Exploring the Middle Upper and Lower Worlds: A Shamanic Cosmology Guide to the Three Worlds
- Kathy Postelle Rixon
- 3 hours ago
- 3 min read
Shamanic traditions across many cultures describe reality as layered into three distinct realms: the Middle World, the Upper World, and the Lower World. These realms form a map of non-ordinary reality, where shamans journey to seek guidance, healing, and wisdom. Understanding these worlds helps us grasp how shamans connect with spirits and navigate unseen dimensions. This guide explores each realm’s characteristics, their roles in shamanic practice, and practical ways to engage with them.
The Middle World: The Realm of Everyday Life and Spirits
The Middle World is the realm we inhabit daily. It includes the physical environment, animals, plants, and people. However, in shamanic cosmology, it also contains invisible forces and spirits that coexist alongside the visible world. These spirits may be ancestors, nature beings, or guardians connected to specific places.
Shamans often begin their journeys in the Middle World. They may enter trance states to perceive the spirit presence within familiar landscapes or to communicate with animal guides. This realm is where healing often starts, as it directly affects physical and emotional health.
Key features of the Middle World:
It mirrors the physical world but includes unseen spiritual layers.
Spirits here are closely tied to nature and community.
Shamans use this realm to find practical solutions and support.
For example, a shaman working with a client suffering from illness might journey into the Middle World to locate a spirit causing imbalance or to retrieve a lost soul fragment. The Middle World’s spirits can offer advice, protection, or healing energy.
The Upper World: The Realm of Light and Wisdom
The Upper World is often described as a realm of light, higher knowledge, and divine beings. It is associated with the sky, stars, and celestial forces. Shamans travel here to gain insight, receive teachings, and connect with powerful spirit helpers such as ancestors, deities, or animal spirits with elevated wisdom.
This realm is considered a source of inspiration and clarity. It offers a broader perspective beyond the immediate concerns of the Middle World. Shamans may experience visions of cosmic patterns, sacred symbols, or receive messages that guide their community.
Characteristics of the Upper World:
It is bright, expansive, and filled with spiritual teachers.
Time and space may feel fluid or timeless.
Encounters here often bring profound understanding or healing.
A shaman might journey to the Upper World to seek guidance on a difficult decision or to learn a ritual that can restore balance. The spirits in this realm often communicate through symbols, music, or light.
The Lower World: The Realm of Roots and Transformation
The Lower World lies beneath the surface, often linked to the earth, roots, caves, and water. It is a place of deep transformation, where shamans confront shadow aspects, ancestral memories, and primal forces. This realm holds the power of renewal and rebirth.
Shamans journey to the Lower World to retrieve lost parts of the soul, confront fears, or access hidden knowledge. It is a place of intense experience, where healing can be profound but challenging. The spirits here may appear as animals, ancestors, or elemental beings.
Important aspects of the Lower World:
It is dark, mysterious, and connected to the earth’s core.
Transformation and healing often involve facing difficult truths.
Spirits here guide through cycles of death and rebirth.
For instance, a shaman might enter the Lower World to help someone overcome trauma by retrieving a lost soul fragment or to gain strength from a powerful animal spirit. This realm teaches resilience and grounding.
Practical Ways to Explore These Worlds
While shamans undergo rigorous training to journey safely, anyone interested in shamanic cosmology can begin exploring these realms through meditation, visualisation, and nature connection.
Middle World: Spend time in natural settings, observe animals and plants, and practice mindful awareness to sense the spirits around you.
Upper World: Use guided meditations focused on light, stars, or sky imagery to invite wisdom and clarity.
Lower World: Visualise descending into a cave or roots of a great tree, embracing darkness as a space for healing and transformation.
Journaling experiences and symbols encountered during these practices can deepen understanding. Respect and intention are essential when working with these realms.
Understanding the Three Worlds Enhances Spiritual Practice
Mapping the Middle, Upper, and Lower Worlds offers a clear framework for navigating non-ordinary reality. Each realm serves a unique purpose in shamanic healing and wisdom. The Middle World grounds us in everyday life and relationships, the Upper World connects us to higher knowledge, and the Lower World invites deep transformation.
By learning about these worlds, we gain tools to approach challenges with balance and insight. Whether through formal shamanic journeying or personal exploration, these realms provide pathways to healing, guidance, and connection beyond the visible.
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