Spirit Worlds of the AncientsBefore the time of Copernicus and Galileo, the natural world was viewed as composed of three entities: the heavens above, the earth, and the lower world (below ground). Biblical teachings reflect this three-world view. The heavens were thought to be a bowl or cover overlaying the "firmament" This is where God lived. Of course today we know the world is vastly more complex and awe-inspiring. Vast galaxies exist over unimaginable space. Novas and supernovas, black holes, matter and antimatter, stars, planets, solar systems, etc., are all part of our understanding of the universe. We know the world is not flat and the earth is not the center of Creation. Spirit Worlds are the spiritual side of this ancient world view. Cross-cultural anthropologist, Dr. Michael Harner distinguishes three Spirit Worlds based on his studies of indigenous cultures around the world. Although these three worlds are common to virtually all indigenous peoples that have been studied, some cultures have more worlds than others. For example, the Navajo speak of five spiritual worlds in their teachings. The three shared worlds are the Lower, Middle, and Upper. Lower WorldThe Lower World is a fascinating World where one can meet his or her Power Animal, locate and utilize one’s Power Spot, meet other Spirit entities and Guides, find power plants, explore, play, recharge one’s spiritual “batteries,” and gain knowledge. The Lower World is not the Hell of Christian mythology. It can have some characteristics of the Celtic Underworld. It is a place to be journeyed to with caution, however, because “nasties” also live there. Nasties are what are also called attachments.Upper WorldThe Upper World is usually experienced as Heaven-like. Geographically and topographically it is not nearly as interesting as the Lower World. Typically characterized by mainly white and gold colors, this is where one meets with one’s Teacher in the Spirit World.Middle WorldFinally, the Middle World is the spiritual aspect (dimension) of this world—the ordinary reality/world of our everyday lives. The Middle World is as fascinating and varied as the Lower World. As part of the ordinary reality we live in each day, it has the added dimension of the Spirit World. You can learn to be aware of the Middle World even as you walk around and go through your daily activities, especially out in Nature. This world, however, can be scary because we become aware of the many spirits around us all the time.the Lower World, Middle World, or Upper World.Spirit World, Mind, and ArchetypesAnother way to understand these three Spirit Worlds is as archetypes (see page on Jungian archetypes) or in terms of Freud's three components of personality, the Id, Ego, and Superego. The Lower World thusly represents the unconscious or Freud's Id. The Upper World can be thought of as the Jung's archetypal Collective Unconscious or Freud's Superego. Finally, the Middle World representst the personality we show to the world (Jung's Conscious) or Freud's Ego. |
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