My Journey With Shamanism

My first conscious encounter with Shamanism was in the Amazon jungle in 2017, where I spent several months healing with and studying the plant medicine path. This involved living in a solitary open hut in the jungle, eating very little, ingesting plant remedies, and joining ceremonies guided by a local shaman. This was a profound journey that opened me up to the beauty and potential of shamanism.

Following this journey, I noticed that similar spiritual experiences to those I had had in the jungle were arising spontaneously, in meditation, therapy, dreams, nature. I also began to remember similar experiences I had had in childhood and had since forgotten. Experiences that were rich in meaning and made me feel deeply connected to life. While I did not have the words for it at the time, I had a strong feeling that there was something deeper for me to connect with, to see.

This is when I came to the works of Michael Harner, who had learned from shamanic cultures around the world and noticed how one could use many different methods for accessing the same realm—the Spirit Realm—where one could receive the gifts of what we call Shamanism. Based on his learnings, he developed a set of rituals and guidances to access and work with this realm without the use of psychoactive plants.

I resonated with his approach and began to apply it. Upon meeting my Spirit Guides, something deep inside me fell into place. A connection I had yearned for for so long started coming back. A remembrance of unity, and the beginning of a new trust.

This initiated a deep journey of healing, deconditioning, and return back into my power, back into nature, back into the Life Force. One that continues to this day, as I keep learning from my guides and remembering who I am.