Merging Science, Shamanism, and the Mysteries of Ancient Egypt

Throughout all the centuries man has walked the earth, humans have endeavored to plumb the mysteries. The small traces of ancient cultures that have been left for us to see provide evidence of ritualistic behavior and pursuits of a spiritual nature. Even the more recent forebears of modern science, such as alchemists of yore, accepted and even relied upon the Great Unknowable. And then a new breed of scientist came along who felt confident that every aspect of this great universe was knowable and that the word “mystery” was merely a fancy way of saying “research incomplete.”

For about three hundred years the gulf between science and shamanism has widened, but now a new science is emerging, and the circle is becoming complete. Since the advent of quantum mechanics, scientists like cellular biologist Bruce Lipton are discovering, measuring, and concluding that there is a lot more going on than basic building blocks and Newtonian physics. Thoughts, beliefs, and even prayers can influence the wellbeing of our living cells! In fact, Dr. Lipton’s stem cell research conclusively points out that we are not bound by our genetic make-up as indelibly as previously thought. It turns out that the genome studies that created the central prevailing dogma didn’t take into consideration the presence of regulatory proteins when they determined the initial role of genes. These proteins control every aspect of gene activity in the process of how the blueprints that are the genetic codes actually manifest into the variously functioning cells of the body. When they are added to the equation, they explain how the codes are impacted by environmental signals.

Recently I had the great pleasure of presenting with Dr. Lipton an event in Eugene we called “The Grand Convergence—the Merging of Science and Shamanism.” It was like a dance on stage replete with PowerPoint presentations as a backdrop. One moment the audience was being drawn deeply into that trance-like arena where miracles can and did happen, entering other spiritual dimensions of consciousness, and the next moment they were learning about proteins and “mem-brains” and how the shamanic journey they just took was real and explainable from a scientific perspective.

There was a third dance partner on that stage. The Field, otherwise known as Spirit. Bruce used words like “invisible forces” and described the powers of energetic transmissions that ultimately lead to the recognition of one’s divinity, and, he even said it, one’s immortality. I used words like “deities and archetypes,” “animal totems,” and Universal Life Force, and described how these invisible forces inform our healing and our co-creative capacities.

I love how Bruce and I have come to the same conclusions about consciousness, self-empowerment, and the presence of an intelligent field, yet from seemingly contradictory directions. Yes, there is a place where matter ceases to exist, a place where all is energy. And yes, ones point of view or belief can be changed and that change can affect the energy. And yes, a change in the invisible field of energy will translate into a change in our physical world.

My passion is Egypt. Although I can speak with confidence on many subjects related to other cultures and healing modalities, I am forever finding connections and similarities to the ancient Egyptian mysteries, and the pantheon of the people of the Nile. It is this grand convergence that is enticing Bruce and me to co-facilitate a sacred pilgrimage to Egypt this spring. There, within the temples and monuments that eloquently express timeless truths that have somehow eluded most cultures of our time, we can directly experience her mysteries along with the essence of the “epi-genetic” possibilities of new science in action.

Epigenetics is the study of the molecular mechanisms by which environment controls gene activity, and is one of the most active arenas of current scientific research. The literal meaning of the word, epigenetics, is “control above genetics.” Research in this relatively new field shows us, according to Bruce, that “Genes are not destiny! Environmental influences, including nutrition, stress and emotions can modify those genes, without changing their basic blueprint. And those modifications can be passed on to future generations as surely as DNA blueprints are passed on via the Double Helix.”

In shaman-speak, I would say that we are informed at the cellular level by the field of intelligence that is the matrix within which all mater exists. I call it akasha. Wearing my Egyptian hat, I call it ka.

Why Egypt? Egypt is loud. Egypt is relevant. Nowhere on the planet have the ancients left such bold statements, built to last. The intention and purpose with which they imbued their monuments reverberates through time. When a person enters these sacred sites with an open heart and a presence of mind, they interact directly with the field that continues to inform the granite, or basalt, or sacred hieroglyphic images, or people, so that those who enter as seekers remember, and in so doing, are re-membered. As Bruce said on stage, “we all have receptors that relate to Egypt.”

Egypt connects us directly with the divine intelligence that is the field similar to what ancient Egyptians called the ka body. The ka is the subtle body commonly known as the etheric double. It is the collective soul and energetic connection with our ancestors, and it invigorates us with vital life force. It is the consciousness of the neteru, the deities of Egypt who are the archetypal divine principles that are woven into our very being, all the way into and surrounding our DNA.

Whereas Bruce speaks of The Field, I speak of Ka. We are saying the same thing, only now we each have more to say about our respective subjects. I’ m looking forward to taking him and our group to various temples, speaking of and doing ceremony, and then hearing his explanation of what just happened and what were the sciences involved in the creation and décor of these powerful places.

The more I learn, the more I am in awe of the pharaonic priest/scientists. The temples are more, much more than a pile of cleverly placed rocks. They have and hold a power; they are imbued with intent and with purpose. These creations are still alive, and adherents of the Field, as well as teachings of the Ka, will be able to explain the feelings we sense as we step into these chambers.

I’ve lost count of how many groups I’ve lead down the Nile. The one constant for all my participants, and for travelers and explorers throughout the ages who have been to Egypt, are those ‘feelings.” They have been described as some of the great mysteries of that land. The word “mystery,” works for me, and I would add to it “more research welcome.”

Nicki has been teaching healing, shamanic arts, and the Egyptian Mysteries since 1983. Her most recent book, Shamanic Mysteries of Egypt, Awakening the Healing Power of the Heart, is co-authored with Linda Star Wolf.

Listen to a podcast with Nicki and Bruce discussing their 2008 trip to Egypt.

Join Nicki on a Pilgrimage to Egypt with Nicki Scully & Joan Borysenko, Ph.D. Nov 4 - 18, 2010. Click here for details…

For more about Bruce Lipton, see www.brucelipton.com