How People Access Altered States of Consciousness

In this episode of Realms of Curiosity, Sarah and Wendy explore how people access non-ordinary states of consciousness through practices found across cultures and spiritual traditions.They discuss shamanic journeying through drumming and rattling, altered states induced through breathwork, fasting, ecstatic dance, and plant medicines, and the connection between dreaming, symbolic perception, and expanded awareness.Drawing from personal experience, they compare shamanic journeying with psychedelic experiences and reflect on the importance of integration, inner preparation, and learning to perceive rather than force experience through the analytical mind.The conversation also touches on differing cosmologies of middle, lower, and upper worlds, archetypal imagery, the unconscious, and the evolving nature of spiritual practice.As always, the discussion is exploratory, experiential, and rooted in curiosity rather than certainty.______________________Visit Sarah's websiteVisit Wendy's websiteRealms of Curiosity theme music created by Keen Mixer