Walsh, Pearce and Hughes

To begin with the Walsh readings, the spider analogy helped give a visual to these distant worlds that we are capable of reaching if we just journey to the edges of our "web". Apparently, there is some form of an axis mundi for each of us, representing different values we hold dear (tree of life and fertility) or for those more skeptical, simply just a means of transport (cosmic mountain). Upon these journeys, we are supposedly able to reflect on the hidden or unknown. The problem I have with these "discoveries" is that are they true discoveries in the sense that they have been illuminated without any kind of generated input or bias from the unconscious? "Individual experience is deeply, pervasively, and unconsciously molded by culture. Before experiences arise to awareness, they are constructed, filtered, and interpreted by the 'cognitive onconscious' according to often unrecognized background cultural frameworks such as langauge, values, beliefs, and biases" (128). This taken into account, are shamans simply "seeing" what they want to see , or expect to see?
The section on channeling referred to the process of cryptomnesia which I thought paralleled somewhat to the experience of deja vu. "...anyone...may be able to receive information from aspects of our own psyches that lie outside conscious awareness...some information may consist of long-forgotten facts and memories...that is sometimes mistaken for evidence that the message is from a separate entity" (141). Certainly, most of us have experienced a feeling of being in an unfamiliar place but something seems exceptionally familiar about it. Almost as if we were in another body at another time but in the same place. These comments on cryptomnesia reminded me of that.
It was interesting to note the references given to Judaism and Taoism and their respective differences to shamanism on acheiving an ASC. The former two rely heavily on "intensely energetic methods such as dancing and drumming" which act as a catalyst for "mediation, calm and mind control" (163). If these two religions can achieve an ASC without the use of psychadellics and/or hallucinogens, is the shaman lacking credibility in his efforts by using such elements?

Pearce's description of the postulate building process was interesting. There are four stages: preparation, incubation, illumination, and verification. It seems as if the first and last two are the processes which would be conducted entirely upon convergent thinking and a conscious awareness. The middle two processes can take place in an unconscious state of awareness, the last stage being a conscious effort to organize the thoughts and ideas constructed within both states.
Similar to my post above on Walsh regarding shamans "seeing what they want to see", Pearce elaborates on Kline's findings on hypnotism. "The hypnotist serves as the logical value-selector" (75). If the hypnotist is guiding the hypnotee (?) into answering and searching for hidden thoughts by selective questioning, than isn't the hypnotist being subjective? Isn't the hypnotist basically laying the framework for what the hypnotist expects or wants the hypnotee to say?

I admit I enjoyed Hughes' chapter over the other two readings. I agree that our dreamlike states can produce creativity. It is often when I'm asleep that I will suddenly wake up with a sudden idea or resolve a problem. On page 55, Hughes states, " ...the dreaming brain...synthesizes in the light of an individual's past experiences, ongoing concerns, settled character, and cognitive style". It is so true that many times I realize what I had dreamt that night was a reflection of what I had previously thought of or experienced that day.