Shamanic Journeying and Hypnotherapy: Are they the same? (Demystifying Shamanism Series, Part 2)

About this time last year, I was sitting in the Zen Room at Healing Leaves Holistic Center with some fellow team members during one of our quarterly Open Houses, when hypnotherapist Amber Law turned to me and said "I still have yet to understand how what you do (within a Shamanic Healing Session) is different from what I do."

"I bang a drum," I responded with a belted laugh.

And while this is accurate pertaining to my practice, it definitely does not speak to the entirety of the similarities and differences between the two. I actually recall meeting someone a few years ago just as I had finally accepted my calling as a Shamanic practitioner, whom upon learning this said, "I'm kind of like a modern day Shaman! I'm a hypnotherapist!" And just as he said it, I heard a crackle of lightning as my brain linked the connection.

(I know this may seem slightly detached and a little naive but I had truthfully never thought of Shamanic journeying that way. As someone who had quite literally stumbled into the experience through a devoted meditation practice, I hadn't given a lot of thought to the similarities of the trance-like states that I found myself unconsciously self-inducing and the work of a hypnotherapist. I quite honestly didn't even have the language for what I was experiencing during meditation until years later, when I crossed paths with Shamanic Practitioner Roger Lockshier.)

Of course. Shamanic journeying and hypnotherapy are alike in that both involve inducing altered states of consciousness for the purpose of healing and transformation. But what other links do they share? Let's explore!

Shamans explore three realms of consciousness: the Lower World, the Middle World, and the Upper World... akin to the subconscious, conscious, and superconscious in hypnosis' trance states. These realms are navigated through journeying, or trance, which allows access to these nonlocal realities.

The Lower World: In "standard hypnosis," the client is guided to relax and visualize descending, often through methods like counting backward or imagining descending a stairway, mountain, or elevator. Similarly, in Shamanic journeying to the Lower Worlds, the shaman envisions descending into the earth, perhaps through a cave or tree opening.

The Lower World elicits theta and delta brainwave states, facilitating healing, soul retrieval, and the exploration of belief systems. Theta, akin to a twilight state, fosters deep trance and neurological activity, while delta, associated with Slow Wave Sleep, promotes healing and detached awareness. Theta is characterized by meditation, intuition, and memory, providing a platform for profound experiences.

The Middle World: Journeying to the Middle World parallels the conversational hypnosis techniques employed by Dr. Milton H. Erickson, utilizing storytelling and guided creative imagination visualizations. These methods, often referred to as hypnotic language patterns, prompt individuals to invent or daydream solutions to their concerns.

Unlike traditional hypnosis, there is no emphasis on relaxation or deepening techniques like counting backward. Instead, stories and fairy tales are used to reframe problems and facilitate acceptance of suggestions. These narratives engage the mind, allowing individuals to visualize scenarios vividly, akin to Shamanic journeying.

The Middle World closely resembles the present outer reality and is utilized for effecting changes in this realm. It corresponds to alpha brainwave states and waking hypnosis, inducing a state of relaxed consciousness conducive to stress reduction and heightened creativity. This state mirrors creative visualization techniques, fostering a pleasurable and relaxed mental state essential for problem-solving and transformation.

The Upper World: The journey to the Upper World in Shamanism involves various imagery, such as ascending a rope into the clouds, climbing a tree, or floating through a hole in the sky. This journey aims to gain a different perspective using the "higher" creative mind, accessing higher learning, inspiration and focus.

In hypnosis, the equivalent journey is known as hyperempiria. Unlike standard hypnosis techniques involving counting backward, hyperempiria involves ascending numerically, often with imagery of climbing upward. This method employs vivid imaginative role-play to stimulate creativity. It taps into the superconscious mind, where entities like gods and spirit guides reside. This realm corresponds to gamma brainwave frequencies associated with peak concentration and cognitive functioning.

A few other similarities include:

Soul Loss & Soul Retrieval (Parts Therapy):
- In both practices, it's believed that parts of the soul can fragment and separate due to trauma, leading to physical, psychological, or spiritual loss. Symptoms of soul loss include feeling fragmented, apathetic, or emotionally disconnected.
- In Shamanism, soul retrieval involves making contact with these lost fragments to reintegrate them, promoting healing and wholeness.
- Within hypnotherapy, parts therapy, influenced by Paul Fedem's work on ego parts, views the personality as composed of various subconscious aspects, each with its own functions. Practitioners like John Bradshaw use techniques to engage with inner imagery and address unmet needs through positive suggestions.
Age Regression:
- Both hypnosis and shamanism utilize age regression to explore past experiences and their impact on present issues.
- Age regression aims to uncover the root cause of problems, even if they originated in earlier phases of life.
- By understanding these causes, therapists can guide clients towards therapeutic release techniques, similar to soul retrieval and parts therapy.
Functional Disorders:
- Both practices acknowledge the mind-body connection in addressing functional disorders, where disruptions in bodily functions are attributed to psychological factors. Dr. Candace Pert's work on neuropeptides highlights the role of perceptions and beliefs in influencing bodily functioning.
- Both practices enable changes in thinking patterns, facilitating healing by addressing the underlying psychological tensions contributing to functional disorders.
Belief and Perception:
- Both hypnosis and Shamanism emphasize the importance of changing beliefs for improved well-being, as subjective reality influences one's experience of the world.
- They recognize the power of attention and focus in shaping reality, where sustained attention can amplify the object of focus, whether positive or negative.
- Both practices encourage mindfulness of the present moment as a potent opportunity for positive change and personal growth.
Future Progression (Destiny Retrieval):
- Both hypnosis and Shamanism offer techniques for exploring future timelines and potential outcomes.
- In hypnosis, techniques like guiding through a time tunnel allow clients to envision their future selves and make proactive decisions.
- Similarly, in Shamanism, practices like divination journeys or shapeshifting involve projecting into the future to gain insight and guidance.

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Given all the points discussed, it's evident that Shamanism, especially journeying, and hypnotherapy exhibit striking similarities. They both adhere to core principles and employ techniques geared towards fostering healing, self-exploration, and individual growth across diverse planes of consciousness and reality. If you wish to explore either, feel free to browse my site and maybe book a Clarity or Shamanic Healing Session!

DEMYSTIFYING SHAMANISM PART 1

1 Comments

Jun 11, 2025, 5:59:42 PM

Finn McMillan - Thankyou for sharing your experience and compiling this list of ideas. I am establishing my own transpersonal psychotherapy business and am a counsellor, hypnotherapist and shamanic practitioner. I woke up this morning having thought, overnight, that I had “invented” hypno-shamanism, and jumped online only to realise others have been here well before me! Thankyou again

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