“Brad Keeney’s work is a living example of what we need in our field at this stage of evolution: a synthesis of traditional and modern, east and west, body and soul.”
GAY HENDRICKS, Ph.D., Emeritus Professor of
Counseling Psychology, University of Colorado, founder
of the Foundation for 21st Century Leadership, and author,
Conscious Living and The Corporate Mystic
“The story of Keeney, the American Shaman, strikes gold by unearthing indigenous healing practices that have great potential for the work we do in our own culture.”
WILLIAM GLASSER, M.D., author, Reality Therapy
Is all body shaking a medicine?
Shaking medicine specifically refers to ecstatic experience brought on by spirit (from the Latin spiritus meaning "breath," that is, the vital force within living things), felt as a heightened joy that causes one to tremble, quake, and shake. This natural shaking (as opposed to forced movement or choreographed dancing) tunes the whole person, enabling optimal and enlightened performance of daily life. Spirited ecstatic experience recalibrates and resets the mind/body/heart/soul.
How does ecstatic experience relate to the therapeutic benefits of meditation and deep relaxation?
Deep relaxation and meditation have been recognized as contributing to our wellbeing. However, this is only half the paradigm of health, healing, and personal transformation. The whole view must also include heightened arousal and ecstasy, arguably constituting the last great experiential frontier of our time. The next era in complementary medicine and the healing arts is re-discovering the need for ecstatic expression – the return of shaking medicine and the homecoming of spirit.
Is shaking medicine another form of trance dance work?
Dance, whether trance or ecstatic, may serve as a prelude to ecstatic shaking. However, until you enter the shaking and quaking, the fullest realization of spirited experience hasn’t begun. You may begin with dance, but then don’t hold back – release the dance and say yes to the spirit shaking you into the deepest mysteries and inspiration.
What is the Life Force Theatre?
It is a ceremonial space where you can experiment with ecstatic forms of spirited expression. As you learn to work the spirit, ecstatic body shaking makes its appearance. There’s a whole lot of music, rhythm, and spontaneous movement going on in the Life Force Theatre! It’s a natural way to revive your spirit and renew your life!
It is a spirit driven conversation that shakes your whole mind, with the intent of releasing spirited expression. It does so by entering the wilderness of the unconscious imagination where inner spiritual gifts, talents, and resources reside. We sometimes get there through unexpected experiences and unanticipated callings.
Does the Life Force Theatre shake the body while N/om Talk shakes the mind?
Both are forms of shaking medicine and are capable of shaking your whole being. The Life Force Theatre does so primarily through shaking the body with physical movement, whereas Shamanic Conversation emphasizes shaking the mind through an inspired movement of thoughts and ideas.
Can shaking medicine transform my life and awaken my fullest potential?
The Kalahari Bushmen say that shaking medicine connects you with the divine. It is the original path to ecstatic transformation.
No purposeful effort to become a better person - whether based on inspiration, philosophical understanding, willful discipline, or sincere purpose and commitment - can sustain itself unless the instrument (mind/body/heart/soul) is spiritually tuned. A well-tuned instrument will not have to forcefully will goodness, charity, compassion, and stewardship. It happens naturally when we are tuned because our true (tuned) nature is to be good to one another.
What about shamanism and religion? How do they relate to shaking medicine?
Shamans were the first proponents of shaking medicine and were regularly shaken by the spirit(s), though later most shamanic cultures lost the spirit and became administrative custodians of ritual and evocateurs of guided fantasies. Similarly, all religions were birthed by the shaking, vibrant experience of spirit, but later succumbed to social processes of institutionalization. Nevertheless, the spirit is always ready to breathe into anyone whose heart is open. These renewals of spirit can take place anywhere – in churches, temples, ceremonial grounds, concert halls, and theatres. The spirit is waiting to shake us up!
Does shaking medicine encourage a belief in God?
When our hearts are open enough to feel the biggest love, we find the greatest mystery of the universe - the mysterium tremendum. It is honorable to say that this tremendous mystery of love is God. The more you feel this mystery, the more spirit will enter your whole being and shake your core.
What about those who say that they are “spiritual, but don’t want anything to do with religion”?
It’s like hearing someone say, “I’m hungry, but I don’t want to eat.” Religions are concert halls or theatres for the spirit. Their founders typically were shaken by God’s presence and became instruments for showing how we can live in spirit. When their truths are placed in the hands of human beings whose hearts aren’t touched by spiritual love, we get the gross distortions that perpetuate evil and harm. That’s not a reason to throw away religion, but to stand up and say “no” to their false prophets. If someone bangs on a piano, it’s no reason to retire from listening to music. Ignore the imposters and move on to celebrating well-played music.
How do we avoid the pitfalls of spirit-less religion?
Keep on shaking – when the spirit shakes you, you get retuned. In the spiritually tuned state, your heart wants to do the right thing. Here there is no need for the law. With spiritual tuning, we are good to each other. As one elder Bushman told me, “When I shake, I feel so good that I even love the man who stole my wife.” There’s no need for the Ten Commandments when love fully occupies your heart. Stated differently, there is only one commandment or one law that you need be concerned about – the directive to love, fully and unconditionally. With the full presence of love, God will reside within your heart. Or, when God is fully within, only love can come from you. This love will make you tremble, quake, and shake with joy. It is the most important medicine.
As the elders of ecstatic spirituality say, we must distinguish “having the spirit on us” from “having the spirit within us.” The former is simply getting high on spirituality (or religion, art, music, science, sport, or drugs) where we are addicted to the next high with no regard for the whole context of relationships that holds our life. But when the spirit dwells within, it moves us to fully enter the world in a good way. It is not possible to save the world (whether through politics, economics, or everyday kindness) unless we have the spirit within. Shaking medicine is all about bringing in the spirit and being moved and led by its presence.
What happens when the spirit comes inside?
The wonderful news is that the spirit feels fantastic! It ignites an inner bliss whose fire is so hot that it can spiritually bake suffering in all its forms. True spiritual alchemy transforms suffering into spiritual gold. When we have the spirit, we want to embrace the suffering of the world, first lamenting its presence and then magically celebrating its transformation into spiritual joy. This is what happens weekly in every Kalahari Bushman dance and in every sanctified African-American church. Embrace the suffering, lament it, celebrate its transformation into spiritual gold, and then be blessed by bliss. You won’t be able to sit still in this process. It will make you jump and shake with joy!
What is the Lost City of the Kalahari?
The Lost City exists in the spiritual landscape. It is the highest classroom where the secrets of spirit are taught. The first name of this city was the “village in the sky.” Later explorers and adventurers, presumably hearing about its treasures, began referring to it as the Lost City. All strong Bushman ecstatics (and other ecstatics) visit this heavenly city to receive teachings and gifts. It is the true Mystery School.
It is spiritually real - which is arguably more real than statements concerning its physical manifestation. Similarly, “God” and “love” are spiritually real. You can’t photograph them, but they are every bit as existentially authentic as Mom and apple pie.
How do I make an expedition to the Lost City?
As you grow in spirit, you will be taken there - step by step. This is one of the greatest mysteries of life. When you arrive, you will learn the purpose of your life and be given the lessons, gifts, and expertise to fulfill it.
Is finding the Lost City the way we find our true selves?
Yes. It is what everyone is searching for whether or not they consciously know it. We are all on a spiritual journey and along the way we find many things. The final destination is the spiritual city where the original mysteries are held. We will never be completely fulfilled until we make this pilgrimage to the primal source of all spiritual wisdom.
Does shaking medicine provide the means of getting there?
You get there through a loving heart. As it learns to hold and express more love, you will shake with ecstatic joy. As you deepen this celebration of life, you move closer to God. The road you travel along is a sacred song or a “song line.” Stay on its path and you will be led to each spiritual stopover until you see the rope hanging in the sky. It will pull you up to the Lost City and there you will begin the most important lessons.
How did you learn about all of this?
I was awakened by spirit when I was 19 years old. I saw the mysteries at that time, but it took me another 36 years to find others who also know these things. I have traveled around the world many times, led by spirit, to find the world’s living spiritual treasures – people who have climbed the ropes and learned the secrets of spiritual treasures. After these extensive journeys, I was called to teach others how they may know these truths. Please join me as we learn together the never-ending teachings of spirit.
How do you suggest I learn about shaking medicine and the original mysteries of spirit?
Listen to your heart and follow its sincere desire for how to proceed. Keep these things in mind: To truly know shaking medicine requires experiencing it firsthand. I provide opportunities for this in my public ceremonies and performances. However, there are other ways of shaking – shaking your mind and shaking your daily routines. These are equally important as the ecstatic ceremonies of the Life Force Theatre. In addition to the latter, I recommend the following sequence: start with the Home Study Course. It consists of 12 CD presentations designed to teach you about the original mysteries of spirit. If you want more learning after that, then arrange for the tutorial sessions. I plan to make myself available to a very limited number of people for training and to do so for the next several years. It is my mission to pass on what I have learned.
How did you evaluate your spiritual teachers?
First, I looked to see if they had the spirit within them. I asked these questions: Do they shake in joyous celebration of the spirit? Do they have a song from spirit? Are they spontaneous, creative, and spirited in the present moment? Are they kind? Do they laugh and appreciate the absurd? Are they child-like? Are they beings of open love? Are they human and easily admit mistakes? Do they avoid being pretentious? Are they open about their wisdom rather than secretive? Do they want you to know what they know? Are they blessed and authorized by spiritual teachers of a cultural tradition? Do you sense that they have a mission and destiny to do this work?
I have studied many shamanic and healing cultures around the world and have been intimately associated with their ways. They are all very outspoken about who has the shamanic gifts, talents, and resources, but they don't see those distinctions as any different than speaking about who has the natural gifts for hunting, cooking, telling a story, singing, or running fast. Strong shamans know they are strong and will tell you they are when it is necessary and appropriate to speak the truth about their work. But they do not regard themselves as more important than others. They will typically regard themselves and others with a sense of humor and teasing. What is true about highly respected spiritual people is that they are not arrogant, overly serious, or piously judgmental of others. They know that they had nothing to do with the gifts that were given to them. To be an authentic shaman or healer doesn't make one feel important. If anything, it makes you feel like the Gods made a mistake or are playing some kind of joke to choose you as a holder of spiritual gifts. Being quiet about one's skills potentially can be as arrogant as inappropriately boasting about them. Nothing is more arrogant than feigned humility. On the other hand, it honors your teachers and tradition when you introduce yourself as a voice or authority for its ways. Of course, this can only be done if you have been asked to do so. I have been asked by elders from several shamanic and healing traditions to tell others that I speak for their ways and am authorized to teach. To be quiet about this would be to disrespect their request and to hide the teachings and gifts, possibly encouraging a view that these are secret rather than democratic matters. If I were a musician, my website would obviously include reviews from music critics and other musicians. Their comments would help you decide whether you want to listen to my music. It is no different being a shaman. As a matter of fact, I regard music as a holier occupation than shamanism and I would never suggest that a musician not tell anyone that they have music to share with others. Exceptional musicians and shamans know that they are lightning rods and not the lightning. Sometimes the lightning is caught and sometimes it isn't. Their expertise lies in knowing how to get themselves in a position to have the lightning (or music or n/om) pass through them.
Let’s shake up this question! I suggest this ritual: write down that very question (“What’s the next step?”) on a piece of paper that is your favorite color. Now write it again on the other side of the paper, but do so backwards (i.e., write out “Me for step next the what’s?”). Now fold the paper five times, tie it with a piece of thread or string or rope, and place it underneath your pillow. Imagine that the specially made question bundle is a spiritual seed that will sprout an answer within your unconscious mind. Every time that you sleep over it, consider that the answer is germinating. You will know that the answer has arrived when you feel a new certainty about what to do next. Enjoy this first motion forward. It will move you with a healthy sense of joy and play. And know that I wish you great happiness and jubilation - and all the bliss that you are destined to enjoy!
