Trance-Portation: Learning to Navigate the Inner World - Softcover

Diana L. Paxson

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1578634059 ISBN 13: 9781578634057

Publisher: Weiser Books, 2008

Synopsis

The ability to move from the ordinary into an altered state of consciousness is one of the most valuable skills in both magic and religion. From the ceremonial magician to the shaman, using trance work to explore inner realms is essential to the magical process of healing, transcendence, and wisdom desired throughout diverse occult and spiritual traditions. TrancePortation offers a comprehensive and multispirited way to enter the inner realm. Blending the modern world with the ancient arts, TrancePortation's first three chapters, Travel Planning, Crossing the Threshold, and Getting Started, offer preparatory suggestions including meditations and relaxations, breathing, warding, shifting gears, and returning. Drawing on examples from varied traditions, from Western Mystery to Native American, Ancient Celtic to Eastern Mysticism, and peppered with folk lore and tales from popular science fiction stories, TrancePortation explores spiritual journey work extensively, offering readers the chance to find their own ways into the inner realm, encounter their own guides and fellow travelers, and create divine relationships with the deities and gods and goddesses that they meet.

About this title

About the Author

Diana L. Paxson has been teaching classes and leading rituals on trance work for more than twenty years. She is the coauthor, along with Marion Zimmer Bradley, of Priestess of Avalon and has continued the immensely popular Mists of Avalon series on her own.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Trance-Portation

Learning to Navigate the Inner World

By DIANA L. PAXSON

Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC

Copyright © 2008 Diana L. Paxson
All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-57863-405-7

Contents

Introduction
Chapter One * Travel Planning
Chapter Two * Crossing the Threshold
Chapter Three * Getting Started
Chapter Four * Trance-Perceptions
Chapter Five * There and Back Again
Chapter Six * Native Guides
Chapter Seven * Getting Along in the Culture
Chapter Eight * Mapping the Inner Worlds
Chapter Nine * Fellow Travelers
Chapter Ten * Destinations
Chapter Eleven * Your Place or Mine?
Chapter Twelve * Going Nowhere, Being Everywhere
Chapter Thirteen * Road Hazards
Appendix I * Notes for the Tour Guides
Appendix II * Guidance Systems
Appendix III * Journeys to Find Allies
Bibliography
About the Author

CHAPTER 1

Travel Planning

A journey of a thousand miles must begin witha single step.

Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching

We are about to begin a journey. Some parts of it will be easy, filled with thedelight of discovery. You will speed along and wonder why you never found thisroad before. At other times, you may hit roadblocks or detours and wonder if youwill ever get where you want to go. Do not lose heart. As Robert Louis Stevensononce put it: "To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive, and the truesuccess is to labor" (1881). With time and patience, you will find that the roaditself is as interesting as its end, and the things that you learn along the wayare as rewarding as those you hoped to gain when you began.

The road may lead ever on and on, but, unlike Bilbo, a sensible traveler doesnot dash out the door with no more than a pocket handkerchief. Before you canrange freely through all the worlds, you must have at least a basicunderstanding of the geography. As you set out to explore, you must have arealistic understanding of your resources and abilities.

To make progress, you will need to work through all the chapters and exercisesof this book in order. Even, or especially, if you already have a given skill,you must practice it regularly—several times a week—for about a month, or untilyou feel ready to go on. Those with more experience may actually find some ofthe early lessons harder, as they may have old habits to unlearn. However, youwill find that these skills, once mastered, are useful in themselves and mayprovide a foundation that can support the practice of more esoteric skills likeoracular and possessory work.

As you work your way through the exercises, you will be offered options. Mostoccult and spiritual traditions require those they train to master their ownmethods for meditation and trance work. The approach to trance work presentedhere requires a systematic mastery of skills, but leaves the means by which youaccomplish this up to you. No single approach works for everybody. The motto ofMills College, where I spent four very happy years, is Una destinatio, viaediversae— "One destination, many roads." This has always seemed to me to be goodadvice for the spiritual, as well as the physical, traveler.

As anyone who has taken music lessons knows, there are sequences of fingeringthat seem difficult at first, but are necessary if you want to get past the easypieces. Continual practice helps you develop a sequence of responses thatautomatically come into play when needed. Learning this sequence is likelearning to shift gears on a car. At first, you need to look at the diagram; butwith practice, you automatically move the knob in the correct pattern while yourconscious mind focuses on avoiding the accident that has just occurred up theroad.

Consciousness

Dion Fortune described magic as "the art of causing changes in consciousness atwill" (Butler, 1952). On his Web site, Isaac Bonewits expands on this by callingmagic "a general term for arts, sciences, philosophies and technologiesconcerned with (a) understanding and using various altered states ofconsciousness within which it is possible to have access to and control overone's psychic talents, and (b) the uses and abuses of those psychic talents tochange interior and/or exterior realities...."

What do we mean by "consciousness"? The word ordinarily refers to a particularlevel of brain activity at which we can intentionally respond to stimuli,communicate, and understand what is going on around us. "He's regainingconsciousness ..." in a medical setting indicates the moment when a patient openshis eyes and rejoins the world.

But neurologists chart many different kinds of brain activity. Clearly, the mindis doing something even when it is not communicating. Some of this activityinvolves thought; some may not. In sleep, for instance, we dream in the REMstate. For most people, dreams come and go at their own will, and if we arelucky (or in some cases unlucky), we remember them. However, some people havedeveloped skill in "lucid dreaming"—moving into a dream state while retainingsome awareness that they are doing so, and exercising some control over theexperience. I realized the connection between that ability and those we can usewhile awake when, some years after I became a professional writer, I foundmyself editing my own dreams. Some people simply train themselves to remembertheir dreams by articulating a firm intention to do so before falling asleep,and keeping a notebook or recording device handy to capture their memories whenthey wake.

The kinds of consciousness experienced at various stages of sleep are well knownand considered normal. Also within the "normal" range are a variety of states inwhich we focus on one activity to the exclusion of other awareness. This kind ofhyper-focus is particularly familiar to people with a talent for working withcomputers—"programmer's trance" has enabled many a programmer to transcendnormal needs for sleep and food in order to meet a deadline. For a novelist, themoment may come when the work stops feeling like pulling teeth and becomes anexhilarating and rewarding ride in which the story carries you along. In itsmore extreme forms, the compulsion to hyper-focus can become a master ratherthan a servant, and may be a result of Asperger's syndrome. People with thistendency may have an easier time with some aspects of trance work, but may havedifficulty developing flexibility and control.

Anyone who has driven from one point to another without any memory of thejourney has been in an altered state. In these instances, your conscious mind isconcerned with its own affairs while some other part directs your body. When youare absorbed in a movie or a good book, time passes without your awareness. Youexist in the world of your imagination, and the demands of your body aresuppressed. Only when you finish the book, or when some stimulus jerks you backto "reality," do you realize that your neck hurts or that a visit to thebathroom is long overdue. Runners strive for their own kind of altered state, inwhich there is no reality but the smooth flex of muscle that carries them overthe ground. Training for other sports induces its own kind of trance state, inwhich action and being are one.

In ordinary conversation, the word "consciousness" is used to mean the beta-wavestate in which we spend much of our waking hours. In this state, our awarenessis outward-directed; we react, communicate, and understand what is going on inthe physical world. Psychology and philosophy, on the other hand, do a prettygood job of complicating what we think of as the simplest and most accessiblestate of consciousness. As Ned Block puts it: "the Hard Problem of consciousnessis how to explain a phenomenon in terms of its neurological basis. If neuralstate N is the basis of the sensation of red, why is N the basis of thatsensation rather than some other experience or none at all?" (Block, 2003).

Neuroscience continues to explore what goes on in the brain when we act, think,and feel, without conclusively answering this question. It is more practical,perhaps, to define ordinary consciousness as the state in which we not onlyprocess external stimuli, but are sufficiently aware of our own bodies torespond to our environment and be aware of that awareness. In this state, younot only can go about your daily activities; you can contemplate aspects ofyourself perceptible to others, like your appearance, and those that are purelypersonal, like your feelings. "Meta-self-awareness" is the state in which younot only have a feeling, but know that you are feeling it (Norin, 2004). Fromthe literature, it is apparent that even what Michael Harner calls "consensusreality" is capable of extensive subdivision and analysis.

Trance

The limitation of consciousness, powerful focus, and the liberation of theunconscious are all part of normal human experience. How, then, do we define thealtered states that we call trance? We encounter this term, not only indiscussions of religion or magic, but in areas such as music and psychology aswell. Historically, however, the context in which people are most likely to seekan alternative way of experiencing reality is spiritual—what my friend Ember hasdubbed "altared" consciousness. The literature of all religions includestechniques for prayer and meditation whose purpose is to bring peace or putpeople in contact with their gods. The training methods developed in Asia foryoga and the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola are two examples ofhighly developed spiritual training systems. In magical practice, trance statesare used for a variety of purposes, from enabling people to perceive beings orenergies that are not noticed (as opposed to not present) in ordinaryconsciousness, to creating or journeying in "inner" worlds, to setting the humanpersonality aside and allowing another to move in. When we engage in trancework, we intentionally alter the way we experience the world.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, what we will be referring to in this book as"trance" includes a variety of states of consciousness about which science hashad relatively little to say. The phrase "altered state of consciousness" usedby Charles Tart for those mental states in which people feel that the quality ofthe way in which they experience the world is different from ordinary awarenesscomes closest to describing what I mean here.

Altered states of consciousness include a wide variety of experiences, many ofwhich most readers will already have encountered without seeing any necessity togive them a name. In addition to the state of mind in which you know you areaware, you may, on any given day, experience a variety of levels involving thelimitation of consciousness through focus on other things—reading, working on acomputer, running, or driving a car. When you are enthralled by a book or amovie, you feel the emotions and thoughts of the characters rather than yourown. Many activities require a mental focus so complete that you lose awarenessof yourself and your body as well.

We perceive all these activities as ordinary. Everyone engages in them.Dreaming, for instance, is an altered state that we all experiencespontaneously. For some people, the boundaries between the waking world and theinner realities are thin. Others have difficulty remembering even those visionsthat occur while they are sleeping. But everyone dreams, whether or not theyremember it. I contend that anyone who can enter the world of dreams can, withtraining, access altered states at will and exercise control over what happenswhile they are in them.

When our minds are anchored in our bodies, physical factors play a role in howthey behave. Any traveler contemplating a strenuous journey will take his or herphysical condition into account when planning. Factors like blood sugar,hormones, sleep, biorhythms, and general physical condition can affect yourability to go into (or stay out of) trance. However, we must remember that,although we are all the same in many ways, we each have distinct characteristicsthat affect how we will respond to the exercises. In other words, at any pointin the lessons, your mileage may vary. This is to be expected, and does notimply a value judgment regarding your ability.

Who goes into trance? Everybody. As we have seen above, everyone experiencessome altered states spontaneously. The ability to shift from one level ofconsciousness to another is wired into the human brain. But if we define tranceas those states that are not part of most people's experience, we begin to finda broader spectrum of abilities. Virtually all humans can use their hands tomake marks with a pencil and their voices to make sounds. But some have a"natural" ability to draw recognizable pictures or to sing on key. For them,becoming an artist or a singer is easy. With the right kind of training,however, almost anyone can learn to draw or sing.

We find the same range of abilities in trance work. For some people, gettingbeyond what Michael Harner calls "consensus reality" is very difficult, whereasothers seem to have trouble staying connected to the ordinary world. Some callthose for whom trance is so easy as to sometimes become a problem "trance sluts"and those who are so firmly grounded they feel stuck to the floor "cementheads." We find "open-heads" and "closed-heads" a more friendly way to indicatethe ends of this continuum. In fact, most people fall somewhere in the middle,depending on a variety of factors—including everything from body mass topsychological history, and such physical variations as blood-sugar levels,physical condition, and biological cycles. Age may also have an influence—childrenare often more open than those who are older.

Those who believe their heads are "closed" should not envy those whose heads arenaturally "open," and the latter should not wish their feet were nailed to theground. Those whose dominant mode of perception is aural or kinesthetic are noless talented than those who work primarily with visual imagery. Withexperience, we learn to identify levels of consciousness and what we can do withthem. By developing those skills that do not come easily, we learn to travel inall terrains and all weathers.

Crazy Wisdom

Those of us who feel the call to practice magic or walk a spiritual path aremoving out of the safe world of consensus reality. Although the curriculum atHogwarts bears little resemblance to any kind of real magic, the psychologicaldivide between the Muggle and Wizard cultures is something that most of us haveexperienced. We must accept the fact that many consider those who intentionallyloosen their grip on ordinary reality crazed. For many years, ethnographersstudying shamanic practice assumed that the shamans were crazy. And sometimesthey were right. A case in point is the story of the anthropologist who wentlooking for a shaman and ended up interviewing the village idiot.

Of course there are times when the idiot is the wisest man in the room.

Don't let these messages from the dominant culture deter you, but rather usethem as a signal for healthy self-examination. A runner pays attention to oddtwinges that may signal a problem; you should do the same. You must distinguishthe problems caused by psychic work from those stemming from physiology orpersonal history. "Mind over matter" does not mean that matter can be ignored.The purpose of self-evaluation is to make you aware of the kinds of things thatcan have an effect on spiritual work. "Know thyself" is not only the goal ofphilosophy; it is also the foundation of magic.

Given that caveat, we'll take a practical approach to psychic experience. Ratherthan asking whether something is "real," let's ask whether it is useful. Thebottom line in distinguishing a functional from a dysfunctional experience is tolearn whether it helps you live and work productively. A problem in the work isa signal for some serious consideration. Is this a wake-up call? A symptom ofspiritual emergence? Does this mean that you've just found one of yourpsychological "buttons"? Or did you forget to eat lunch today? Even a traumaticexperience can be helpful if it is caused by a "thwop" of the Divine "clue-by-four."As you explore the practices in this book, you will be remodeling yourmind. As is common in such projects, the process may make a bigger mess than youexpect before you begin to see improvement. Keep a record of your progress andyour process. When in doubt, get regular "reality checks" from people who knowyou well and wish you well, and whose judgment you respect.

Cumulative Learning

The key to controlling trance work is to use cues and conditioning. When you areconditioned to go into trance in response to a certain stimulus, you move intothat state only when that cue is given. Conditioning helps you control yourstate of consciousness. It also gives an inexperienced or blocked individual thesense of security needed to "let go." Because our minds manifest through ourphysical bodies, the outside world provides us with stimuli and images that canbe used in the world within. The worlds of trance are a symbolic reality.

(Continues...)

Excerpted from Trance-Portation by DIANA L. PAXSON. Copyright © 2008 Diana L. Paxson. Excerpted by permission of Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

Edition details

• Publisher: Weiser Books
• Publication date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1578634059
• ISBN 13: 9781578634057
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 304