Monophasic v. Polyphasic Cultures
Discussing culture, spirituality, and religion is always tricky and a little taboo, but it's really important to do when we consider working with ET/NHI contact. Worldviews and attitudes really do matter because we see that attitudes towards dreaming impact dreams and, in turn, dreams impact waking life.
Western culture typically thinks of dreams as "just dreams". In fact, most scientists didn't even believe lucid dreaming was possible because they thought our consciousness just turns off in sleep and dreams are like the brain processing memory. However, dreams are much more than empty hallucinations that happen at night.
When talking about worldviews and cultures, one of the most important distinctions to make is between monophasic and polyphasic cultures. Monophasic cultures acknowledge the reality of only one phase of consciousness, while polyphasic cultures acknowledge multiple phases. The phases may include waking, sleeping, dreaming, and shamanic or altered states of consciousness.
Definitions
90% of Earth's cultures are polyphasic
Monophasic literally means "one phase" and polyphasic literally means "many phases". There are many phases of consciousness, including dreams, altered states, psychedelic states, or religious experience.
The distinction and definition of monophasic/polyphasic cultures arises from academic discourse, typically from dreams studies and anthropology.
While it is impossible to say which is better, it is possible to observe the impacts of these worldviews. Monophasic culture is clearly associated with colonization and persecution of indigenous ways of knowing, much in the same way monocropping agriculture uses technology to control the nature order.
Laughlin, C. D., & Rock, A. J. (2014). What can we learn from shamans’ dreaming? A cross-cultural exploration. Dreaming, 24(4), 233.
Core Shamanism
Core shamanism is not so much a shamanic practice as a lens of study
Mainstream Western culture lost its connection to shamanism and indigenous ways of being through long cycles of religious and capitalistic oppression. Shamanism is the indigenous practice of relating with the natural and subtle worlds, through multiple phases of consciousness, for benefit of the community.
Core shamanism arises from the work of Dr. Michael Harner, a Berkeley anthropologist. Harner experienced alive shamanic practice in the Amazon, then devoted his life to the academic and cross-cultural study of shamanism.
Shamanism is indigenous practice and requires practitioners to see themselves as indigenous people, essentially connected to the magical and natural world. It's not about academics taking other culture's practices, it's about cross-cultural study so that we can understand and practice each of our own traditions.
Harner, M. J. (1990). The way of the shaman . San Francisco: Harper & Row.
Shamanic Dreamwork
Dreams are essential to shamanic practice and relating with the natural world
Shamanic cultures honor dreams as one of many phases of consciousness, perhaps the primary phase of non-waking consciousness. Shamanic dreamwork involves the principles:
- Spirits are real and produce dreams
- Dreams may be helpful or non-helpful
- Dream sharing and interpretation are essential to the dream
- Shamanic dreaming mediates the human and non-human world
- Shamanic dreaming involves messages, healing, and guidance
The role of shaman or dream interpreter is typically held by another person or a specialized role like a shaman or priest. This role involves a process of calling and initiation through real dream experiences involving real entities, although the West might understand them as spirits.
Harner, M. (2010). A core shamanic theory of dreams. Shamanism, 23, 2-4.
D-SETI Dreamwork as Shamanic
ET/NHI contact is dream-like and hypnosis may be misidentified shamanic dreamwork
D-SETI puts forward the notion that ET/NHI contact and the related hypnosis is actually misidentified shamanic dreaming. ET/NHI contact is dream-like and the use of hypnosis is shamanic.
The work of D-SETI is understood to be shamanic dreamwork. Daniel hold credentials in Western academics, shamanic practice, and alternative modalities including hypnosis.
More importantly, he is an experiencer of ET/NHI contact and is called an initiated into shamanic systems within his native culture, specifically the Western Esoteric traditions.
Want to learn more?
Make sense of dreams by learning and practicing. D-SETI e-courses include:
- Practices to help you remember, record, and interpret your dreams
- Lectures that present research-based inquiries
- Bibliographies to help you continue your learning journey
- Question and Answer with Daniel to deepen your learning journey
Take the free e-course, D-SETI Overview: Dreamwork for ET/NHI Contact.