV. Key Understandings to Trance Induction or Shamanic Cognition
Shamanic Cognition is the term I use to describe the extraordinary "way of knowing" enjoyed by shamans the world over, in all eras of history.
The word "cognition" itself refers to the complex means by which we come to knowledge about our lives and our world. It includes the inputs of our sensory organs, the contents of memory, the somewhat mysterious matrix by which we examine the data that we feel we "receive" from sense organs and memory and attempt to make sense of it all, and the filters which further influence things. These "filters" are created by syntax and socialization, or by our language and the cultural norms and understandings that are embedded in us by our societies.
There is an ordinary cognition that all human beings deal with daily. I, in common with many others who have experimented with various techniques of shamanic ecstasy and consciousness alteration, have experienced a non-ordinary form of cognition. It is possible to free ourselves from the various conditions of ordinary cognition and to have a genuinely "fresh" or new experience of the world we share, though we cannot directly relate the experience of this "non-ordinary cognition" with other people who have not themselves experienced it.
The reason why is because words and stories used to describe the experiences had while in this state are created after the non-ordinary state is no longer present, and we are drawing from memory to create the story of the experience. We are using ordinary cognitive states to share words with others who are also operating in an ordinary state of cognition, and what we express to them will be subjected to their own preconceived notions, the limits of their language, socialization factors, and dozens of other features of ordinary cognition. The end result will always be far from the genuine experience. Sometimes it will be so far as to seem meaningless to others.
The greatest of shamans and other voyagers into states of non-ordinary cognition have always been able to express their experiences using metaphors and other imagery in such a way that their listeners all receive a very powerful transmission of understanding, even if they themselves were not immediately aware of the transformative affect the shaman's story had on them. Apart from this "inspired" way of communicating some drop of the essence of the non-ordinary experience, the only other method for helping people to understand the non-ordinary is to help them to experience it directly themselves. This is the intent of this part of my work: to help people towards a "way of knowing" that will help them to achieve states of non-ordinary awareness.
"Shamanic cognition" is a state of cognition that is (compared to ordinary cognition) which is more or less free of the restraints and limitations of syntax, socialization, and expectations. The term "trance" refers to a state of being in which a person can "slide over" from ordinary consciousness or cognition and into this non-ordinary cognition, mostly at will. Shamanic cognition is, at heart, a radical sort of openness or sensitivity, the most radical kind of sensitivity possible.
Before I can outline a criteria for entering into the specific non-ordinary state of cognition that I have personally learned to induce and work with, I need to discuss a model that describes ordinary cognition. This description will relate to many ideas that will discuss later regarding the nature of the "Great Power" that underlies our common perceptions of reality.
"What we are" as human beings is not a simple question, because in reality each of us is a system, a complex event of power- you cannot isolate the human being to one part or another that makes up the whole of his or her being.
I can conventionally describe a human being as a convergence of power, a power that is aware of itself and possessed of intent. It is able to be aware of other powers, and it defines its awareness of other powers and phenomena in terms of separation and distinction, at least while in conventional frames of mind and reference. Extraordinary frames of reference- the non-ordinary states of cognition- do exist.
Regardless of “where” in experience a person places themselves or other powers, all are sprung from the same underlying reality, and all are sacred and essential to the world as a whole. All are wakan or sacred, as the Sioux said- even those powers that are harmful or undesirable.
What we call the “non-organic body of nature” as a whole (with mountains, stones, rivers, etc) is still an expression of power, still peopled with sentient powers. Spiritual beings- inorganic beings who should be considered (like animals, plants, or even stones and natural phenomenon) to be non-human persons- do take up residence "within" all natural phenomenon, and in many ways are seen as inseparable from them by animistic peoples around the world.
I believe that "ordinary cognition" on the part of a human being, or any organic being that has comparable sense-organs to human beings, is a matter of channels of power making contact with those points in our experience that we refer to as “sense organs” (which I will also call "sense-portals"). Thus, perceptions are created of which the perceiving being becomes almost instantly aware. In human beings, those perceptions are further subjected to the filters of syntax and socialization that are unique to each person, though larger patterns and tendencies of socialization are recognizable among people from the same culture.
In this model, what I call "coarse consciousness" arises through this process of cognition in its typical fashion. I must say "coarse consciousness" when dealing with the contact of channels of power with sense-portals (which are themselves power-formations) to differentiate it from "subtle consciousness", which arises when sentient power makes contact with some other source of "data input" which is not an ordinary sense-portal.
One may rightly ask what "other sources" there might be; I must posit that each human being (and doubtless other beings) have "inner" senses or non-ordinary sense-portals that supply awareness with the needed input to create visionary and dream states, or any subjective state that occurs when the ordinary sense-portals are not functioning, such as during sleep. This is a mysterious aspect of cognition that even modern research has struggled to answer, and it flies to the question of what, precisely, "dreams" are.
As far as my own model here is concerned, dreams are a very "common" form of non-ordinary cognition that every human being experiences throughout their lives, and some dreams, which I call "energetic dreams" or "power dreams" can actually bring a person into a profound state of shamanic cognition, and even into contact with non-human sentient beings.
Now that I have explicated the bones of this model, I can continue with my discussion on trance-induction.
Trance will arise for a person when a person has developed certain qualities, and when that person knows how to engage their own intent as a living being. Before trance is a possibility, a person must develop the quality I call "radical openness", or "radical receptivity". Sometimes I compare it to the "splitting open" of a seedpod, because in my own experience, it seemed like the shell of my body and mind was cracking open, and that I was exposed to the world in a new, deeper way.
Radical receptivity is not hard to achieve because it is a natural and normal expression of the reality of our situation, every day and every minute: we are all one with the forces of this world, inseparable from them. Though we have let our senses grow dull to it, there is a great exchange of power occurring every moment- we are receiving subtle and strong forces of life and vitality with every breath and heartbeat, and we are returning to the web of life a considerable amount of power. This process, this exchange of power, is a ceaseless process. The more aware we become of it, the more we will be able to engage trances at will.
We become aware of this exchange by accepting first that it is occurring. Once you orient your mind in this way, and then let your inner and outer senses have a space of quiet awareness, they will begin to "pick up" on it in indescribable ways. I find that it is easiest to achieve this by going outside, and preferably to an elevated place, where the surrounding country can be seen for a long way, and the sky is huge and easy to gaze upwards at. Such an immense vision helps you to "open" yourself to this massive web of powers to which you belong.
There is effort involved in becoming "radically receptive", but you cannot use too much effort, or all you will become aware of is your effort. It comes down to being mindful- go sit in the woods or in a park, and pay attention to the things that you usually don't- birdsong, the sound of wind, the feelings in your body, tinglings in your skin, the feeling of breathing, and every sense-impression that comes your way. Instead of being preoccupied with whatever thoughts you usually let yourself float away in, turn your attention gently and openly to sense impressions.
It may help to imagine that your body is a seedpod, and that it has cracked open, exposing your inner senses to the immensity of the world. Forget about language; act like you have amnesia and no longer remember that you speak a language, so that your thoughts become silenced. Forget about all the cultural norms that you use to analyze your world- let the world be what it is, without any emotional reactions to it from your side.
Once you have had success in achieving a state of quiet awareness, full all-around awareness of your sense-impressions, and the slight level of relaxation that attends it, you are ready to add the element of intent to it, and this is where trance is born. When I say "add the element of intent", I do mean a different sort of "intent" than the kind you feel when you intend to go to bed by a certain hour, or when you intend to ask someone a question. I'm talking about what I call "power-intent" or "energetic intent". You must fully intend to shift your perceptions and cognition away from the ordinary range and into the non-ordinary, and you must accept that such a thing is possible.
At this point, the use of a trance-induction device, such as an instrument of some kind, has always been necessary for me. The standard and best instrument for this purpose is the drum, and I have never entered the sort of trance I am discussing here without my drum's help. For this work, the drum-beat that I find works best is either a five, seven, or eight part beat. We are not dealing with a "journey rhythm" here- we are dealing with a steady beat that has a short pause between its cadences.
All the beats are constructed the same way. The five-part beat is four rapid strikes with a solid fifth strike, and a pause for resounding resonance- then four rapid strikes and a solid fifth, repeated as long as you need. It would sound something like this: thudthudthudthud BOOM... thudthudthudthud BOOM...
The seven and eight beats are the same; the first beats are rapid, with the final a harder strike followed by a pause for resonance.
You may find that the drumming helps you to achieve the state of "radical receptivity". It certainly helps a person to focus on the fact that a sacred or important event- a drumming and trance induction- is taking place.
With your drum-beat going (and it helps to have a drum with deep tones) and your sense of openness and connection strongly felt, you must then add the element of intention into the work- you must intend to reach a state of non-ordinary cognition, and you must believe that such a thing is possible.
Now, a final detail is needed here- simply "intending to go into a trance state" is not quite enough. A person must also understand what, precisely, they are willing to happen. You must be aware, be able to visualize, that power is moving through its own channels and making contact with your sense organs, and creating the multi-dimensional sensory experience you are having at any conscious moment. While you are sitting there, beating the drum, feeling your great openness, and bending your intention towards achieving a trance, you will also be hearing the drum and seeing the room or world all around you.
These sounds and sights are occurring because of the contact of channels of power with your sense portals. What you must change, using your focused intention, is the flow of that power- you must will for that energy to "withdraw" from the mysterious channels that run to your sense portals, and to stop making contact. You want that power to "pool" inside you, to "draw back" from the eye and ear sense portals, and to become aware of the more mysterious and subtle sense portals.
If you want, you can visualize this occurring- really let yourself see and feel channels or streams of power slowly creeping back away from your eye and ear portals in your head. Most importantly, you must intend for it to happen. This takes time and practice, but with patience and faith in yourself, and in the nonstop, deep resonance of the drum, you will find that something incredible happens- you will begin to experience "The Otherness".
