Shamanic World Mirroring:

Introductory Note:

This essay first appeared on Reality Sandwich in 2009. I’ve updated it for a new era, as shamanic creativity, altered states, and the power of story remain more vital than ever. New scientific and cross-cultural research continues to affirm the timelessness of these ancient practices.

Story is hidden within the very fabric of our being. It lays the foundation of our civilization, encompassing every human initiative and interaction, cultivating perhaps the most profound discipline of all human endeavors. And Story wears many masks—from the oral traditions of folklore to the silver screen.

Current fossil evidence places the origins of Homo sapiens at around 315,000 years ago (Hublin et al., 2017), with symbolic thinking, art, and ritual emerging gradually over tens of thousands of years—shell beads and ochre at Blombos Cave date to 75,000 years ago, and engraved ochre at Pinnacle Point to over 160,000 years ago (d’Errico & Stringer, 2011). The revolution in symbolic culture was not a sudden leap, but a long, creative unfolding.

We are all storytellers. From the bushman of the Kalahari to the molecular biologist, each of us leaves a unique imprint on the collective tale of our species. Our story does not begin or end with our own point of view. Beneath the surface, on a molecular level, our bodies are always transforming, rewriting themselves as cells die and are replaced, and as the language that binds us to all life—DNA—adapts to new experience.

Genomic research now shows that so-called “junk DNA” is far from useless; much of it plays critical regulatory and communicative roles (ENCODE Project Consortium, 2012). While it is tempting to draw mystical parallels between DNA and language, scientific studies suggesting deep linguistic structures in DNA—such as Zipf's Law—are now considered artifacts of statistical analysis rather than evidence of a true biological language (Mantegna et al., 1994; Bonhoeffer et al., 1994; Herz & Konopka, 1994). Still, the metaphor of a living code resonates powerfully on the level of myth and symbol (Barbieri, 2017).

Anthropologist Jeremy Narby’s work documents that shamans, in altered states induced by ayahuasca, report visionary experiences in which they “see” universal imagery that mirrors DNA’s structure. From the shamanic perspective, these encounters are real and meaningful, providing knowledge about the nature of life. Narby speculates that DNA emits ultra-low frequency photons (biophotons), and that under the influence of endogenous DMT, shamans may perceive this information—though he presents this as hypothesis rather than established fact (Narby, 1999). Current scientific evidence confirms biophoton emission by DNA, but there is no experimental support for the idea that DMT or ayahuasca enables humans to literally "see" DNA’s photons; these claims remain in the realm of shamanic experience and metaphor rather than laboratory science.

Recent research confirms that DMT is produced endogenously in mammals and may play a role in visionary and near-death experiences (Barker, 2018; Dean et al., 2019). While early hypotheses centered on the pineal gland as the main source of endogenous DMT (Strassman, 2001), newer studies show DMT is synthesized in several brain regions. In rats, DMT has been detected in the brain during the dying process, though no evidence yet confirms a surge from the pineal gland or in humans specifically (Dean et al., 2019; Borjigin et al., 2013). The idea of a “DMT flood” at death remains an intriguing but unproven hypothesis, and remains an area for further investigation. Cross-cultural studies in altered states show that humans, regardless of context, often experience similar archetypal imagery, supporting the idea of a collective unconscious (Metzner, 2017; Lewis-Williams & Dowson, 1988).

I’ve used these altered states—accessed through breathwork and meditation—to enter trance while drawing. In these sessions, I let my mind separate from my hand, allowing images to arise from the ether, shaped by archetypes flowing through the psyche.

Music often guides these sessions, and I believe its vibrations have profound effects on the creative mind and the imaginative states I enter. Recent neuroscience supports music’s unique ability to induce altered states, synchronize neural activity, and foster creativity (Sacks, 2007; Palhano-Fontes et al., 2019). Imaging studies of shamanic trance (Hove et al., 2016; Huels et al., 2021) reveal measurable changes in the brain during rhythmic drumming and trance states, supporting observations made by anthropologists like Michael Harner.

My goal is to access the realms that make us human—the greater web of consciousness to which we all belong.

We are not just hosts to a multitude of organisms; we are also part of a larger organism, the Earth. The invention of technological Western society has enabled global communication, but also risks separating us from the collective mindset. Now, we stand at a crossroads, called to bridge the gap between East and West, science and shamanism, patriarchy and matriarchy, and step into a balanced, globally connected society.

Science is beginning to illuminate aspects of this age-old philosophy, and we live in a pivotal time of awakening. The choice is ours: to evolve into harmony with our origins, creating a society that can flourish sustainably.

By accessing states of reality outside our normal experience, we can communicate with forces we are just beginning to conceptualize. The latest in astrophysics confirms that roughly 85% of the universe’s matter is “dark matter,” invisible to our instruments and yet essential to the cosmos (Planck Collaboration, 2018). Modern science is developing new ways to measure and understand these forces and their effects on life, just as neuroscience is revealing the measurable correlates of shamanic and mystical states.

My drawings aim to act as windows into the collective unconscious, opening doors of communication with what has always been evolving alongside us. This dialogue between worlds is the resonant consciousness exercised through shamanism.

Shamans are seekers of knowledge in both ordinary and non-ordinary reality. To encompass the whole of being, we must look beyond our own dominant point of view. To know ourselves, we must encounter the “other.” This is a foundational lesson of psychology, shamanism, and spirituality: interconnectedness (Jung, 1968; Winkelman, 2010).

By removing the self—even briefly—we distinguish what makes our story unique. This is when our actions become sacred, born of choice.

Ego dissolution is another fundamental principle of shamanism. The self becomes less important as we remember different realities and forms of life housing universal truths. Notably, recent neuroscience has shown that ego dissolution under psychedelics corresponds to decreased activity and connectivity in the brain’s Default Mode Network (Carhart-Harris et al., 2019), supporting what shamanic traditions have described for centuries. Western thought often teaches that survival is competitive, but in truth, survival is interconnectedness. The body cannot survive without its bacterial hosts, nor without nourishment from other life. Through ego surrender, we realize the sacred principle binding all beings.

Once ego is dismantled, consciousness expands to explore multiple realities. The mind can free itself from bodily illusions and, through empathy, enter other fields of experience. This is crucial for the shaman, the artist, the musician, the athlete, and the warrior.

Sound is perhaps the most effective way to transmit these methods. The vibratory effects of music on consciousness are immediate and profound. Michael Harner described how steady, monotonous sound signals the brain to enter the shamanic state of consciousness; just a few minutes of drumming can induce a light trance. Modern brain imaging studies—including both EEG and fMRI—confirm that rhythmic drumming and music can entrain the brain into theta states, supporting shamanic and meditative practices (Gingras et al., 2014; Fachner, 2006; Hove et al., 2016; Huels et al., 2021).

Studies show that theta-frequency drumbeats—four to seven cycles per second—are most effective in producing trance. Higher frequencies, such as rattles, intensify the sonic effect. Throughout history, both our achievements and setbacks have been expressed through song, transmitting lessons across generations and cultures.

Today, digital technology and music make the tools of altered states available to all. We can use this sonic abundance to propel our own acts of creation and access new states of consciousness.

As humanity and culture grow, they evolve in cycles, mirroring the laws of nature. The arts reflect this evolution: technological advances have democratized creation, but true innovation arises from a deeper source.

Joseph Campbell writes that the function of art is to know the laws and patterns of nature, to balance action and non-action—wuwei—that yields the perfect artwork. The artist becomes a vessel for the sacred, rendering the divine experience for the senses. By surrendering ego and encountering forces beyond our ordinary sight, the artist becomes a shaman, communicating the sacred fire to the world.

Alex Grey reminds us that, especially in times of crisis, the artist is called to foster higher consciousness and healing, merging contemporary art and spiritual wisdom.

Ego dissolution through drawing, writing, or music allows us to communicate with the forces binding all life. Mistakes and surprises become opportunities for growth. Meditation and sonic vibration help quiet the mind, bringing it into balance with the rhythms of life.

Recent studies also highlight the psychological benefits of creative flow, mindfulness, and ritual in fostering well-being, emotional regulation, and a sense of meaning (Csikszentmihalyi, 2008; van der Vennet & Serice, 2012).

By combining ancient mythos, modern technology, and creative practice, we can create a further-evolved society. Removing the self in creative acts allows us to participate in the sacred, interconnecting all life and restoring balance to our earthly community.

Barker, S.A. (2018). N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), an Endogenous Hallucinogen: Past, Present, and Future Research to Determine Its Role and Function. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 12, 536.

Barbieri, M. (2017). What is Code Biology? BioSystems, 164, 1–10.

Bonhoeffer, S., McCaskill, J. S., & Eigen, M. (1994). No evidence for independent codon usage in genes from influenza A virus based on Zipf analysis. Nucleic Acids Research, 22(20), 4344–4345.

Borjigin, J., Lee, U., Liu, T., Pal, D., Huff, S., Klarr, D., ... & Mashour, G. A. (2013). Surge of neurophysiological coherence and connectivity in the dying brain. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 110(35), 14432–14437.

Campbell, J. (2003). The Inner Reaches of Outer Space. New World Library.

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2008). Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. Harper & Row.

d’Errico, F. & Stringer, C. (2011). Evolution, Revolution or Saltation Scenario for the Emergence of Modern Cultures? Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 366(1567), 1060–1069.

ENCODE Project Consortium. (2012). An Integrated Encyclopedia of DNA Elements in the Human Genome. Nature, 489, 57–74.

Fachner, J. (2006). EEG and Clinical Music Therapy Practice. Nordic Journal of Music Therapy, 15(2), 103–118.

Gingras, B., Pohler, G., & Fitch, W.T. (2014). Exploring Shamanic Journeying with EEG: Rhythmic Drumming Entrains Theta Oscillations and Creates an Altered Attentional State. Scientific Reports, 4, 4729.

Grey, A. (2001). The Mission of Art. Shambhala.

Hancock, G. (2007). Supernatural: Meetings with the Ancient Teachers of Mankind. Disinformation Company.

Harner, M. (1980). The Way of the Shaman. Harper & Row.
Herz, A. V. M., & Konopka, A. K. (1994). Statistical artifacts in the analysis of DNA sequences. Physical Review Letters, 72(10), 1484.

Jung, C.G. (1968). The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious. Princeton University Press.

Koch, S.C. (2022). Arts and the Mind: Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Human Experience. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 857103.

Metzner, R. (2017). The Unfolding Self: Varieties of Transformative Experience. Origin Press.

Narby, J. (1999). The Cosmic Serpent: DNA and the Origins of Knowledge. Tarcher.

Palhano-Fontes, F. et al. (2019). The Therapeutic Potentials of Ayahuasca: Possible Effects against Various Diseases of Civilization. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 10, 1362.

Planck Collaboration. (2018). Planck 2018 Results. VI. Cosmological Parameters. Astronomy & Astrophysics, 641, A6.

Sacks, O. (2007). Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain. Alfred A. Knopf.

Strassman, R. (2001). DMT: The Spirit Molecule. Park Street.

Strassman, R., Wojtowicz, S., Luna, L.E., & Frecska, E. (2008). Inner Paths to Outer Space. Park Street.

van der Vennet, R. & Serice, S. (2012). Can Coloring Mandalas Reduce Anxiety? Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, 29(2), 87–92.

Winkelman, M. (2010). Shamanism and the Origins of Spirituality and Ritual Healing. Journal for the Study of Religion, Nature & Culture, 4(1), 1–30.