Dreamtime Consulting

In spite of the attempts of science and technology to enlighten us, the songs of our ancestors still call us to the same quest for healing and transformation which they followed. When all our technology fails to answer the questions which our ancestors discovered long ago, then are we poised on the brink of falling head over heels into the realms of meaning.

As I have mentioned before, the instructions left to us by our ancestors are still with us today. Instinctualy they knew, long before Carl Jung developed his concept of the collective unconscious, wisdom was not transitory but eternal and would follow each generation and make itself known. One of the pieces of the wisdom which has appeared again and again is that of the fall.

The fall is not a "fall from grace" as some spiritual traditions teach, rather it is a fall into the unconscious. It is here the seeds of enlightenment must be found for the Shaman. In Literature and Art we see the fall very plainly. Prior to Alice's adventures in the looking glass, Alice behaves in a very Shamanic way. The author's description of Alice and her state of mind is very specific. Alice is on the brink of sleep, twilight in nature(a very magickal time under any conditions) when suddenly a guide appears. With the term, "I'm late!" Alice is not yet on her journey but needs only to lift her foot and indeed she does, and the quest has begun.

It is fascinating and wonderful the first act on her journey is to fall, and not just a trip or stumble but a fall which takes her head over heels and leaves no doubt something great has happened to her. Deep into the unconscious she goes and it is not with fear, but with curiosity. Alice reaches out and explores, already the Shamanic wisdom has come out.

In the Christian tradition, the act of falling brings about man's salvation. Without this fall, mankind would not have been aware of the greater scheme of events. This too was a Shamanic experience, for Adam and Eve are escorted past the gates of paradise(a transition point)and come to know life in a much different way. A way in which, if we follow that tradition, changed the world forever.

Psychologicly, the fall is just as important for therapy to be effective. The conscious mind sets up many illusions and barriers as to what is real and what is not. Yet in the conscious mind is where society teaches us to live. A society which teaches contentment and harmony can be brought in such superficial ways such as wearing the right pair of jeans, or drinking the right brand of soda pop. For therapy to be truly effective, the fall has to occur in such a way the client is pitched out of the conscious way of thinking head over heels, and yet with the element of wonder and curiosity of Alice.

For the therapist/Shaman, the task is to face this ordeal with an open heart and open mind. They must repeatedly be able to take this walk, once as a solitary being, and then as a guide for others. Never did Alice make the journey alone, there were always guides and teachers with her along the way. Totem animals arrived constantly and openly conversed with Alice. She was not a stranger to them, and we are not strangers to them. We are kin, family and as such we are treated by them.

The fall into the unconscious is by no means an event which happens safely. To one not prepared, as is often the case, the symbolic and metaphoric nature of the deepest part of humanity can be terrifying. We can not approach the inner fires of life without the risk of getting burned. Often times we can not prepare for the journey, it happens independently of our desires and efforts. However, vigilance can pay off in wonderful ways. Instead of getting struck by an unsuspecting viper, we can grasp it and turn the venom into an agent that will counter-act the very thing which would have killed us.

Jung stated very strongly if we can not access the unconscious energy of the shadow and divert it into more positive pathways, it would result in both physical and psychological death, as if we were taking a syringe filled with all the negative, toxic poisons of our psyche and injecting ourself with it.

Falls are an integral part of our lives. Falls teach us to walk and climb, falls improve our ability at making choices, falls clue us in as to what might be before us and call us to pay attention to our surroundings. Falls take us to and away from the inner sanctums and above all, falls allow us to heal.

Our ancestors knew this without the benefit of science, psychology or technology. Instead of snaring the rabbit or wolf and thrusting it under the critical eye of research, the ancestors welcomed them, following them to the realms who pathways led to the heart of the matter.