Where ancient practice meets modern psychology
There’s a rhythm in the drumbeat that seems to bypass the mind and speak directly to the soul. Shamanic journeying isn’t just a practice—it’s a remembrance. A deep, primal way of communing with the unseen, the intuitive, and the parts of us that modern life often silences.
And when paired with a psychological lens, this practice becomes a powerful path of self-integration, trauma healing, and soul retrieval.
What Is Shamanic Journeying?
At its core, shamanic journeying is a meditative technique used to access altered states of consciousness for insight, healing, and connection to spirit allies. Practitioners traditionally use repetitive drumming or rattling to enter the “non-ordinary” world—a place beyond our five senses where soul wisdom, archetypes, and guidance live.
In this space, you may meet animal spirits, ancestors, or even parts of yourself that have been hidden away. Unlike guided meditation that is often externally led, journeying is deeply intuitive and internally driven.
The practice is ancient, rooted in Indigenous cultures across the globe, but its wisdom is deeply relevant to our modern psyches.
How I Integrate Psychology into Shamanic Work
As someone studying psychology, I approach shamanic journeying as a therapeutic tool as much as a spiritual one.
We know from Jungian psychology that the subconscious communicates in images, symbols, and archetypes. In journeying, you’re invited into a visual and sensory language your psyche understands intuitively. The “Upper World” might mirror the realm of potential and higher guidance; the “Lower World” often reflects the subconscious, the underworld, the inner child, the shadow.
When I guide journeying in my workshops, I weave in psychological insight:
- Inner child healing: Journey to meet and nurture younger parts of you.
- Shadow work: Encounter and integrate aspects of self you’ve disowned.
- Trauma integration: Reframe past experiences with the guidance of your higher self or spirit allies.
This synthesis allows journeying to become not just mystical, but deeply transformative and grounded in emotional healing.
A Safe Portal to the Subconscious
Unlike more intense methods like psychedelics, journeying offers a way to access non-ordinary states safely and with control. You’re still aware of your surroundings. You can come back anytime. And when held in a supported space, it can uncover root wounds, hidden desires, and internal wisdom that your conscious mind hasn’t been able to reach.
I’ve worked with clients who journeyed to retrieve parts of themselves lost during childhood abuse, relational trauma, or even ancestral wounding—and through integration work afterward, they experienced profound shifts in their day-to-day lives.
But Is It All in Your Head?
A common question from those with a psychological background is: Is this real? Or is it just imagination?
My answer: does it matter?
Whether spirit allies are objectively “real” or parts of your psyche communicating in symbolic form, the healing that happens is real. Carl Jung often worked with active imagination to access the unconscious—and journeying is a parallel path. You’re learning to speak the soul’s language. And that language is metaphor, emotion, imagery, and energy.
Safety, Grounding & Aftercare
As with any deep inner work, integration is key. After a journey, I encourage grounding practices:
- Journaling your experience
- Gentle movement or nature time
- Talking it through with a practitioner or peer
- Drinking water or eating grounding foods
I also include psychological check-ins to help distinguish symbolic experiences from potential dissociation or spiritual bypassing. This is especially important for those with trauma histories or spiritual sensitivities.
The Invitation
Shamanic journeying isn’t about escaping reality—it’s about deepening it. It’s about becoming your own healer, your own guide, and your own safe space. And when woven with psychological insight, it becomes a potent tool for transformation.
You already carry the map inside of you. Journeying just helps you read it.
Intuitive Souls 