Observations placeholder
Bruce Chatwin - Australian aboriginal - Walkabout
Identifier
001167
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
Type of experience unspecified
Walkabout refers to the technique of [usually ] male Australian Aborigines, who go into the desert at various points in their lives – initiation for example - and trace the path or songlines that their ancestors took. They live in the wilderness for as long as it needs to get spiritual input.
The generic technique by which this works is simple dogged walking .
A long walk with your head down looking at the path or road, in which you are plodding along can produce quite intense spiritual experiences. Add to this the effects of sensory deprivation produced by the desert and you have an ideal relatively benign technique. If you are further deprived of food and water [fasting] the experience is even more likely to occur.
A description of the experience
Bruce Chatwin – Songlines
The man who went 'walkabout' was making a ritual journey. He trod in the footsteps of the ancestors, he sang the Ancestor's stanzas without changing a word or note – and so re-created the Creation. Like a vast loom, the entire Australian continent is criss-crossed by songs that are, at the same time, interwoven myths of creation, the harmonic residue of geological events, and elements of the earth's surface
The source of the experience
Australian aboriginalConcepts, symbols and science items
Concepts
SonglinesSymbols
LoomScience Items
Activities and commonsteps
Activities
Overloads
FastingSuppressions
Sensory deprivationSinging spells
Suppression of learning