Saybrook Journal 20

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Saybrook Journal 20 Metaphysical Tracking: The Oldest Ecopsychology David Kowalewski, Ph.D. Alfred University Ecopsychology—the use of nature for understanding and healing the soul—has become accept- ed as a legitimate tool by theorists and practitioners alike. Yet one important dimension of the field has been ignored: metaphysical tracking. This article brings to light a number of mystical phenomena that trackers, ancient and modern, have experienced, and suggests their common root in the so-called energy body. The implications for psychospiritual growth are then described. Finally, alternative explanations and new avenues for research are discussed. When you see . a footprint you do not know, the implications for psychospiritual growth. Finally, it follow it to the point of knowing. evaluates the alternative explanations that skeptics might bring forward and offers a few avenues for Uncheedah, future research. grandmother of Lakota sage Ohiyesa (Nerburn, 1993, p. v) The Energetics of Tracking Modern humans who take up tracking—some- he field of ecopsychology is rapidly being times called the oldest profession because of its utility accepted as a legitimate mode of psychothera- to hunters—often discover they are engaged in a far Tpy (Roszak, Gomes, & Kramer, 1995). The more mysterious endeavor than simply a new hobby or use of nature to understand and heal the soul has an occupation. While gathering “left-brain” data about ancient lineage (Harner, 1990), but currently has gaits, T-steps, and so on, they also start picking up taken some postmodern, metaphysical, New Age strange “right-brain” information that leads them to twists (Gray, 1995). This paper looks at one such twist, start questioning the very nature of nature. During namely metaphysical tracking. It shows how the these experiences, they appear to transcend space-time ancient skill of tracking wildlife, now being rediscov- and fall into a mystical “flow,” tapping into heretofore ered in its physical dimension, has opened to contem- unknown powers (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990). As one porary practitioners a metaphysical, soul-awakening Kalahari tracker put it: “When tracking is like a dance, dimension as well. Tracking can serve as a crash course you are like a god” (Foster, Foster, & Hersov, n.d.). For in natural mysticism. this reason, primitive trackers have astounded modern This paper surveys the ways that trackers, while observers. Amazonian trackers, according to one absorbed in the physical technique of the art, also report, “seemed to know by some special extra sense experience its mystique. Based on several sources— just where to find the game they sought” (Lamb, 1971, ethnographic literature on hunter-gatherers, my own p. 64). training by professional trackers, the reports of my stu- Until recently, modern trackers who themselves dents, my own experiences, and stories around wilder- entered this “zone” kept their experiences “in the clos- ness campfires—it focuses on the three most common et.” But with the growing acceptability of the metaphysical experiences: remote tracking, auric “Primitive Renaissance,” parapsychology, and New residue tracking, and spirit tracking. It posits their Age movements, they are increasingly speaking out in common root in the so-called energy body, which pre- workshops (Brown, 1996), lecture tapes (Young, sumably enables trackers to transcend the limitations 1995), books (Rezendez, 1998), journals (Kowalewski, of the physical or space-time dimension. It then shows 2002b), and other venues. Even hard-nosed search- Metaphysical Ttracking 65 and-rescue trainers, who would seemingly be very bizarre by modern humans, they are increasingly being reluctant to allow their responsibility for the lives of supported by quantum physics (Goswami, 1996), their quarry to depend on worthless practices, strong- biology (Sheldrake, 1981), and other disciplines ly recommend that their tracking students listen to (Kowalewski, 2000; McTaggart, 2002). “intuition” (Fuller, Johnson, & Koester, 2000, p. 24). Thus, I propose, when trackers experience mystical The experiences of these trackers suggest that phenomena, their energy bodies somehow connect something metaphysically energetic is going on. The with the energy body of the creature being tracked, more deeply trackers engage in the art, the more fre- enabling them to learn about it in ways inexplicable by quent and profound the experiences. Seemingly, the the space-time data of the physical senses. The inter- more personal energy they invest in the absent crea- section of the energy bodies of the tracker and tracked ture’s tracks, the more they connect with its present is seemingly observable in three common experiences: energy—and beyond. As one practitioner of Native remote tracking, auric residue tracking, and spirit American arts has put it, “Indian knowing” is entering tracking. into a personal relationship with the energy of the craft Remote tracking might be called a type of non- (Peat, 1995). physical “bilocation,” or what has come to be known Yet this notion remains vague about exactly how a as “remote viewing,” a phenomenon well documented tracker can transcend the limitations of space-time. by research at Stanford and other universities (Guiley, The key, I propose, lies in the notion of “energy body,” 1991; Targ & Puthoff, 1977). It has been shown to alternatively known as the astral, etheric, or dreaming occur independently of distance or electromagnetic body (Guiley, 1991). New Age writer Carlos shielding (Radin, 1997). Trackers located in one place Castaneda calls it the “luminous egg” or “luminous might be said to extend their energy body beyond their ball” (1998, p. 5). It is said to permeate but also to sur- physical body and see the creature’s tracks somewhere round the physical body (usually called the “aura”), else far away, an observation later verified by them- and to constitute part of the universal energy field to selves or others. Thus, the energy body might be said which all creatures belong (namely the Chinese chi and to track the creature while the physical body remains Japanese and Korean ki). Humans, according to immobile. reports, can be taught to see the energy body’s aura In recent years, remote viewing has spawned a (Andrews, 1995; Kowalewski, 2002a). flood of literature, especially concerning its use in Many researchers consider the energy body holo- intelligence-gathering by the U.S. government during graphic, such that the whole is represented in every the controversial “Stargate” program of the 1980s part (Gerber, 2000). While it can manifest electromag- (McMoneagle, 1993; Morehouse, 1998; Schnabel, netically, nonetheless its effects can be observed 1997). The phenomenon, however, has a long pedi- through electromagnetic and other shields (Radin, gree in tracking lore. One story in tracking circles goes 1997). It appears to contain all the perceptual pow- like this: ers—seeing, hearing and so on—of the physical body An Englishman in Australia came across an aborig- as well as the memory of its entire history, and has ine sitting on the ground and staring into space, been used to explain bizarre medical phenomena such and asked, “What are you doing?” “Tracking,” as phantom limbs and changes in organ transplant came the reply. “But you’re not moving,” objected recipients (Burr, 1972; Eden & Feinstein, 1998; the Englishman. “I don’t have to,” said the aborig- Sheldrake, 1995). Experiments of the “DNA phantom ine, “I’m tracking out there,” pointing to a distant effect” have found a similar phenomenon. Randomly hillside. He then proceeded to describe the location scattered photons that are exposed to DNA not only of the creature and sketch all its tracks. The form patterns, but the patterns continue even after the Englishman later verified the claim. DNA is removed, as if they “remembered” its energy body (Braden, 2000). Such lore finds more formal expression in the This double of the physical body seemingly ethnographic literature on hunter-gatherers. One accounts for many metaphysical phenomena such as anthropologist recorded these remote tracking experi- precognition and out-of-body experiences (Guiley, ences of a Kalahari Bushman: 1991). While such notions are usually considered I see everything. I can see hyenas, lions, and 66 The International Journal of Transpersonal Studies, 2004, Volume 23 leopards. I can even see tracks . far away. My a red fox track. The claim was immediately verified. eyes start turning around in my head . and This tracker, it should be mentioned, has solved over [w]hen I look out to the bush, I can see a lion mak- 500 cases involving missing children, escaped prison- ing low growling sounds, far away. I can see his face ers, lost hunters, and the like for police, park officials, very clearly, and I tell the others, “Hey! Hey! and so on (Brown, 1978, 1996). There’s a lion out there”. Then later on they see I have personally been team-tracking in a “hide- the tracks of the animal and say, “Kau Dwa was and-seek” game when I saw our quarry’s tracks in my right!” (Katz, 1982, pp. 216-217) mind’s eye suddenly stretch far ahead, then loop around behind us and lead into a grove of trees. “I’ll Or consider this account from Labrador: bet he’s right over there,” I told my partners, pointing [T]he old hunter was looking for traces of a bear back to the grove. We went to the trees, where in fact [that were] . swept away bythe icy winds and lost he was hiding. “How did you know I was here without in a deep snowdrift. All that the old hunter saw seeing the tracks?” he asked me in amazement. “But I were the footprints of the bear immediately around did ‘see’ the tracks,” I answered. I certainly did not him. But the footprints led nowhere. The old hear or see his body moving out of the corner of my man squatted down next to the bear tracks. He eyes, see his physical tracks in the distance, or notice pulled his blanket over his head, creating darkness my fellow trackers detecting him or his tracks far .
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