A Startling Neurological Event (or SNE for short) – 20 Massages in 2 Months (Massage #15)

Shamanic dreaming, the process of traveling into the spirit realms to gather information, conduct healing and commune  with the spirit world, is accomplished through a change in brain waves often triggered by a fast drum beat.

I received Massage #15 of 20 in 2 months from Aiden Savoie-Gavosto at the Well-Being Center for Health in Monroe, Washington.  Click here for a picture of Aiden who at age 21 is the baby of this team of therapists.

In Massage #15 Aiden continued the focus on feet, ankles, hip and QL muscles with attention to a new muscle, the psoas.  He also busted out with helpful intuitive messages, something I understand may be a new development for Aiden and which is not surprising given the intuitive nature of his massage work and his determination to grow as a therapist at this time.  Don’t let his youth fool you.  Aiden gives a consistently good and impactful massage.

As mentioned in earlier posts, the energy in the lower half of my body has been harder to describe than that in the upper body. The connection between the energy, physical symptoms and other changes is harder to decipher.  Massage #15 was no exception.  Fortunately, Aiden’s intuitive messages helped bring clarity.

Before going further, I need to mention that the first weekend in February I attended a three-day shamanic dreaming workshop.  I will blog more about this in March.  For now let me say that shamanic dreaming – the process of traveling into the spirit realms to gather information, conduct healing and commune (or communicate) with the spirit world - is accomplished in part through a change in brain waves.  While it is possible to journey by will power alone, for many a fast drum or rattle beat makes dreaming possible and/or more efficient.

This workshop has added to the intensity of this massage marathon in no small part because while journeying I experienced a startling neurological event, or SNE for short.  During the workshop, as the drum beat started, I began to travel out of my waking consciousness.  As I traveled I felt anxious.  I saw several glimpses of myself in black shadow gripping my head as if in pain while saying, “This is too much!  It’s too much. I can’t do it.” 

Nonetheless, I completed the journey and afterward felt as if the left side of my brain, including the brain stem, was encased in wax.  For a few seconds, I did not move or speak but stared straight ahead.  The words “small seizure” flashed in my mind when, a few moments later, I pondered the nature of my experience.  I was frightened because of the possibility of doing damage to my brain or nervous system through journeying. I was angry at any associated limitations.  I shared both my feelings and what had happened with group.

During a break another workshop attendee, a stranger to me, sat next to me.  After a few moments she offered an insight into the SNE.  She asked me why I kept myself spiritually small.  I told her about a time of dramatic spiritual opening during which I was not fully consciously aware of what was happening.  At first I did not notice that I was seeing spirits and events that the people around me were not always able to see.  Although weeks before I had been the skeptic, I did not always pick up on the discomfort of others and described my experiences as I would any other part of my life.  The situation progressed and some became frightened or angry.  They lashed out.  Even though I had just opened up I began hiding what I could.  Since this time I have never shown myself fully to anyone.  “You’re doing this,” she said, “by not opening to the fullness of who you are.”  Although I was not immediately convinced, the accuracy of her other observations persuaded me to consider this in working to understand the SNE.

Since I don’t have a medical diagnosis I will just call this event, this brain waxiness following shamanic dreaming, an SNE, knowing that it shares symptoms with seizures.  In the past, while working to uncover childhood memories, I have had painful headaches that seem to burst repeatedly from a focused location in the front part of my brain. I have also had mild headaches and nausea as well as some sensitivity to light and sound before glimpsing future events.  As a result, I have become curious about the biological foundations of mysticism.   

There is little to no medical research in this area.  This means that medical science is not able to offer a coherent theory giving reliable insight into what, biologically speaking, triggered the SNE, whether the SNE was a seizure, and the ways in which my nervous system, with any oddities it may have, interfaced with the dreaming process to create the SNE.

(for more, see next post)