None_Provided Argumentative Essay Example For Students

None_Provided Argumentative Essay Nearly every culture has a shamanic heritage rooted back in the days when our human consciousness was able to perceive and communicate with plants, animals, stones, trees, and with the earth and cosmic energies themselves. There are some who claim that all religions have their beginning thread in the shamanic mystical cycles because, at one time, each and everyone of us were the native peoples and we were deeply attached and interconnected to the land upon which we walked. It was not a religion, but a way of life; a spiritual practice which helped us to be aware and conscious and connected. The reason this was so is that in order to survive we needed to be aware of our surroundings. If the herds moved, we followed. If the snows came, we had to either move to a warmer locale or have the forethought to gather food and warm clothing for the season. This Awareness was a part of everyday life and consciousness and, as some of the American Indian Elders say: we lived by continual communion with forces which surround us and with the Great Mystery. *br* Todays farmers maintain this connection to the natural cycles, but most of the rest of us have lost it because we buy food whether or not it is in season and we live in homes which enable us to virtually ignore the seasonal changes.*br* *br* Walking the the Shamanic path is different from walking some of the other spiritual paths available today. Shamanism has no dogma and very few rules because it is about doing, experiencing, and knowing. It is, perhaps, a difficult path because it requires you to walk under the direction of your heart and higher mind. Its goal is a mergence between the physical aspect that you call yourself, and the part of you which is Spirit, and the classes are held here, upon this Earth School. *br* In learning the techniques of Shamanism, you learn to participate in realms of experience which differ from physical reality these realms are sometimes called Non-ordinary Reality, but they are very real. To the evolving conscious spirit reality has many levels and only a small portion of the Greater Reality is revealed to the physical senses. So we, whether we are male or female, strive to open the inner eyes and other senses so that more and more of the Greater Reality is experienced and learned from.*br* *br* Most westerners are essentially objective in defining their reality. In other words, they believe what they see. Indigenous people and, inherently spiritual people, on the other hand, understand reality as levels of objective experience and subjective awareness. From the shamanic point of view everything that exists has a right to exist, is alive with some level of consciousness, has a purpose, and is interrelated and interdependent. In learning to walk the Shamanic path we are provided with a model and a means to live a spiritually aware and responsible life. We begin to live our lives peacefully, creatively, and progressively. We can open our minds and hearts to an ordered and multidimensional reality and to working partnerships with all life forms. Doing this eliminates dogma and most of the confusion and empowers the individual by teaching him or her that reality and ones perception of it is as internal as it is external.*br* *br* Really, there are only two basic tenets in Shamanism. The first is to recognize that everything that exists is divine. And the second is to recognize that everything that exists is connected. The tools that are used to learn these two tenets are the Shamanic Journey and Consciousness Expansion. These two tools are all you need to begin to explore the many dimensions and levels of reality which surround us at all times. A journey is like a waking dream or an astral journey. One enters this waking dream at will using chanting, drumming, rattling, or whatever method appeals and is effective. Journeys are similar to guided visualizations. The difference is that in a guided visualization you are told how to get there, what to see, who to see, and what will happen. You are restricted by whatever the person guiding you decides to put in. In a shamanic journey, you are in control of how you are going to get there, but not of everything that occurs once there. You also have control over how you react to what happens and can end the experience any time you choose to. Journeys always have a purpose. This might be seeking an Inner World Teacher, finding a guide, learning the reason behind an illness, helping a friend or family member, for a spiritual lesson, or to simply map out Otherworldly terrain. Gulivers Travels Essay All you have to do is discover what works for you and use it.*br*Some tribal shamans, and a few of the techno-shamans, do use physical tools. The most common of these are the Medicine Bag, a bundle that contains herbs, animal bones or claws which are representations of happenings on Journey, or serve as psychic links to the Otherworld, totems, or teachers. Rattles and Drums are used for healing work and to accompany Journeys by providing monotonous sounds which enable a shift in consciousness. Chants, which serve the same purpose as rattles and drums, and Prayers, which are ways of communing with the directions, spiritual family members, and the Source. Prayer Sticks, which are used to in Talking Circles; the person holding the stick has the floor and others must listen without interruption until he is through or until he passes the stick to the next speaker. */p* *p align=center**strong*Prayer and Tobacco Flags:*/strong* Prayer flags are pieces of cloth with a wish or prayer written on them. These are tied outdoors and left to be blown freely away; the wind carries the prayer to the Source or, as the writing fades from the cloth, the prayer comes into being. Tobacco ties are similar to Prayer Flags except the prayer cloth is wrapped around a small bunder of sacred tobacco (not cigarette tobacco) and left outside to the elements as an offering in exchange for requested help. And, of course, the Medicine Wheel, which is a presentation of the self and ones place within the universe as well as a tool to attune to worldly and Otherworldly teachers. *br* *br* Now what are the benefits of this form of spirituality? The biggest benefit is empowerment. As you come awake and your mind and heart open and begin to heal your sense of self-worth blossoms. You begin to realize who you are and what you are capable of. You are constantly learning about your own inner workings and the way of those things and people which surround you. As you grow your Authentic Self the Soul opens its eyes and begins to teach you about your body, your belief system, and personal myths. As this happens you suddenly begin to be able to decipher the issues within the tissues and are able to transcend them. Every lesson and encounter with the Authentic self and the Spirit World enable you to search out the answers to questions about your identity, origins, and purpose. The journey towards becoming an awakened, enlightened soul is truly a Soul Quest and the object of that quest is to remember the Real Self which is deeply connected with the land and earth itself. What is taught here will provide methods for hanging normal consciousness so that it is able to perceive the intelligence inherent in Nature which teaches us how to enhance lifes quality rather than to damage or destroy it. *br* *br* Becoming an awakened Soul means learning that we are not at the mercy of events; we form the events to which we react, as Seth/Jane Roberts might say. It means coming to the, sometimes, startling conclusion that there is an intimate connection between expectations and perception. It means coming to the realization that no-one can tell you what road to follow. You have all the answers within you and should beware of anyone who hands you ready answers. And this fact is, perhaps, one of the major tenets of any true Spirituality: there is a huge difference between being told things and knowing them. Knowing comes from within. And when you know, you dont need to be told. Using shamanic methods we learn to explore the layers of Self and, thus, learn who we are and who we are capable of becoming. We learn to form true kinships with plants, animals, stones, the wind, the oceanindeed, with Divinity.*br*