Hello Again,

I am deeply sorry if I hurt you in any way.
Yes, your line about the healing staff is humorous.

I was relating to your post and laughing at myself, my past history with shamanic practitioners.

I believe I know that experience of which you write or one very similar. You have done a wonderful job at describing that "place," that "experience," a kind of fine line... well, perhaps a blurred line.

I'm not poking fun at you/your experience or at shaman or shamanic beliefs, etc. Honestly. I have spent time with several shamanic practitioners I have deep respect for them and for several other teachers/mentors.

There's this place, this space in which they/we/I often spend time and even more so when fully engaged in a "healing," for example. I'll skip the actual terminology.

I have found the more I would hang-out in that space, the more difficult it was to again fully "ground." I had observed this in my friends, as well.

There are many more "students" than ever devote themselves to full-time shamanic practice. Most of us believe and don't believe. We see and we are blind. These students express a deep need to participate in routines/rituals and enjoy taking a week or a weekend to allow for the expression of this part of themselves . For the majority, dabbling a little in their interest satisfies them intermittently.

I can have some real difficulties around this, as the experiences, the space you describe can come over me rather intensely and things can become quite confusing.

Your account of your experiences remind me of some of my experiences, which have intensified in certain types of practices.

You've eloquently described your experiences. That's something I have trouble with.

In all honesty, in thinking back now,I was finding almost everything quite humorous!

Again, my humblest apologies if I had hurt you in any way. I would never do so intentionally. I enjoy having you around PC.