But it is the "Cosmos" that beckons next. As the rhythmic heartbeat of the drum breaks the tether of ordinary reality, the practitioner ascends. This is not a journey of imagination, but of encounter . Harner argues that these celestial realms are as objective as the ground beneath our feet, populated by "Teachers" who offer healing and profound perspective on our earthly toil.
Here is a short piece reflecting the essence of Harner’s work: The Ascent from the Hollow Bone Cave and Cosmos: Shamanic Encounters with Anoth...
In these encounters, the veil between the worlds becomes translucent. We discover that we are not isolated biological accidents, but participants in a vast, interconnected symphony. The journey into the Cosmos is ultimately a homecoming—a realization that the "other reality" has been waiting for us to listen all along. But it is the "Cosmos" that beckons next
To the shaman, the universe is not a silent void but a layered architecture of vibration. We begin in the "Cave"—the darkness of the physical self and the Lower World—where we shed the ego to become a "hollow bone," a vessel for the spirits to flow through. Harner argues that these celestial realms are as
In Cave and Cosmos: Shamanic Encounters with Another Reality , Michael Harner bridges the gap between ancient wisdom and modern inquiry. He explores the "Upper World"—a realm of benevolent, compassionate spirits—through the accounts of Westerners using traditional drumming techniques to enter altered states of consciousness.
