Spirit Medicine #3


Hello and welcome!

My name is Omanisa and this module is the first in my Spirit Medicine with Om training course, where students learn how to heal themselves and access spiritual guidance using a blend of ancient shamanic practice with modern creative therapies, mindfulness, meditation, creative visualisation and naturopathy.

I absolutely loved your ‘Spirit Medicine with Om’ course this year – it was such an enriching and enjoyable experience. It supported me greatly in connecting with my own inner wisdom, building a relationship with my guides, and using deliberate and focused psychic intent to support a significant up-levelling in my life.

Carina F – Student 2021

The entire course can be studied via distance you don’t need to be local to my area – Darwin, Australia – to study with me. Module 1 introduces shamanism as the foundation of Spirit Medicine, a nature-based spiritual practice shaped by the deep wisdom of First Nations cultures world-wide.

  • LESSON ONE – What is a Shaman? Learn about the definition and history of shamanism, with quotes from previous students about what shamanism means to them.
  • LESSON TWO – Becoming a Shaman In this lesson we explore the many pathways to shamanism and I share my initiation story – the vision quest I went on aged 16 when I met my power animal.
  • LESSON THREE – The Shamanic Personality In this lesson I describe typical shamanic personality traits , based on my observations over 25 years of sketching and reading the aura colours of many naturally gifted shamans.
  • LESSON FOUR – Conscious Dreaming Discover a range of methods shamans use to enter an altered state of consciousness I call the shamanic visionary state.
  • LESSON FIVE – Levels of Reality Most ordinary people only have access to Level One. In Spirit Medicine with Om, I teach you how to access Level Two and Three.

This lesson features three student-only offers:

  • A $130 discount coupon for a Spirit Guide Portrait and Reading, where I tune in to find what animal spirit is helping you, and what they are helping you with.
  • A Shamanic Aura Sketch and Reading, where I scan your energy field and create an aura portrait depicting your shamanic personality traits. This include a past and/or future life reading, to help you “meet” you inner shaman and see their unique skill set.
  • A Gaian Healing where my shamanic guide and I collaborate with your guide to re-attune and reconnect you with the spirit medicine of Nature.

CAUTION: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this module contains images of western desert painting men who have died.  

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INTRODUCTION
LESSON ONE – What is a Shaman?
LESSON TWO – Becoming a Shaman
LESSON THREE – Shamanic Personality
LESSON FOUR – Conscious Dreaming
LESSON FIVE – The 3 Levels of Reality

My name is Omanisa. I’m an Australian spiritual mentor, naturopath and visionary artist.

My country is Mparntwe (pronounced m’barn-twa), a place called Alice Springs, beautiful desert country in central Australia.

This is where I was born and grew up, in country owned and cared for by the Arrernte (pronounced a·ruhn·duh) people, the traditional owners of this land. 

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is omi-camel1.jpg

I was raised by elders whose worldview was shaped by their friendships with the indigenous First Nations people of central Australia. My heritage on a spiritual level, as influenced and shaped by these elders, is animistic: I grew up with elders who named and spoke with trees, rocks, flowers, the moon and inanimate objects as though they were people. We animists tend to personify everything around us because from our perspective, everything is alive, everything has spirit, soul, essence, character. Animism is the indigenous spirituality that lays at the heart of Spirit Medicine.

Spirit Medicine is a blend of ancient animistic, shamanic practice with modern creative therapies, mindfulness, meditation, creative visualisation and naturopathy. Shamanism is a nature-based spiritual practice informed by the deep wisdom of First Nations cultures world-wide, a deeply creative approach to healing, counselling and spiritual mentoring that often appeals to artistic, open-minded, nature-loving people, especially those who have a natural gift for entering trance states.

The naturopathic element in Spirit Medicine is my “wise woman” version of naturopathy, a return to the nature-therapy principles naturopathy was originally founded on – natural whole-foods, herbal medicine, exercise, sunlight and fresh air, i.e. time spent outdoors in Nature.

I have been running a naturopathic clinic since 2003 in Larrakia country, also known as Darwin, on the tropical coast of northern Australia. This is where my children grew up, in country owned and cared for by First Nations Larrakia people. 

Before we begin our first lesson, I would like to give thanks to the elders and traditional owners of the land that raised me and my children, with an extra special thanks to the elders who have been my teachers. I would also like to honour my ancestors who raised me with love for the land, and respect for the Spirits.

Blessed Be!

Are there any elders, teachers, First Nations, traditional owners, or ancestors you would like to acknowledge and honour? Take a moment now to think of them. Let’s give thanks for the knowledge and wisdom that has been kept alive and handed down through the generations, and from one culture to another.

Shalom

Lesson One – “WHAT IS A SHAMAN?”

All indigenous cultures throughout history have had a strong spiritual connection with nature, and most (if not all) of these cultures had at least one person in their clan, tribe or village with an extra-special connection who functioned as the priest, counsellor and doctor, all rolled into one. They were nature-doctors who worked with natural/herbal medicines, and magic users with a gift for going into trance states to communicate with the spirit realm on behalf of others. For the most part, these people were responsible for helping their broader community maintain a respectful, balanced spiritual connection with the natural world around them and the spirit realm.

In modern times, we tend to refer to these people collectively as “Shamans” and to their practise as “Shamanism”, but this terminology has been borrowed from Siberia: in actual fact, every culture has (or had) its own unique words to describe these spiritual practitioners and what they do. Many of these indigenous cultures and the traditional practises they follow have died out. Of the ones that are left, there aren’t many “shamans” still practising, nor new ones being trained. Old ways are dying out, and with them, many people have lost their spiritual connection with Nature. The decline of traditional nature-based spiritual practises have come about due to modern, organised religion suppressing and oppressing traditional nature-based spiritual practises; modern science/medicine showing disdain/disrespect for traditional approaches to medicine; and the influence of modern social values and social structures based on money and materialism.

Moth Lady – Spirit Guide Sketch by Omanisa

All of us have ancestral roots that go back to one or more indigenous culture if we go back far enough, and it’s my sense that instinctual shamanic wisdom is hard-wired into all of our DNA at a really deep level.

Having said that, some of us feel a stronger calling than others; some of us were raised closer to Nature than others; and some of us had elders who taught or encouraged a spiritual connection with Nature.

My personal definition of a modern shaman is someone with a nature-based spiritual practise who can easily access altered states of consciousness to communicate with Spirit. Aside from the nature connection and gift for trance, we also tend to be creative.

As my youngest child learned when she went to university to study theatre, dancing, singing, acting and story-telling all evolved out of the ceremonial practises that shamans and shamanic communities use for healing, spiritual connection and the sharing of spirit-wisdom.

A shaman is a religious specialist but, unlike a priest, a shaman does not belong to a Church. Personal mystical experience forms the basis of the shaman’s spiritual knowledge such as healing, protecting through magic, and offering spiritual guidance. The term originally comes from Siberia but anthropologists have used it to describe certain individuals in cultures all round the world.

DICTIONARY OF UNFAMILIAR WORDS BY DIAGRAM GROUP COPYRIGHT 
© 2008 BY DIAGRAM VISUAL INFORMATION LIMITED

This module is part of Spirit Medicine Level One, which is all about shamanic self-care, as opposed to being a healer or guide for others. These are the skills I love teaching my clients so they can heal themselves and develop greater mindbody self-awareness.

In Levels Two and Three, students take what they’ve learned about healing themselves and discover how to use these skills to help others. As a healing teacher, I’m always searching for that meeting place between teaching core skills and principles while teasing up to the surface each student’s uniqueness, their gifts and skills, their wisdom and the essence of who they are as a healer or psychic counsellor.

I also know that my students are my teachers, and teachers for each other. For this reason, I have lots of quotes from students about what shamanism means for them, and I thought you might enjoy reading them as much as I did.

What does shamanism mean to you?

“For me it’s also about recognising that every element of the universe has equal value and works in a holistic system of cause and effect to create balance. It’s honouring the wisdom of the physical environment and spiritual spheres. Shamanic practices have been perfected by indigenous cultures over millennia as a way of connecting to these spirits and elements. For my personal practice, I draw on Mother Earth, elementals and spirit guides, knowledge and rituals from my ancestors, past and contemporary teachers. I don’t think that there is a one size fits all approach to shamanism, rather it’s all about your intent for your practice.” 

Debby M

“My own version of shamanism seems to be evolving over time as I connect more and more with Nature. Random things like bird calls, cloud formations, a glimpse of the moon, the ‘feel’ of the weather catch my attention and from there I seem to get insights and access wisdom if I stop what I’m doing and tune in. I love it! I’m feeling my way so your course is perfect timing.”

Jenny e
Wind Whisperer – Spirit Sketch by Omanisa

“For me it is a deep connection with all that is, in all realms and all aspects. Everything else falls into place when we see all as equals sharing the experiences of the journey. It is a circular process. As I forge the connection, be it gathering herbs, offerings of tobacco, journey to other realms or places in this world, the connection deepens my ability to have these rich shamanic experiences. Then I see through a different set of eyes.” 

Katie R

If you’re in our Spirit Medicine Facebook group, you might like to share what shamanism means to you….

If you aren’t in this group and would like to join, please click the group image to join:

Lesson Two – “BECOMING A SHAMAN”

How does a shaman become a shaman?

Traditionally, this has varied from one culture/tradition/time to another. In some cultures, you’re marked for this path if you’re born on a special day, you’re the seventh son/daughter of a seventh son/daughter (or suchlike), there were special ‘portents’ that occurred at your time of birth; or you bear a certain kind of birthmark. Alternatively, you might be chosen later in life by a predecessor or the village clan, tribe or community based on a sign, such as your behaviour or appearance, or a special event, and put through shamanic training whether you like it or not (i.e., it’s not always by choice).

In modern times, non-traditional shamans are either self/spirit-taught or they study courses on shamanism (a mix of both is very common). Their training is usually influenced or shaped by traditions drawn from various cultures around the world. The ‘calling’ can include near-death experiences and/or brushes with insanity, sudden spiritual awakenings or psychic experiences, and/or having a gift for going into trance states.

If you feel a calling to become a shaman and commit yourself to this path in a focused and patient manner, the perfect teachers will come. The training I provide throughout this course will give you a taste if you are a beginner, or deepen your understanding if you’re already on the path. In Level One, we focus on developing the shamanic self-care skills I learned from my spirit guides during my 30+ years of training as a healer and psychic medium.

Spirit guides are wise and loving spirit-beings residing in the spiritual realm who watch over us and guide our personal and spiritual growth. As my spirit guides always say, it’s vital that healers and helpers understand that self-care comes first: before reaching out to support others, we must first support ourselves; before healing others, we must know how to heal ourselves. Shamanic self-care offers us a way to heal ourselves while remembering and honouring our sacred union with Nature.

We are One with Nature, with Gaia. Mother Nature is our mother, our larger body, both on a physical and a spiritual level. When we heal ourselves, we heal her, because we are part of her. And when we heal her, we heal ourselves.

Omanisa with Kaapa and Johnny W

My story

I was born in Alice Springs in central Australia, into a family with a deep love and respect for Nature and Australian indigenous culture and I have indigenous family members.

My parents were hippies influenced by 70’s eastern spirituality, especially Indian culture, which might be why chakras feel like home for me! For a few years on and off in my toddler years, we lived off-grid in a rainforest in Tasmania in a big tent filled with Indian wallhangings and Persian rugs. We were part of a collective trying to protect the rainforest from logging and this land (called Lothlórien by its carers) is still being protected today, while pockets of land all around it are clear-felled every few years.

Without any children living nearby to play with, I bonded with the natural world around me and the giant leatherwood trees became my best friends. Even after returning to live in Alice for my schooling, my empathic love for Nature never waned and the rich imagination I’d cultivated in Lothlorian continued to build and grow. Looking back, I can see how my upbringing helped to shape and foster my natural gift for going into trance.

Lothlórien

At the age of 14, I began researching and educating myself about shamanism, meditation and creative visualisation, after discovering writers such as Carlos Castaneda and Lynn V. Andrews. Two years later, a visiting American Indian shaman took me on a vision-quest, an American Indian rite of passage that helps a young person connect with Nature, develop survival skills and maturity, and find their purpose in life, their role in a community, how they may best serve their people.

A lot of modern shamanism focuses on using plant medicines such as Ayahuasca to induce altered states of consciousness but my teacher opted instead to use ceremonies such as a sweat lodge meditation with drumming, along with fasting and sleep deprivation. I stayed awake all night sitting in a sleeping bag in a dry sandy river bed in central Australia and my vision came with the dawn. This was when I discovered my calling to work with colour as a visionary artist and healer. It was my first “Rainbow Shaman” initiation, an attunement that opened my third eye and helped me “see” Rainbow Ki, the energy of the human aura.


Having spider as my power animal marks me as a writer.

In some cultures, spiders are said to have taught humans the alphabet, their web-weaving skills being associated with the patterns formed when we write words.

Like spider, I also have a gift for feeling vibrations that spread through the Web of Life.


8 years after my vision quest, after having moved to Darwin and become a mother, I began working as an energy healer and began studying naturopathy. My spiritual mentor at the time was a Larrakia woman who introduced me to my spirit guides.

Spirit guides are wise and loving spirit-beings residing in the spiritual realm who watch over us and guide our personal and spiritual growth. I’ve been working with spirit guides in my professional role as a spiritual healer, medium, oracle and visionary artist for over 20 years, and sketching artistic interpretations of my client’s guides for over 10 years.

One of my spirit guides is Gaia (Mother Nature). Together, my mentor and Gaia gave me my second shamanic initiation.

“Wise Woman” sketch of Gaia, by Omanisa

Two years later, with help from my spirit guides, I began sketching and reading people’s auras (their energy/Ki). Then, in 2003, I graduated and entered private practice as a naturopath, working alongside a psychologist who had been mentoring me with my Aura Sketching to help me develop my spiritual counselling skills.

Over the past two decades, I’ve gradually merged my energy work and naturopathic practice together. At the core of all of it is my relationship with Ki (energy) and Spirit, especially Gaia (Nature/the land).

Is Shamanism calling you?

Here’s a sharing from one of my apprentices, about the childhood experiences that set the stage for a calling to shamanic practice that she is now passing onto her children.

Shamanism is calling our soul to listen deeply and work with nature. As a young child growing up in the Kimberleys I would always climb and sit with the boab trees. The mountains would talk to me and I would spend a lot of time in caves, climbing and cleansing in the wet season waterfalls. I was always at home in the bush or at sea. I understand now that spirit took me to many sacred sites through out my life to learn how to connect to the ancient wisdom. Through my work I am able to weave in aspects of shamanism into my daily life. I feel blessed I have beautiful children I can teach them shamanism and how important it is to live in nature and look after our beautiful mother earth

Larni M

Deciding who your power animal is… now that’s a very personal thing. It’s something I help my apprentices discover for themselves after developing the skills needed to do so.

Most people just have one power animal, but we can have many animal spirit guides. If you would like to know what animal spirit is watching over you and guiding you at this time, you can ask me to tune in and sketch your guide for you. I’ll also convey the visions and conversations I have with your guide about how they are helping you and what they are helping you with. (Normally, when a client places an order for a Spirit Guide sketch and Reading, they don’t get any say in what kind of guide I sketch for them.)

Even better, I’m giving you a $130 discount!


If you want the standard Spirit Guide sketch and reading service (not limited to animal spirit only), you are welcome to use your 10% discount coupon to save some money on this service. Your coupon code to use at the checkout is SM1.

Here are some of the animal spirit guides I have sketched for clients and family over the years. 

“Omg, so beautiful Om, this makes me so happy! I listened to the audio last night and it was just what I needed, everything in the audio made so much sense…”

“Wow! How incredible, I am so excited, it brought me to tears. I feel so blessed to receive such an amazing Gift. I will treasure it forever.”

“It’s beautiful and I absolutely love it! I will re-listen to your recording as there is so much resonating with me and I need to write down some notes…”

“Smack on the money! Thanks Om, you are amazing!”

“I absolutely loved the reading, it was totally spot on down to the neck pain I’ve been having. You couldn’t have given me anything more relevant, more accurate or more welcomed.

“Just read the Spirit Guide reading… WOW!!! So emotive and soul touching… thank you So Much. So good to know she is there, to meet her visually. Every now and then a voice pops into my head and says “don’t fear, just trust and believe”. Always at the right moment. …

So much makes sense. It’s helped me connect all these things together.”

Lesson Three – “THE SHAMANIC PERSONALITY”

Larni is a good example of someone I would consider a natural shaman with wise or old-soul shamanic traits. I’ve been sketching and reading the aura for over 25 years and I’ve learned to recognise very specific aura colours worn by natural shamans.

Your aura is your essence or spirit. It’s the non-physical part of who you are, your psyche or soul.

Here’s an Aura Sketch featuring classic shamanic aura colours.

Each colour represents specific personality traits.

I’m going to describe these traits to you because I’m hoping you might see yourself in these shamanic descriptions, even if it’s only in a small way.

Alternatively, might find yourself admiring the shamanic persona and wanting to become this kind of person. If you feel either of these things, the shaman’s path may well be calling you!

A fierce love for Nature You might have noticed the colours in this sketch are Earth colours, the same colours we see when looking back at Earth from space. The shamanic aura is the same as Gaia’s aura, our Earth Mother, because we are her healers. Earth, for the Shaman, is our home and our larger body, that which we and everyone else are a part of. Shamans are healers who seek to protect and restore the wholeness of Life/Gaia/Nature.

Feeling blessed and grateful As a shaman I know I am blessed, simply because I exist here on this incredible planet. Our green mother, dressed in robes of rolling green hills and forests full of life, gives us a home, food, shelter, community and so much more. I give thanks every day for the abundance that surrounds me. A shaman knows the gifts given by Gaia are part of the great cycle/spiral/circle of life and care must be taken to protect, foster and support these natural eco-systems, rather than taking mindlessly, greedily, and not giving anything back.

An holistic, empathic, animistic mindset. A shaman thinks in a holistic way, seeing the bigger picture and the way everything connects as one whole. The shaman knows we are all connected, all of life, as one big tribe. We also believe that everything has a spirit, a soul, an aura, a life-essence. This includes non-human animals, plants, forests, rocks, mountains, objects and place. And when you put all of this together, it’s not hard to understand why it’s so easy for us to empathise with the world around us.

Om’s Naturopathic Dispensary

A green thumb or an interest in herbs/nutrition.

Some shamans have a special connection with plants, and may be gifted gardeners and herbalists.

They often have a green thumb and a deep love for the plant kingdom.

Many shamans have a gift for bringing life into this world, regardless of whether this has to do with helping human or animal mothers get pregnant and give birth, the planting of seeds and cultivating plant life, or using herbs and plant foods to save and improve life.

An ability to enter trance states and step outside of themselves. The empathic ability of the shaman, combined with their awareness that we are all One, enables them to step out of their physical body/reality and “see” reality from a different perspective (eg like a soaring bird looking down from above). The shaman’s spirit isn’t stuck in their physical body: it’s a fluid, adventurous entity that loves to go exploring! This capacity and desire to “see” from perspectives outside of their own enables to shaman to be highly observant and mindfully aware of their inner and outer reality, with the sharp-eyed watchfulness of a hawk, or an owl, or a dingo.

Placing value on being grounded and being of service. A Shaman might be able to travel beyond their physical body/reality/perspective but they always keep a part of themselves anchored (grounded) in their physical body and the shared consensus reality of their tribe/community. And they might be hermits who enjoy being alone with Nature but they also know that other humans are a cherished part of Nature and they do what they can to contribute to the wellbeing of the whole.

Observant composure and discernment. Shamans don’t waste energy unnecessarily. They are efficient with their actions and words. They stay centred and cannot easily be provoked, tricked, sucked dry or snuck up on. They don’t lose their cool. They don’t gossip and they’re good at zipping their lips and keeping secrets.

The ability to adapt to circumstances and “turn lemons into lemonade”. Every single experience, every moment, no matter how dark or painful, is a potential treasure because it can grant us more wisdom. As such, we are always looking for the light hidden in the darkness and the gifts in disguise. For us, “winning” has more to do with cultivating self-awareness and self-command than in becoming rich, having power over others or having status/success in the eyes of others. The Shaman knows true power comes from the perceptual choices we make, the way we tell our stories, the role/character/light we cast ourselves and others in.

Not letting your ego get the better of you. This means making authentically nourishing and empowering choices, rather than letting your need to feel important/heroic or appear wise/successful/right etc, dictate your behaviour. The negative ego is Trickster energy, sucking us in, leading us nowhere good, and projecting our insecurities and fears out into the world while not owning our own shit.

Familiarity with death and loss. Death is the natural prelude to rebirth. The death-rebirth cycle is a magical process of transformation that helps us grow, evolve, and prevent stagnation. Many shamans have experienced trauma, loss and dark nights of the soul; this can be exactly what leads them to the Shaman’s Path. Endings and death are an inevitable part of life, so we accept this whilst also cherishing and savouring life. A typical shaman knows life is short and that they must live in an authentic way which honours this truth.


Special Student-only Offer

If you are interested in discovering what shamanic aura colours you have, you are welcome to book in for an Aura Sketch and Reading. Ask me about your shamanic identity and we can traverse your aura and your soul’s history: who have you been before and what are your unique shamanic gifts, skills and potentials?

Lesson Four – “THE SHAMANIC VISIONARY STATE”

As a Spirit Medicine practitioner, a shaman, I specialise in being able to enter slightly altered states of consciousness, trance or visionary states that put me in contact with the spirit realm so I can access higher guidance, information, and healing energy. These three terms, “altered state of consciousness”, “trance state” and “visionary state” all mean the same thing and are phrases I will use interchangeably throughout this module and the Spirit Medicine training as a whole.

These shifts in awareness are the bridge that carries me from normal everyday reality into the spirit realm, or to say this more correctly, into an awareness of the spirit realm. In the next module, we’ll delve further into what the spirit realm is, but I want to drop a preliminary note here, plant a little seed to stir your thoughts, and say that the spirit realm isn’t just accessed via an altered state of consciousness, the spirit realm is an altered state of consciousness: state and realm are indivisible.

Don’t worry too much if this doesn’t make sense right away. Spiritual wisdom is full of seeming contradictions and puzzles, much like the classic Zen thought-puzzle about the sound of one hand clapping. I will do my best to provide intellectual, theoretical insights into the mysterious realm of Spirit for you to ponder, but the real learning and understanding will come from being immersed in practical experiences that show you what I mean, in ways that words cannot.

When I’m in the shamanic visionary state, I see, feel, hear and know things that I cant see, feel, hear, or know whilst in a normal waking state of consciousness. This is where I go when I’m sketching the aura, reading oracle cards, doing a healing, reading a past life, or talking with spirit guides and the spirit of those who have passed. While the word ‘vision’ is a good one to describe this state, it definitely isn’t just about ‘seeing’. 

There are differing degrees of ‘depth’, when it comes to the shamanic visionary state. A light state is more like a very vivid daydream, whereas a deep state is more like a proper dream you would have at night. For the most part, I encourage my students to seek lighter states closer to the surface of ordinary reality. The ‘lighter’ the state is, the easier it is to remain grounded and able to comprehend, translate, communicate and remember your visions. Lighter states are also safer and easier to access and navigate. 

The entry point into the shamanic visionary state comes via something called the “Flow State” which we’ll learn more about in Module 6. For now, let’s just say there are clever tricks we can use to shift our state of consciousness. Advanced practitioners (experienced shamans) don’t need to use these because we can shift our state at will, but we all start by using one or more of the following techniques.

Most of us have experienced a light trance state at some point in our lives. The following list might help you recognise what a light trance state feels like, and give you some insight into what approaches might best work for you!

Think “hypnosis” to get your head around this one. Dreamy gazing, especially when focusing on rhythmic visual movement, can help you shift into a deeper state of consciousness. In Nature, we often find this when watching fire dancing, waves/water flowing, wind moving through the leaves of a tree, the way light sparkles on water, the flitting of a butterfly through the garden, or from watching someone dance or beat a drum. If something is visually mesmerising for you and draws you in and makes you mind go quiet, it can help you shift state.

Think of the sound of drums or rattles, or song, or the waves washing in and out, the wind, bird song, singing bowls, bells, rain. Sound is a potent, time honoured, drug-free way to access altered states! Rhythm and repetition is often the key, but sound that evokes emotion can be powerful too. The psyche loves to entrain itself to a rhythm and you can deliberately use this to shift your brain wave frequencies, slow them down into a deeper state of consciousness.

We can use rhythm on a physical level too. Any rhythmic physical movement can help you shift state, with dance being a famous technique. Mind you, the form in many martial arts can do it, as can yoga, tai chi, chi kung etc. Running used to be one of my favourites! A change in our breathing pattern can help us access altered states eg longer deeper breaths, or shorter/faster shallow breaths. So too can simply focusing on your breath and the rhythm of it. In part, this is about the mesmerising, soothing effect of rhythm all over again, but oxygenation changes to the brain can also contribute to a shift in consciousness. 


This is a classic “Vision quest” technique. When sleep deprivation loosens the conscious minds grip on consensus reality, the dream realm can sneak through the cracks and bring spirit with it! Have you ever been a bit delirious or had hallucinations due to lack of sleep?! Keep in mind there’s a fine line between accessing altered states and messing ourselves up (be sensible and careful): sleep deprivation can reduce your sharpness, clarity, productivity and is used as a form of torture!

Developing lucid dreaming skills is a classic way to access an altered state of consciousness, but you can also access an altered state in that lovely window of time just before falling asleep and just before you wake up properly. This is a wonderful dreamy state during which you can have better access to your subconscious and your rational mind has less authority over your perceptions.


Meditation is one of my FAVOURITE ways to access altered states of consciousness, mostly because it involves the development of skill and mastery with awareness. Being able to shift your state at will, is, for me, the ultimate. Any kind of “spiritual practice” or “spiritual discipline” can help you access an altered state. Anything that helps you slow down, be still, turn inwards, or tune into your natural environment in a meditative way, can be a useful tool.

Drugs, on the other hand, don’t lend themselves so well to the development of conscious skill and mastery. There’s generally a lot less control and personal mastery involved. While this is a time-honoured approach in shamanism, it can be a bit risky and unkind to the body and psyche if we over-rely on this as our window into altered states. Drugs can be useful in opening us up initially, especially if a person has a very rigid, closed mind, but always make sure you do this under the guidance of a health-care professional who specialises in this work. Having guidance and the correct dose will ensure you don’t have a “bad trip” which could cause trauma. I teach my students drug-free ways to access and master the visionary shamanic experience. 

Adrenaline can help prompt an altered state – not so much in terms of facilitating an inner journey/vision, but more in terms of seeing reality around you through new eyes. In high-adrenal states, we can “see” differently, and experience the passage of time differently (eg time slows down), especially if there is some danger/threat. Almost dying isn’t an ideal pathway to pursue as a matter of course, but it certainly can be the initial awakener. Everything can seem sharper, more alive, sparkly. We might even find the walls between this realm and the spirit realm melt away for a moment.

Special Student-only Offer

In this special student-only offer, Gaia and I will work hand-in-hand with your shamanic spirit guide to reconnect you with the spiritual medicine of Nature. (In a normal Gaian Healing it’s just Gaia and myself doing the healing).

Lesson Five – “THE THREE LEVELS OF REALITY”

A few months after I began teaching Spirit Medicine for the first time, I was amazed to discover beautiful little book in a second hand book store that had the same title: Spirit Medicine. Intrigued, I bought it and was delighted to find my identity and work so clearly articulated by the two shamanic authors, Dr. Hank Wesselman and his wife, transpersonal medical practitioner Jill Kuykendall.

My favourite part was the section on the three levels of reality. As a mostly spirit-taught shaman, it was wonderfully validating to have other shamans describe their experience of reality and have it so perfectly mirror my own experiences. So in writing this lesson, I’d like to acknowledge and thank Hank and Jill and their book, Spirit Medicine. I highly recommend this book if you’d like to learn more about modern shamanism.

Level One Reality

Level One is ordinary, everyday reality.

Level One Reality is the physical, material, ordinary reality we inhabit on a day to day basis along with everyone else. You’ll sometimes hear me refer to this as “consensus reality”, because it’s the shared reality we collectively experience as being tangibly, objectively real. This is the reality we experience when we’re in our normal waking state of consciousness. Non-shamans are generally limited to this Level.

In Level One Reality some basic assumptions we collectively hold, an agreed-upon consensus view of reality that help keep our physical, material reality cohesive and organised. First, there is the sense that everything and everyone is separate from everything and everyone else. You are you, and I am me. I am here, and you are there. Second, time is linear. This ensures a very logical “cause and effect” sequence of events where there are beginnings that move through to endings.

While these beliefs are quite limited in scope when viewed from a broader shamanic perspective, they are a vital part of what keeps us grounded/anchored in consensus physical reality and they should not be devalued.

If you ever get a bit confused when exploring spiritual/shamanic concepts/realms, I strongly advise you to anchor back into Level One via these assumptions because they provide stability and good mental health. People who delve into spiritual concepts and the spirit realm without keeping at least one foot firmly anchored in Level One Reality, can come a little undone at the seams.

A shaman never loses touch with the underlying reality of Level One. Without the wonderful Level One boundaries that help separate self from other, here from there, and now from the future and past, we can become mentally and emotionally unwell. Besides which, a true shaman celebrates the gift of being embodied and grounded in the profoundly exquisite experience of physical reality. We aren’t interested in using spirituality as a way to escape reality.

Level Two Reality

Level Two is the realm of energy and energy fields.

Everything in the physical, material realm of Level One has an energetic equivalent on Level Two. You and I have an energy field or “lightbody”. So do animals, plants and the planet itself.

A good metaphor for the difference between level One and Two Realities is to consider the different forms water can be found in. The physical body is the equivalent of water in its ice form: solid, tangible form. Our energy body is the equivalent of water in its vapour form: invisible and intangible.

All ancient, indigenous cultures have a word to describe non-physical spiritual energy, the invisible “stuff” everything is made out of. This core spark of light and life that animates everything in the universe and joins us all together as One, flowing through, around and between everything that is, is what Yoga practitioners refer to as prana and martial artists often refer to as chi.

This spiritual energy comes in many different ‘flavours’ or forms, depending on where it is, what it’s doing and who’s describing it. As a healer, there are many words I personally use to describe this universal energy (depending on the context) such as Aura, Light, White Light, the Hawaiian word aka and the Japanese word Ki. I think of Ki as a life-giving, nourishing energy ‘food’, a light that our light-body (energy-body or aura) needs to have flowing through it (much like blood in our veins!) in order to maintain health and vitality.

We’ll be learning more about Ki energy in Module Two.

In Level Two Reality, the energy of everything is connected, like a giant Web of Life, and all time and space exists at once. The past, present and future are all happening at the same time and there is no distance that separates us from each other. This is why a shaman is able to heal from a distance, predict the future and read your past. 

Level Two Reality is the reality I’m in when I’m sketching and reading the aura, which appears to me as clouds of luminous light. While I am accurately picking up on and reading a person’s essence and personality when I do these readings, my perception of this energy is a subjective experience. Every psychic’s way of “seeing” is unique. We all have our own personal language of visual symbols, like the aura colour system I use to represent different moods, attitudes and personality traits. What we experience when we connect with Level Two and Three reality is personal to us, because it’s experienced through the filter of our personal identity, body, mind, history, conditioning and so on.

Level Three Reality

Everything we’ve said about Level Two, where all time and space exists simultaneously, also applies to Level Three.

For the Polynesian people, Level Three is the Po. Being born and raised in central Australia, you might occasionally hear me refer to Level Three as the Dreamtime in honour of our First Nations people. And I’m half Scottish, so I’d also like to acknowledge the Celts who refer to the realm as the Other Worlds. But more often that not, I simply use the term Spirit Realm or Visionary Realm.

When I’m communicating with spirits (eg dead people, angels, spirit guides, deities etc), I’m in Level Three. But rather than thinking of the spirit realm as a “place”, I think of it as a state of consciousness, like a dream I enter while I’m awake. The shamanic visionary experience I described in the last lesson could be thought of as “conscious dreaming” and just like dreams, the experiences we have in these states are metaphorical.

What we perceive during a Level Three experience is coming to us through the filter of our subconscious, making it a subjective rather than an objective experience. When I am working with an apprentice and we enter Level Three together while working with a client, we might “see” different things, but the underlying meaning behind these visions is often the same. 

I find a lot of people get confused about the spirit realm because they are so locked into Level One ways of thinking, perceiving and understanding reality. A common mistake most people make is to take everything in Level Three too literally. In spiritual realities, everything is energy, nothing is literal. When we “see” a spirit being with a body and face, with a physical form, this seeing is a visual metaphor in our mind that helps us comprehend what would otherwise be incomprehensible to us. 


This brings us to the end of Module One. If you would like to continue your learning journey, consider joining one of more of our groups, attending a class, using your discount voucher to book a consult with me, and purchasing another module.

One of the ways I teach students to develop the skills needed to access Levels Two and Three is by coaching them in the art of recalling, interpreting, re-writing and re-entering their dreams, which we do in the Conscious Dreaming Facebook Group. Another method I use is to take students on guided meditation “journeys”, which are a staple feature in most of my classes.

We have a range of free social media discussion groups, on Facebook and Discord. You might also enjoy SolTV, a spiritual, emotional-wellness platform I’m a part of.

This is my original “Healing with Om” group, where discussion related to most of the modules takes place. This is also where we share our nature-photography and stories.
Learn more about Level Two Reality – the realm of aura colours, chakras and the energy field – Best for those who have a deck of my Aura Cards.
Come find out what the Crystal Library concept is all about and help us start a movement that honours our crystal friends. This group is the perfect compliment to Module 1 and 2.
Discord was set up by my daughter Mikiah as a discussion space related to our mutual oracle card and book set projects. Mikiah’s deck is “Geometric Dreaming”, mine is “Spirit Guides”.
Develop your psychic skills and self-awareness via the art of Dream Work. Share your dreams (anonymously if you wish), ask for help with translating them or helps others with theirs, and learn specific “Conscious Dreaming” skills.
SolTV is a new TV/video platform, a start-up I am honoured to be part of that provides emotional-welling wisdom from all around the world!

Your 10% discount coupon code for classes is TG1 and it can be used three times before it expires.

Meet your crystal guide and learn how to access the crystal spirit library.
Learn Om’s mindfulness method for clearing energy blockages.
Learn about herbs and flower essences and come on a plant-spirit journey.
COMING SOON!
Comes on a guided healing journey into Nature, a spirit-journey.
Learn how to read cards intuitively without needing to refer to the book.

Information about these offers are presented within the lessons, but I’ve added links here so they are easy for you to find.

Save $130! (Australian Dollars)

FIRST SPECIAL OFFER

To redeem this offer, click on the image and when you get to the checkout, use this coupon code: AS1

Your 10% Discount Coupon

You have ONE 10% discount coupon, which can be used for a private consult with me. To redeem your discount coupon, click on one of the services below and when you get to the check out, use this coupon code: SM1

SECOND SPECIAL OFFER

The “Shamanic” Aura Sketch & Reading, is the second special offer, only available for my students only. Click the image to learn more. To redeem your discount coupon, use this coupon code: SM1


THIRD SPECIAL OFFER

I’m offering a special version of this service for students, where Gaia and I collaborate with your shamanic spirit guide to attune your aura. Click the image to book in and claim your discount with this coupon code: SM1

These modules will gradually become available throughout the year. While you are welcome to pick and choose and create your own learning pathway, we do recommend following them in order, because each skill-set builds on the ones learned previously.

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