From time immemorial, man has experienced duality in this world, the egotic mind on one side and pure Spirit on the other... or if you prefer: the material vs. the spiritual.

So it's not surprising that there are 2 different orientations in shamanism, totally opposed in meaning: “The Red Path”, and “The White Path”.

I've been practicing shamanism for over 12 years, with more than 200 ceremonies and thousands of participants in my retreats. It therefore seemed important to me to bring this information to all those who use shamanism in their journey or all those who feel called to it.

To fully understand these 2 paths, these 2 definitions, we need to remind you of a few things first...

In the Emerald Tablets or “Tablets of Thoth”, it is said that the universe is mental.

Einstein himself, at the end of his life, declared that the universe was “a hallucination of the mind”.

More and more neuroscience studies are also showing that the mind is not in the brain.

Quantum physics finally admits that there is neither time nor matter, and that it is the observer who determines the observation (Young's double split experiment). In other words: projection creates perception. Just like in a dream...

The Gnostics say that this universe is not the real world, and that it was not created by God.

A similar belief can be found in India, where this spatio-temporal world is called “Maya” (the great illusion).

The greatest mystics, such as Jesus and Buddha, weren't interested in this world either, inviting us to an inner discovery of the Pure Spirit: “my kingdom is not of this world”, said Jesus... They invited the sleeper to wake up, not to explore the dream.

Finally, my own direct experience of Samadhi and awakening to the Self since 2017 confirm these statements.

The Shamanic Red Path explores the multi-dimensionality of the dream, allowing the mind to see higher or lower dimensions of this multi-dimensional world (Maya).

The Red Path, marked by millennia of shamanic practice, focuses on the perceptible, what can appear and disappear, whether in this or another dimension.

This path honors the earth (often called Gaia or Pachamama), nature, the sun, telluric and cosmic energies, various deities and often refers to sacralized objects of this world (sacred plates, sacred mountains...) with a whole traditional folklore depending on the local cultural program.

In Shamanism, you'll find around 80% of Shamans are on this red path, sometimes knowing it, sometimes ignoring it and unaware of the existence of another path (the white path).

To put it simply: the red shamanic path is about exploring dream dimensions.

The White Shamanic Path, which is also sometimes called the “Christic Path” or “Inner Path” in reference to the greatest teachers such as Jesus or Buddha.

This path is turned inwards, towards the Self, towards that which is not of this world and even has nothing to do with this world... towards the cessation of all mental activity, which as we know is the projector of the multi-dimensional world we perceive (projection creates perception).

Unlike the red path, which exalts the perceptive senses, the white path ignores perceptions until they cease altogether.

The white path recognizes only God, is turned towards God, and nothing else. The white path recognizes NO image of the mind, divinizes nothing of this world, there are no idols to replace God, everything is turned towards Him and nothing else.

It's also a path that uses known enlightenment practices such as : Devotion to God, surrender to God, meditation, introspection of the little egotic character and its abandonment.

In the white path you won't hear about Gaia, Pachamama, sacred mountains, sacred medicine or anything else... only about God and His Kingdom.

The shamanic white path uses these same plants (Mushrooms, Ayuahuasca, San Pedro, Bufo Alvarius and others) but for a different purpose: Awakening.

This duality can also be found in spiritual teachings: it's either personal development, or the awakening of the Spirit who dreamed of being a person.

The red path maintains and explores illusion, while the white path is the path to break the cycle of birth and death (Samsara).

The red path is very similar to near-death experiences, astral exits and nocturnal dreams.

The white path points directly to enlightenment (the awakening of the spirit or the resurrection of the sleeping spirit).

For as long as the spirit seeks in this world, in practices, visions or subtle dimensions, it asserts that love and unity are outside it. It still places its power in that which changes, in ephemeral forms, without realizing that true unity can only be found in that which is eternal.

The Course in Miracles explains that the world was born of a crazy idea: the belief that separation from God was possible. This moment, which can be called “the veil of oblivion”, has created a universe where the mind seems small and vulnerable, projecting a world to escape the guilt it believes to be real.

“Every time you choose to do something to appease your sense of lack, you confirm the idea that smallness is your identity. In reality, your greatness is calling to you, but it cannot be heard as long as you continue to seek in illusion what cannot be found there.” - Chapter 15, section III of ACIM

This vision, which affirms that everything we seek in the world is an illusion, can seem radical and completely confronts the ego.

The ego is attached to its idols - relationships, practices, experiences - because they reinforce the idea that it can “do something” to find unity.

When presented with the idea that nothing in the world can satisfy this need, the ego feels an existential threat. It reacts with rejection, doubt or anger.

“Every thought you accept either strengthens the truth, or buries you deeper in delusion.” (T-14.VII.5:2)

This statement underlines the importance of every choice, revealing that the ego, confronted with the possibility of its dissolution, can resist with intensity.

This rejection is natural, for the ego cannot conceive of a reality in which it has no role to play. Yet it is precisely by letting go of illusion that Spirit can regain its greatness.

The White Path teaches that true unity cannot be found in dream dimensions. It invites us to go beyond all forms, not by rejecting them, but by recognizing their unreality.

Recognizing the greatness of Spirit “Greatness is what you are. Smallness is what you have made. But what you've made has no power over you, unless you choose to give it power.”

Letting go of idols - practices, relationships, spiritual experiences - can generate deep fear:

Fear of losing what seems to give meaning to “our life”.

Fear of emptiness, of no longer knowing who we are without these attachments.

Fear of the unknown, because the ego feeds on the familiar, even if it creates suffering.

This fear is a necessary step, as it reveals the attachments that keep us in the dream. The Course invites us to look at this fear gently and without judgment, saying:

“Don't be afraid to look at the ego with the Holy Spirit. There is nothing it cannot dispel in the light of truth.”

The moment the spirit chooses the White Path is the moment it decides to :

See that all its quests in the dream are in vain.

As long as the mind believes that peace and unity can be achieved through practices, experiences or relationships, it remains trapped in the cycle of desires and expectations. Only by recognizing the unreality of all this can it begin to let go.

Idols - be they visions, spiritual practices, or even emotional attachments - can never lead us to truth. The mind must come “empty-handed before God” (T-14.X.8:3-4), in a posture of total surrender, ready to receive unconditional love and peace.

“Every decision you make is for God or hell.” (T-15.I.10:7). UCEM

This choice is simple in essence, but it requires an honest look at where we still place our faith - in God's unconditional love or in the illusions of the ego.

Choosing to turn towards the truth can bring up deep-seated fears:

Fear of emptiness: The ego fears that by abandoning its landmarks, its idols, there's nothing beyond.

Fear of love: True love, without conditions or expectations, seems overwhelming to a mind accustomed to limitations and compromise.

Fear of loss: Leaving dream experiences behind can feel like giving up everything of value.

These fears are merely the ego's resistance, fighting to preserve its illusion of existence. The Course invites us to look at them with compassion, understanding that they are not real.

The Red Path, though it explores illusions, is not useless. It enables you to :

Look at the shadow with courage, exploring repressed emotions and unconscious fears.

Recognize the complexity of dreams, revealing subtle dimensions and illusory interconnections.

Prepare the mind to let go, showing the limits of attachment to matter and experience.

When the mind is ready, even Red Path practices can become stepping stones to the White Path, offering clarity on what is unreal and opening the door to the total abandonment of illusions.

The final leap: Choosing the Absolute

The transition from the Red Path to the White Path is a leap into the unknown. It does not require us to deny the dream experience, but to see it for what it is: a tool for remembering what lies beyond.

The truth is simple: nothing in the world can give you what you're looking for, because what you're looking for is already inside you, deep inside your mind of course, but always inside your Spirit.

The choice is an uncompromising one: to continue to search within illusions, or to lay down all idols and embrace the greatness of the Spirit.

With Love,

Ananda Laurent

Are you relative? Or Absolute?

At some point... it shifts - The choice is yours