Curanderismo Soul Retrieval: Ancient Shamanic Wisdom to Restore the Sacred Energy of the Soul - Erika Buenaflor M.A. J.D. 2019

Locating Our Axis Mundi
Our Sacred Center and Trance-Journeying: A Portal to Other Worlds

The concept of the axis mundi for the ancient Mesoamerican peoples involved the heart of a person or thing whereby other realms could be accessed. Interestingly, modern quantum physics theories also posit that our energetic axis mundi is ideally located near the heart chakra, where in deeper states of consciousness the nonordinary realms can be accessed.

According to these theories, every human has an oscillating energetic epicenter that gathers, emits, and helps mold the aura or subtle energy field. Our atoms and molecules vibrate with energies that enable us to interact and communicate with them. Their vibrations form an epicenter, which unifies them.³⁰ This oscillating energetic epicenter is often referred to as the assemblage point. It is typically depicted as a tubelike bundle of light energy within the auric energy field that ideally flows through the front and back of the center of the chest (see fig. 2.2 below).

The notion of the assemblage point was popularized by Carlos Castaneda in his book The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge, which focuses on his apprenticeship with a Yaqui shaman named don Juan. According to don Juan, within our auric energy fields that surround the body, there is a converging point of energy—the assemblage point. In a trance state, this point could also serve as the shaman’s portal to enter the nonordinary realms. Shamans would journey to this world to gather and bring back medicine, wisdom, energy, and power to heal various kinds of illnesses and gain deeper awareness and knowledge.³¹

Fig. 2.2. Assemblage point.

Illustration by Carolina Gutierrez.