Shaman's Dream

The Shaman's Dream

by Linda Heron Wind, Ph.D.

The old one was sitting under the tree in the shade, appearing to be taking a nap. Osana moved closer trying to be quiet like a mouse so as not to disturb her grandmother. The shady spot was much cooler than the midday sun. She curled up quietly and started to dose herself.

"Are you dreaming little one?" The voice of the old one startled the girl and she sat up quickly.

"I thought you were asleep, Masan," she replied.

"Asleep or not - no matter - I was dreaming the world," the old woman replied.

"Dreaming the world? You mean dreaming about the world?" said Osana confused.

"Oh no - I am dreaming the world. The world you see would not be here if we did not dream it," she said with a smile.

"You're joking aren't you? I can see that you are smiling," said Osana.

"Joking? Oh no - I am smiling because I am dreaming happy dreams!" replied the grandmother.

"Everyday I sit here when the sun is too hot to be out and about and I dream the possibilities into this plane of experience. When it is cold I take time to sit by the fire to dream."
Seeing that the old woman was serious, Osana was becoming curious about this dreaming process. "How do you do that? Do you just think about what you want to have happen?"

"No," answered the old one after a long pause during which she looked very intently at Osana.

"No, it is much more than that. Do you want to learn how? I could certainly use your help because the more dreamers we have working the easier and quicker the dreams come to us in their physical form."

"Oh yes! I would love to learn to dream the world. When can we start?" said Osana excitedly.

"Right now. When you crawled up beside me I was dreaming the rain that we need for the crops. Close your eyes and you can help."

Osana laid back down and closed her eyes as her grandmother told her to. She was so excited it was hard to keep them closed. But then she heard a soft rhythmic sound coming from Masan. She wasn't sure what it was but knew she should keep her eyes closed and pay attention.

Before she knew it she was standing on a hill with her grandmother and they were both singing to the clouds above them. She knew the song as she had heard it many times before when the village gave thanks for the harvest. It was a song that called the clouds to come dance in the circle of relatives to give thanks for the harvest they had created together. As they sang large raindrops began to fall and the smell of the wet Earth rose to greet them.

The rhythmic sound stopped and the old woman stirred. Osana opened her eyes that were still wet from the rain. Nothing more was said between them as there was nothing that needed words. They moved into the rest of the day smiling. Each day after that Osana looked for the old one, and for all anyone knew they took a nap in the shade of the tree.

A shaman knows that the everyday world that we live in is a dream created on other dimensions and is skilled in entering those other dimensions to change the dream. This is not new information. The indigenous peoples of Siberia, Europe, China, India, Africa, South America, North America, and the Artic all knew this. These, our ancestors, knew this. We know this now - deep within us it resonates with dusty memories.

Yet most of us walk around each day pretending that what we see and experience through our senses is real. Certainly it is a real experience but the experience is all that is real. A night dream is also an experience every bit as real. When we can see these dreams as the movie projected from a film that exists on another dimension we begin to see the world through the shaman's eyes.

When we enter these other dimensions the landscape may appear either strange or familiar, and we simply know what to do. What we do while we are there changes things. In fact, it is the only way to change things. Some shamans call it prayer, others meditation or journeying. Children call it daydreaming.

Don't let this 3-D movie fool you! It is only our dreaming made visible and solid. What are you dreaming into your life and the world?

The Shaman's Dream is
The world we live in daily
Consciously dream it!

I'm dreaming the world
Loving it into being
Holding the visions

Page last modified March 3, 2004 by RMC