Shamanism, Quantum Physics, and Dreaming The World Into Being

Many seemingly paranormal experiences in the non-linear world of Shamanism seem to closely correlate with Quantum physics discoveries. Shamans have been told to appear in multiple locations at the same time by using their luminous “double” bodies, materialize objects out of thin air, shape-shift or become invisible, commune with animal and plant kingdom, perform remote healing, along with countless other mind-bending skills.

According to Quantum physics, past and future are not separate, location doesn’t exist, the world only comes into existence once observed, and this thing we call reality is one of many, possibly infinite, parallel dimensions.

Stories of Shamans journeying between dimensions have been recorded for centuries. When a Shaman enters a non-ordinary state of consciousness to retrieve information from the spirit worlds, could it be that he or she is able to glimpse into the many parallel dimensions of existence, theorized by Quantum physicists?

In the teachings of Shaman Don Juan Matus and the Toltecs, people only perceive a limited view of the multi-dimensional reality we live in, according to their readiness, and level of consciousness. In other words, people only see what they are capable of seeing. The definition of a Shaman is someone who has acquired an expanded vista and is able to see beyond the veils of time and space, for the purpose of bringing forth healing and greater balance for the planet. A Shaman’s work is to interpret and utilize the energy of the multi-dimensional Universe, in order to restore wholeness where needed.

Mind The Matter Please

“The world appears to you so overwhelmingly real because you think of it all the time; cease thinking of it and it will dissolve into thin mist.” – Nisargadatta Maharaj

One of the most groundbreaking findings in Quantum mechanics is that if you split matter into smallest possible pieces (called atoms), particles stop behaving like solid matter. These subatomic particles can then appear either as waves, particles, or a mysterious cloud of “potentiality”, while magically unbound by any particular location. All subatomic particles possess this type of shape-shifting ability.

To make things even more puzzling, when an electron (subatomic particle with a negative electric charge) isn’t being observed, it appears as a wave. The only time it takes a physical form of a particle, is when it is being observed. This theory has been further expanded into views of “quantum probability”, that still eludes many modern day scientists.

If matter is not solid, nor bound by time or location, as Quantum research suggest, the adept skills Shamans use no longer seem impossible.

An important pioneer and one of the founding fathers of Quantum physics, Danish physicist Niels Bohr, who received a Nobel Prize in 1922, stated that if subatomic particles only exist when observed, they cannot be classified as independent objects, nor separate from the observer.

Dreaming The World Into Being..

Alberto Villoldo writes in his book “Courageous Dreaming: How Shamans Dream the World Into Being”:

“Physicists understand that in the quantum world of the universe’s smallest elemental parts, nothing is “real” until it is observed. But quantum events do not occur in the laboratory only. They also happen inside our brain, on this page, and everywhere around us. When you observe any part of this dream, the great matrix of energy, you can change reality and alter the entire dream.”

Quantum physics research suggests that consciousness is affecting matter, as we observe it. This concept closely correlates with ancient shamanic teachings, and particularly, the use of ritual practice in shamanism. When a shaman performs a ritual, it is for the purpose of interacting with the elements of creation; communing with helpful spirits, bringing forth transformation, and eliciting positive outcomes for the future.

Both Shamans and Quantum physicists know that everything we do, say, or think, is altering the fabric of reality. When we truly understand the implications of “dreaming the world into being”, we have the potential to become responsible conscious creators, or dreamers.

Ancient Hindu teachings say that creation is the dream of Brahma. In the Shamanic cosmology, shared by many indigenous cultures around the planet, we are all co-creators of a collective dream-experience we call “reality”. Shaman elders teach that if we dream our world into being with loving kindness, for the benefit of all, we are creating heaven on earth, but when we dream from a place of fear, jealousy, or envy, we increase suffering in the world. This view is also shared by a sect of Tibetan Buddhism that teaches conscious dreaming as a tool for awakening, also known as Tibetan dream yoga.

Return to Wholeness

“Ultimate Unity throughout the cosmos envelops and surrounds all dimensions, measurements, laws, and tendencies. It fulfills and completes all potentials that unfold in joy throughout the Universe.” -Quran, verse 112.

In the world view of Quantum physics, all matter is interconnected in an unseen web of mysterious, collective intelligence. When looking even further down the rabbit hole, there appears to be a deeper order behind our level of existence that gives birth to the whole Quantum soup we experience as reality. Physicist David Bohm, one of the most important figures in Quantum research, referred to this level as “the implicate order”.

Einstein’s theory of relativity proposed that time and space are not separate, but part of a unified whole he referred to as “time-space continuum”. David Bohm further expanded Einstein’s vision by saying that everything in the Universe is part of a continuum – everything is connected.

Similarly, Shamans of the Andes and Amazon believe that we are all connected in an infinite fabric of creation. If we believe that we are separate from everything and everyone else, we only create conflict and suffering. It is only when we become aware of the underlying interconnectedness that we can begin to truly access our dreaming power, and participate in raising the consciousness of the collective dream.

Image by: Kiwihug

Sources:

David Bohm: Wholeness and the Implicate Order

Alberto Villoldo: Courageous Dreaming: How Shamans Dream the World Into Being