116 SECRETS OF SHAMANISM
rise their own creativity and help create the order that makes
life meaningful. So they have learned to give the spirit world
suggestions concerning what they would like to have happen.
You might say they help the spirit world along.
Shamanically speaking, you need to give the spirit world
very specific instructions about what you are looking for, be-
cause you will receive exactly what you ask for. Let's take a
simple example. Let's say you drive a car that often breaks
down and has difficulty starting. If you get tired of this and
say, "I want a different car," chances are that every car you
get will end up having the same starting problem and will
tend to break down. You have given no specific instructions
for what you want or can have. You simply indicated that
you wanted a change, not what kind of a change. So you get
a different car with the same problems. Until you specify
exactly the type of car you want to drive, the specific features
and price range, you will be unlikely to get what you want.
Sometimes, if you are not specific and realistic, you will
get what you thought you wanted, only to realize that it is
not truly what you wished for in your heart.
What you get, of course, has to do with what you believe
you are capable of having or what you believe is possible.
You may recall the story about the shaman and the two men
looking for mules in Chapter 1. Because one man could en-
vision more mules than the other man, he was directed by
the shaman to find more than the other.
Jerry had women problems. It was not that there was
any shortage of women in his life; it was the kind of
women he attracted. Every woman Jerry got involved
with seemed to be addicted to something: pills, alcohol,
cocaine, chocolate, you name it. The result always turned
out the same. He became the rescuer and they turned
more and more to their addiction. Eventually he gave up
and tried another relationship.
Jerry even tried visualization techniques in which he
imagined having many women in his life to choose from.
Sure enough, he seemed to meet women everywhere but
the end results were similar. He worked hard in psycho-
therapy trying to get to the bottom of this pattern. Al-
though he understood intellectually why the pattern
existed, he could not seem to break it.
Then one night Jerry had a dream. He dreamt about a
witch who was groping for him and tearing at his clothes.
He screamed and tried to get away. Then the witch turned
into his mother. Horrified, he gave a tremendous shove