Have you ever found yourself lost in a daydream so deep that the world around you faded away? If so, you’ve already practised the fundamental "muscle" of shamanic journeying.

Shamanic journeying is an ancient practice—as old as humanity itself—and it is effectively dreaming while awake. It is a process of tapping into our right-brain consciousness—the creative, intuitive mind—while the logical left brain quiets down. By adding a little structure and intention, you can find your own path into the unseen realms.

From Hypnotherapy to Shamanism: My Path

I first came across shamanism shortly after completing my training as an Advanced Hypnotherapist. During that training, I learned how accessing the imagination often "accidentally" triggers ESP (Extra Sensory Perception). This perception helps us feel into and sense what we cannot see with our eyes open.

When I met my first shamanic teacher, we realised we were essentially practising the same thing. Both shamanism and hypnotherapy ask us to drop into an altered state of consciousness. The truth is, we all do this every day; it’s a natural human function. The trick to shamanic journeying is learning how to stay awake while you navigate these states.

The Science of the "In-Between": Understanding Brain Waves

To demystify the "trance," we look at our brain waves. Usually, these states are associated with sleep or naps, but on a journey, we aim to stay focused and conscious.

Beta (12–30 Hz) – Everyday Alertness: Your logical, analytical mind. This is the part of you that might try to "think" the journey instead of "feeling" it.
Alpha (8–12 Hz) – The Bridge: Light relaxation and daydreaming. This is the doorway we walk through to leave the physical world behind.
Theta (4–8 Hz) – The Shamanic State: This is the "sweet spot" for journeying. It’s the state of REM dreaming. Usually, we only hit Theta when we are asleep, but in Shamanism, we hold our awareness here to interact with spirits and guides.
Gamma (30–100+ Hz) – The "Super-Brain": This is the state of peak perception and "Aha!" moments. In a journey, Gamma is where we process complex spiritual symbols or experience a sense of "oneness" with the Universe.
Delta (0.5–4 Hz) – Deep Sleep: Total unconsciousness. If you fall asleep during your journey, you’ve slipped into Delta!

The Secret Ingredient: The Power of Sound (Drums & Gongs)

You might wonder how we stay in that deep Theta state without falling into a deep Delta sleep. This is where Sound Medicine, specifically drums and gongs, acts as our anchor and our engine.

The Drum: The Rhythmic Tether

Traditional shamanic drumming usually sits at a consistent rate of 4 to 7 beats per second. Through a process called auditory driving (or entrainment), your brainwaves begin to "mimic" the frequency of the drum. It locks you into the Theta state, providing a rhythmic heartbeat that keeps your consciousness awake while your spirit travels.

The Gong: The Cosmic Eraser

Working with gongs adds a different, more "etheric" layer to the journey. While a drum is grounding and directional, a gong creates a vast wall of harmonics.

Bypassing the Ego: The complex overtones of a gong are too much for the logical left brain to "organise" or analyse. It eventually gives up, goes quiet, and allows you to drop into the right-brain creative mind much faster.
The Gamma Flash: Gongs are famous for helping practitioners reach that high-frequency Gamma state. The "wash" of sound can feel like it’s vibrating every cell in your body, often leading to those sudden spiritual "downloads" or "Aha!" moments.

Both are wonderful allies to the practice, and I use both myself. A Shamanic drum more often when I have a specific question to answer, and Gongs when I have a more expanded idea of what I want to explore.

Whether it’s the steady "horse" of the drum carrying you along or the "ocean" of the gong dissolving your boundaries, sound is the bridge that carries us from the physical to the spiritual.

What to Expect: The 5 Clairs of Spiritual Perception

Many people expect to "see" a journey like a movie with their eyes open. While some do, it’s not the only way. Only about 20–30% of people are purely visual. The rest of us perceive through the 5 Clairs:

Clairvoyance (Clear Seeing): Images, symbols, or colours in the mind's eye.
Clairsentience (Clear Feeling): A kinesthetic "gut feeling" or sensing emotions/energy in the body.
Clairaudience (Clear Hearing): Hearing messages, music, or distinct words internally.
Claircognisance (Clear Knowing): An instant "download" of information—you just know.
Clairalience/Clairgustance (Clear Smelling/Tasting): Sensing scents or tastes - this one is very rare.

Pro Tip: Expect nothing and let go. This is the surest path to a successful experience.

The Sacred Map: Navigating the Three Realms

In my 30 years of practice, I’ve found that while some teachers list many dimensions, these three primary realms offer everything we need:

The Middle World: The spiritual parallel to our physical Earth. We journey here to communicate with the essence of things in this timeline—nature spirits or the "souls" of places.
The Lower World: An unspoiled, earthy landscape. This is the realm of power animals and archetypal teachers (like the Jaguar or Mountain Spirit). It is a place of grounding and healing.
The Upper World: A realm of high-vibration "light." This is the "mothership" where you meet your higher self, angelic beings, and teachers in human or celestial form.

Your First Journey: A Step-by-Step Guide

This guide is designed for those ready to navigate the landscape of their own consciousness independently. If you feel you need more support as you begin, I invite you to explore my YouTube channel. There, you’ll find a vast selection of guided journeys that use the power of cacao ceremonies, gongs, and drums to bridge the gap to your spirit allies. Whether you are seeking power animals in the Lower Realms, angelic wisdom in the Upper Realms, or a deeper connection to your own heart in the Middle Realm, there is a guided path waiting for you.

1. Make Space

Visualization of shamanic intention showing a glowing golden star gathering above a hand in a dark forest green void.

Create a physical space to relax. Sit up supported rather than lying down (to avoid the "Delta" sleep trap!). Give yourself 30–60 minutes. Have water, herbal tea (mugwort and blue lotus are great allies for journeying), or cacao (highly recommended for heart-opening, and the heart has shamanic eyes too!), plus some tissues - it can get emotional, and have a journal ready to collect your messages and help integrate the experience.

2. Cleanse

Cleanse your energy field (see my free "How to Cleanse Your Energy" guide on the website!).

3. Calling in the 7 Directions

In Shamanism, we call in spiritual allies as “bouncers” to protect our energy and align us with Source. We call to the East, South, West, and North, then Mother Earth below, Father Sky above, the Cosmic Realm - moon, sun, stars and the 7th Direction—the Spirit Within. There are many ways to do this; a simple suggestion is to say:

"I call to the East, the South, the West, and the North. I call to the Mother who sustains us and the Father Sky who protects us. I call to the Light of the sun, the moon and the stars, I call to Great Spirit, you who have 10,000 names and are still the Unnameable One. Please protect me and guide my steps today."

4. Set an Intention

State a clear, simple intention, something like: "I am journeying to meet my spirit animal to ask for guidance on my career/health/money/love."

Hold 1 intention at a time - or it can get too analytical, and the left brain starts to join in, which can block the shamanic experience.

5. Begin the Journey: The Portal

Decide if you want to go up, down or stay in this middle realm. And if you are using a drum or gong track, press play now.

Next, imagine yourself in a safe, natural place that you know - in the real world. I like to imagine myself in the forest where I walked my dog as a teenager. With eyes closed, immerse yourself in the landscape, sensing the texture beneath your feet - the temperature of the air, the time of day or year may be different to where you are actually resting. Once you are immersed in the landscape of your choice, unless you’re staying in the middle realm, look for a portal (this is where it gets a bit ‘Alice in Wonderland’, it could show up as a doorway—a tree trunk, a rabbit hole, a cave, or a pool of water. Step through/dive in and imagine yourself travelling up or down, depending on which direction you decide to travel. Once you "land," immediately call in a guide. They may be an animal, an angel, or even a mythical beast or an alien! Ask them your question and let the story unfold, often they will take you on a journey within the landscape to show you certain things, or gift you certain experiences which can feel very real.

5. The Return

When you are finished, thank your guides. Return through the same portal you entered. Wiggle your fingers and toes to "wake up" your body. Journal immediately. Don't worry about logic— just record the symbols. You can research the archetypes (as Jung suggested) later.

6. Closing the Space

Always "close the directions" afterwards. Leaving them open can feel overstimulating, like your "shamanic brain" is left on a high-voltage setting. Plus, your spiritual allies/bouncers deserve to be respected and take a break too!

We Are All Shamans

As Don Miguel Ruiz, author of The Four Agreements, so eloquently teaches, we are all Shamans. He suggests that we are all artists, and the masterpiece we are creating is our own life. In his tradition, we are constantly "dreaming" our reality into existence. Most people, however, are dreaming unconsciously, driven by old programming and the "smoky mirror" of the ego.

Shamanic journeying gives you the tools to dream with intention. It allows you to wipe that mirror clean. By practising this art, you aren't just "having a vision"; you are:

Reclaiming Your Power: Moving from a passenger to the driver of your life.
Emotional Alchemy: Transforming old fears and "heavy" energy into wisdom and light.
Gaining Clarity: Receiving direct answers from Spirit rather than relying on external validation.
Deepening Connection: Realising you are never truly alone, as you have a whole council of guides available at any moment.

Ready to Go Deeper?

If you feel the call to move beyond the basics and truly weave these practices into the fabric of your life, I offer several ways to support your transformation:

1-2-1 Mentorship & Personal Journeys

For those seeking a bespoke experience, I work with clients individually to teach the Art of Shamanic Journeying and Ritual. Together, we use these sacred tools to:

Release the Past: Identifying and clearing the energetic imprints that keep you looped in old stories.
Access Your Spiritual Gifts: Unlocking the unique "Clairs" and intuitive abilities that are waiting to be activated.
Enhance Your Daily Life: Creating personalised rituals that bring sacredness and peace back into your everyday routine.

The Shaman's Way - A 13 Moon Journey

If you’d like to explore the teachings of the Medicine Wheel, receive powerful Shamanic initiations, and taste the profoundly healing world of Plant Spirit Medicine (the non-psychedelic, energetic path), join my comprehensive 13 moon, year-long, group training program. It is a deep dive into awakening your inner shaman and walking the earth with grace and power. Working within a small tribe of up to 8 like-minded individuals, we step into our power and reclaim our shamanic gifts - remembering who we are as multidimensional beings. Our next intake begins in October 2026.

Explore Free Resources

Not ready for a full course? No problem! Check out my FREE resources, including my Cacao Ceremonies on YouTube. These are designed to help you practice your shamanic rituals in a supported, high-vibration space from the comfort of your own home.

Shamanic Journeying for Beginners: A Simple Guide to the Art of Dreaming Awake

From Hypnotherapy to Shamanism: My Path

The Science of the "In-Between": Understanding Brain Waves