Shamanic Spirit Channeling

 

By Barbara J. Cannell and Peter L. Clark

 

When we journey in non-ordinary reality, our Power Animal or Spirit Teacher guides us as we interact with the different spirit entities and landscapes. Through the careful process at the basis of core Shamanism, we meet and get to know our Guides, and learn that we can trust them to act in our greatest and highest good. And if we are working on behalf of a friend, family member, client, humanity as a whole, or the planet and beyond during a journey, we can trust that our Guides will give us information or help in the requested healing, again always for the greatest and highest good for all concerned.

The act of journeying is multi-dimensional, but the main action takes place wholly in non-ordinary reality. The act of channeling brings the spirit contact and action directly into ordinary reality. Your egoic self moves or shifts out of the way to allow the spirit to come into communication with your body.

 Several levels of this communication are possible - depending on both the state of the channeler and the nature of the spirit entity. The spirit may communicate in a non-verbal vibrational manner. The spirit may pantomime - act out what is to be conveyed. The spirit may indeed speak in words, either to you - for you to then convey, or directly through you. Channeling brings the opportunity for people - your client(s) - who are not in a trance state - to interact directly with spirits through conversation and observation. Direct communication is a major difference between journeying and channeling.

Channelers must always discern the nature of the spirit who communicates to or through them. As shamanic practitioners, we have built in sentinels, gate-keepers, and "discernment meters" - Power Animals and Spirit Teachers. A shamanic spirit channeler, or in more traditional language, a shamanic medium, employs the skills and guidance of a Power Animal and/or Spirit Teacher to guarantee that the spirits who present themselves for channeling are there for only the highest reasons. However, as a medium we must never be careless or lackadaisical. We have a partnership with our Guides - they expect us to participate in full empowerment and inner discernment in the work we do. With the assistance and protection of the Guides, only benevolent spirits will be selected and allowed to channel through. These selected spirits will never harm either the channeler or the client, though they may convey information that is difficult to hear and/or feel. Spiritual growth and guidance are not necessarily the easiest path in a life. A sound emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual state is crucial before undertaking the practice of channeling.

Various degrees or levels of feeling may exhibit when the medium and a spirit have established a channel. Some describe this experience as a feeling of fullness - like being a balloon filled with air. A very soft buzzing, like bees humming within, or a subtle but strong energetic wave of flowing energy may be experienced. The channeler may feel an onslaught of emotions and must sort through these and present them accurately to the client. The medium may also experience direct physical contact.

Both channeling and journeying can be characterized metaphorically as an opening of a spigot through which a flood of information begins to flow. The medium must silence the egoic mind and be a clear channel for the words to come through as the spirit directs them. Speech patterns can change rapidly, and some information will make immediate sense while in other cases it may seem undecipherable or nonsensical. Information that means nothing to the channeler, however, may provide a huge insight or understanding for the client. When the information flows, the shamanic channeler does not edit or sort through the information to look at different angles through his or her own perceptual lens, but must simply convey what is coming through, trusting in the knowledge that their Guide is serving as the gate keeper. An important part of channeling is having faith in your Guide and yourself, and setting a clear intention for the highest good in the form of an opening prayer.

As already alluded to, some channeling is done with the spirit outside of the body, during which the channeler describes what the spirit is telepathically communicating, and some channeling is done with the spirit speaking directly through the medium, in a merged state. In our workshop, "Shamanic Spirit Channeling", participants learn to distinguish between their own egoic voices and the voices or vibrations of the spirits.

We want to make clear distinctions between the act of shamanic channeling and the occurrence of spirit possession. Spirit possession is done without permission, and without the gate-keeping skills of your Power Animal and Spirit Teacher. Most importantly, possession has no defined end point. Channeling begins with an agreement between the channeler, his or her Guide(s), and the spirit. The spirit has the permission to share, for a short period of time, the body of the channeler. When it is time to disengage, the spirit must without hesitation do so. Your Guide, your initial intention, and your own higher self guarantee that this will be so.

We also want to acknowledge Spirits can be tricksters. To add more intriguing amusement to our work, some spirits of the low base can attempt to invite themselves into the work and cause confusion. Low base entities are those whom have not yet transcended to higher levels of spiritual aspiration. Again, Power Animals or Spirit Teachers acting as gatekeepers, sift through such entities before they reach the channeler, and thus bring forth only those that work for the greatest and highest good. Playing the trickster or using humor do not, however, automatically imply a low base spirit. The highest evolved spirits often use humor to teach important lessons.

Nearly everyone can learn to channel. Just like anything else, as you practice channeling, your abilities will grow. Vigilance and connection to one's Power Animals and Spirit Teachers is most important as one practices channeling. The spirits will notice you more and will want to speak through you, as most humans have no awareness of spirit entities. Ask for protection from your Guides, and always, always have your "discernment meter" turned up to the highest level