Trance refers to altered states of consciousness of varying degress between sleeping and waking in which a person becomes partially to fully unaware of their surroundings and might have experiences of spiritual realities.
States of trance include dazes, daydreams, reveries, raptures, ecstasies and soul flights. Trance can be voluntary or involuntary. It can be induced by a number of things including prayer, meditation, singing, dancing, rocking, repetitive music, fasting, thirsting, sweating, sensory deprivation and intoxicants.
In most religions trance is seen as less safe and accessible than prayer and meditation. In Christianity it is associated with the more advanced stages of prayer such as St Teresa’s Prayer of Union and with mystical experiences of God. Deep meditation, in Buddhism and Hinduism, is seen by some to be akin to or identical with trance, whereas others argue it is different because the person meditating remains mindful and present rather than unaware.
In indigenous cultures, whilst it is acknowledged that everyone can access trance states, there are respected spirit-workers who are specialists in carrying out spiritual work whilst in trance states for the benefits of their communities.
These trance states can be divided into two types. One is spirit flight, in which the spirit-worker’s soul leaves their body and they travel to the spirit realms in order to help other community members by finding lost soul parts, extracting negative entities, or negotiating with the Gods and spirits.
The other is trance possession, in which the spirit-worker calls the spirits into their body. This is sometimes for the purpose of healing. In other cases it can be so the spirits can speak with their people and offer guidance and prophecy. It can also simply be a gift for the spirits to be able to inhabit a body.
In the late 20th century Michael Harner and others developed core shamanism (from the term šaman ‘one who knows’ from the Evenki Tungus tribe in Sibera) from these practices by removing the rites, cosmologies and Deities associated with specific cultures and honing them down to their core.
In core shamanism the primary practice is the shamanic journey in which the practitioner travels to one or more of the three worlds (the Lower World, Middle World and Upper World) with the aid of a drumbeat at 180-250bpms to seek advice, guidance or healing for themselves or others from their spirit allies. The term ‘shamanism’ is now widely used to refer to any form of spirit-work.
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Looking at archaeological and written records I have been unable to find any evidence for the practice of voluntary spirit flight in the Brythonic tradition. If our ancestors made drums or rattles as aids there is no evidence but this does not mean they didn’t exist as the organic materials might have rotted.
What we do find is evidence for voluntary trance possession. In his Description of Wales (1194) Gerald of Wales writes of ‘awenyddion, people inspired’, who ‘when consulted upon any doubtful event’ ‘roar out violently’ ‘rendered outside themselves’ ‘possessed by a spirit’. Their answers are ‘nugatory, ‘incoherent’ and ‘ornamented’ (this description is suggestive of the symbolic, metaphorical and often poetic language of myth and the Otherworld). When ‘roused from their ecstasy, as from a deep sleep’ they remember nothing and when questioned again they give different answers. ‘Perhaps they speak by the means of fanatic and ignorant spirits.’
In medieval Welsh literature we find references to ‘witches’ such as the witches of Caer Loyw, Orddu and Orwen, who are killed by Arthur and his warriors likely because they held powerful positions as warriors and spirit-workers.
We also find the stories of people who become wyllt ‘mad’ or ‘wild’ as part of an initiatory process that leads to them becoming people inspired. The most famous example is Lailoken / Myrddin Wyllt. Traumatised by fighting in the Battle of Arfderydd he sees warriors in the sky and an endurable brightness then is torn out of himself by a spirit and assigned to the Forest of Celyddon. For thirty years he wanders ‘with madness and madmen’ before he heals and becomes a poet and prophet who warns about future wars.
The notion of a period of madness preceding becoming a spirit-worker is found throughout cultures and is now commonly referred to as ‘shaman sickness.’
In Welsh folklore we find countless stories about people being transported to the land of the fairies by music, dancing, or seduction. It’s not clear whether some of these involuntary travels are in spirit or in body. Those who go in body face dire consequences for time passes differently in Faerie. It seems they’ve only been away a moment yet when they return a hundred or more years have passed, they are no longer recognised, or crumble to dust. These tales warn us that it is a bad idea to travel to the Otherworld in a physical form.
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In my late teens and early twenties I had experiences of trance leading to visions of the spirit realms when I was going to festivals and night clubs and dancing all night on various concotions of intoxicants. What surprised me was that I was the only one having visionary experiences whilst my friends just reported having a good time, which led me to fear I was going mad.
I went through a long period of mental health problems (anxiety, panic attacks, depression, over and under-eating, self-harm, suicidal ideation and dependence on alcohol) which I only starting getting over when I met my patron God, Gwyn ap Nudd, discovered my visions were of Annwn / Faery, our British Otherworld and I had been seeing His people, the ‘fairies’, and began serving Him, firstly as an awenydd, more recently as a nun of Annwn.
Whether this was a form of ‘shaman sickness’ or was mainly down to my struggles as an autistic person in a neurotypical world remains in question without the knowledge of the elders of a spiritual community to help with my discernment. It’s my personal opinion that it was a little bit of both.
I was first introduced to shamanic practices by attending workshops with a local Heathen, seidr man Runic John, but found I didn’t connect strongly enough with the Norse Gods and cosmology. I also tried core shamanism with Paul Francis but struggled with the psychotherapeutic approach.
I didn’t dare journey alone until Gwyn came into my life and offered to take me to the Otherworld. Without a drumbeat or any other method of inducing trance I just went and I’ve been able to journey whenever I’ve felt the call of Gwyn and my guides or with a few preparatory prayers and songs ever since.
Although I’ve experienced being possessed by the awen and by Gods and spirits when I’ve been writing I’ve only recently started practicing trance possession. One of my practices focuses on the Speaking Ones, seven crow spirits who I invite to come into my body to lend me their voices for oracles. I’ve also recently experienced inviting my spirits into my body during ecstatic dance in a shamanic workshop and am planning to take this practice further.
Since 2013 I’ve been attending shamanic journey circles in core shamanism with the Way of the Buzzard firstly in person then since Covid online. I like Jason and Nicola’s approach because it is well grounded in the landscape of Britain and in the natural history of our land and its plants and animals.
In response to instructions from Gwyn I’ve just started training as a shamanic practitioner with the Sacred Trust. Progressing from journeying for personal guidance and inspiration to healing others is a big step for me but I see it to be a neglected part of my calling I have fled from, resisted, for far too long.
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In conclusion to this series I’ll finish by saying for me, as an awenydd and nun of Annwn, as a spirit-worker in the Brythonic tradition, and as an aspiring shamanic healer, prayer and meditation form the bedrock of my practices.
Without them, without regular prayers and offerings to my Gods, without grounding myself through meditation, breathwork, body postures and other embodiment practices I wouldn’t have the foundations to practice trance safely enough to extend my services to healing other people.
It’s been a long difficult journey with few way markers along the way. But I’m here now, doing what I’m here to do, and I hope by sharing my writings I will make it a little easier for others who are called to this hard yet sacred work.
The Cell of Sister Patience 