It seems likely that religion began with Shamanism! Because as Betrand Russell reflected, “Religion is based primarily upon fear..."

 

However, by the time of Jesus, the Pharisees, under the influence of Hillel the Elder, a Pharisee (famous for his gentleness and focus on love), fear was understood to mean profound awe, reverence and respect. The differences between the Pharisees and the preaching of Jesus lay in the fact that they, the Pharisees, were strict observers of biblical law and refused to entertain Jesus’ notion that God's love extended to those thought of as outsiders such as sinners, tax collectors and the ritually unclean.

 

Awe is that profound moment when we encounter something so immense, beautiful or magnificent that our understanding of the world temporarily breaks down. It is a realisation of our insignificance, of how small we are in the great scheme of things. We encounter it when standing on the edge of the grand canyon or observing the night sky with no light polution for example in the Highland of Scotland or in the middle of an ocean, or perhaps when we witness a birth. It sits right at the boundary of wonder and dread. It lifts us beyond ourselves and into the spiritual. It is this sense of awe that Shaman seek to cultivate to assist them in their quest to access the Akashic Record.

 

How to capture awe for deep trance work.

 

There is a technique in Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) called Anchoring.

 

The idea is that a feeling or emotion can be attached to a sensation, such as a sound (ie music); an aroma (ie perfume); something tactile (such as stroking a pebble or velvet) or simply by pinching your fingers together.

 

It is achieved by invoking the sensation at the same time as experiencing the desired emotion.

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NB The technique may have to be repeated more than once to establish a successful anchor, but once established the desired state of mind can be brought to mind by "firing" the anchor.