Jose AND LENA STEVENS 161Move up to the top of your head at the crown and locate
your seventh tunnel, most likely violet in color.
Notice with your shamanic vision whether or not your
tunnels are aligned vertically and notice whatever connec-
tions and passageways exist between them. These passage-
ways usually look like thin straws connecting one tunnel to
another.
The tunnels also serve as storehouses of information pre-
served in the form of memories, fears, or blockages. When
shamans journey through a particular tunnel, what they
often literally meet are guardians of the information accumu-
lated in that tunnel. We will give you examples of these in
the following section. Let us now describe the functions of
the seven major tunnels, beginning with the first at the base
of the spine and proceeding through each one to the seventh
at the crown.
THE FIRST TUNNEL or POWER
Located at the sacrum or base of the spine, the functions
of this opening are many and are vastly important for sha-
manic work. Here lies access to the storehouse of all instinc-
tual and genetic information about survival. Here are the
ancestral and archetypal (includes past-life) memories that
lie latent until tapped by shamanic processes.
This first tunnel is also known as a storehouse for a pow-
erful energy that, if released, rises up the spine, activating all
the tunnels before rushing out the top of the head. In the
Hindu tradition this latent energy is known as the Kundalini
or serpent power. This serpent power can be activated by
certain meditations, concentrations, or through the assis-
tance of a yogi. According to Kung shamans in the Kalahari
Desert, Num, a fiery energy stored in the base of the spine,
can be released with pelvic movements in a special dance.
The Num energy travels up the spinal column to the skull,
where a transformation called Kia occurs. During this state
of Kia, tremendous healing can take place not only in the
dancer, but in others watching.
When shamans use this opening to journey into the spirit
world, they are likely to meet initially with many of their
fears. These fears often take the form of demons, evil spirits,
or vicious insects, fish, and animals. After either avoiding
these creatures, or successfully doing battle with them, sha-
mans can then break into realms of unlimited resources.
The first tunnel creates the first layer in the somewhat
egg-shaped spirit body, and is associated with the vibrant