The Three Worlds of Shamanism, Levels of Consciousness In Trance
(This is an excerpt from a University Of Metaphysical Sciences course at www.umsonline.org, please feel free to visit the school website)
There are three basic "worlds of shamanism," or levels of consciousness, that the shaman explores in trance. These are virtually universal among shamanic traditions, though called by different names. They are:
The Lower World: A lower world journey will often involve moving through a known hole in the earth, such as a tree trunk, tree roots, a spring, a cave, a burrow, or some other kind of hole in the ground, and emerging into the lower world. This is the world most familiar to many of the shamanic practitioners working today. This world should be quite familiar before one attempts too much in the middle and upper worlds, although one who has done much personal work previously may be able to work easily in the other two worlds. The lower world is a place to meet and connect with power animals and other archetypal spirits who don’t choose to incarnate in a physical body. It is the realm of the past and the unconscious, the oceanic realm, and the home of emotions, as well as the origin of healing earth energy.
The Middle World: The middle world includes the world of form, as well as a parallel world sometimes called the astral plane. The middle world contains the thought forms which create physical reality. A journey into the middle world will often involve seeking answers to questions about life in ordinary reality. This is the place one might journey to find a lost person or object, or to find a water or food source. It is associated with the future, and if one is looking for what the future may hold, this would be the place to go.
The Upper World: The upper world is the realm of ecstasy, the origin of rapture, the home of highly refined and purified energies. This is the home of Buddha, Christ, other ascended masters, angelic beings, and our higher self. It transcends time and space, and experiences of miraculous healing and enlightenment originate here. It can be accessed by climbing a tree, a rainbow, a mountain, or clouds.