Navigating Liminal Realms: Psychonavigation Skills for Lucid Dreaming, Trance Journeys, and Altered States

by Norma J. Burton, Nisha Burton

Overview

• Investigates drumming-induced trance states through shamanic journeying

• Provides advanced lucid dreaming training, sharing techniques for inducing lucidity and skillfully navigating our inner cosmos

• Explores the mindful use of psychedelics, offering guidance on setting intention, navigating the experience, and integrating insights

OFFERING TECHNIQUES from psychonauts ancient and modern, this profound guide helps you navigate consciously into the depths of the human psyche. Psychonavigation is the art of mindfully exploring the liminal realms of consciousness. This requires a map, a guide, and a clear intent, so one does not emerge overwhelmed and struggling with unexpected shadow material.

Norma and Nisha Burton map the important connection between three gateways into the psyche’s depths: lucid dreaming, shamanic drumming trance journeys, and ceremonial plant medicine journeys. With drumming-induced trance journeys, they explore the scientific effect on brainwave frequencies alongside consciousness teachings from indigenous cultures like the Sami of Norway and Huichol of Mexico. Their masterful approach to lucid dreaming transcends basic instruction, offering sophisticated techniques to not only summon but sustain lucidity and integrate suppressed parts of oneself. They explain how a mindful engagement with entheogens can be profoundly enhanced through these precursory mystical practices, creating a safe container for integration and meaning-making that honors the gravity of such experiences.

With these skillful methodologies, ancient psycho-spiritual techniques meet ultra-current science to enable seekers to process and integrate profound encounters with expanded consciousness.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798888501665
Publisher:	Inner Traditions/Bear & Company
Publication date:	07/08/2025
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	272
File size:	5 MB

About the Author

Norma J. Burton is a counselor and theologian with academic degrees in Buddhist psychology and shamanic traditions. She specializes in trauma healing, shadow work, and Jungian dream analysis. Having apprenticed with indigenous elders for more than 30 years, she founded the Journey to Completion methodology and the Circle of Trust Healing Center.

Nisha Burton has been a skilled dream worker and lucid dreaming practitioner for more than a decade. She’s an award-winning filmmaker and a sought-after consultant on branding and emerging technologies for Fortune 100 companies. A specialist in visual storytelling and film-AI integration, she speaks at conferences and universities worldwide.

Read an Excerpt

Chapter One

What Is Psychonavigation

Psychonavigation is not a term we typically hear in our daily conversations; however, its meaning can be easily understood when divided into the two words that comprise it:

PSYCHO (aka the psyche) – The human soul, mind, or spirit. Within psychology, the psyche is the totality of the mind, both the conscious and unconscious parts.
NAVIGATION – The process or activity of accurately ascertaining one’s position and planning and following a route.

Thus, bringing these two concepts together, the act of psychonavigation is the ability to accurately understand your position within your psyche. By gaining access to the maps of your own mind you can plan a route within your inner terrain with skill.

Navigating consciousness with expertise is a quest that humans have been on for centuries. From philosophers to shamans, the desire to understand what the mind is and how to traverse its various states has been at the core of what it means to be human. Thus, the investigations into consciousness, so popular now in the burgeoning field of psychedelic studies, are nothing new to humanity.

Despite all the centuries of inquiry, the intimate cosmos of human awareness still remains elusive to modern science. Now researchers are flocking like bears to honey to do lab studies on the human brain under the influence of mind-altering substances. The brain has been called, "the most complex object in the known universe," by leading researcher Christof Koch.

Perception is not only altered by psychoactive substances. Many factors, such as social influences, beliefs, fasting, breathwork, meditation, and prolonged exertion, can alter your perception. When your perception shifts you can see the world in an entirely new way; sometimes it is subtle, and other times it is almost as if you are in a completely different reality. Altering your perception, you can notice things that you missed in your habitual ways of perceiving reality, thus leading to breakthroughs.

Carlos Castaneda’s written works are well known. However, most people have read only his books about working with his Yaqui teacher Don Juan while using strong hallucinogenic substances. Throughout this book, we will reference Castaneda’s book The Art of Dreaming, which was one of his later titles. In that book, psychedelic substances are not the focus; instead, reality is shifted through lucid dreaming practices.

Don Juan explains to Castaneda that psychedelics are not necessary to shift perception. However, when Castaneda first came to Don Juan, he was very stuck in his habitual view of reality, so Don Juan used psychedelics to shake Castaneda out of his stuck viewpoint. Not knowing this, some believe that Castaneda’s work with Don Juan was all about psychedelics, but they were just the beginning of his journey into altered states of consciousness. Hallucinogens can be helpful, radically taking us out of our habitual perspective on reality, but they are not the only way to break out of mundane reality.

When altering the brain with external substances one should take precautions, because our brains are infinitely complex. The complexity of the mind is still a great mystery to scientists, yet profound studies at this interface of science and consciousness are now being published.

There was a fascinating study conducted by astrophysicist Franco Vazza and neuroscientist Alberto Feletti.1 The two joined forces to compare the complexity of galaxies with human brain neuronal networks. They found that "The total number of neurons in the human brain falls in the same ballpark as the number of galaxies in the observable universe." The memory capacity of the brain is so large (around 2.5 petabytes) that a computer with a similar processing capacity could reproduce the entire universe at its largest scales. The microcosm of our individual brain is reflected in the macrocosm of the universe. Our mental computers are literally creating the reality we perceive in every moment.

To see things in this context is to realize that navigating our own minds can be just as complex as a space explorer traveling from galaxy to galaxy. Would you go out into the vastness of space without any understanding or preparedness of how to get from point A to point B? Probably not, and yet humans often haphazardly rush into altering their psyches with cavalier abandon. When altering the mind, we are dealing with something vastly complex—it requires a great deal of humility, awe, and skill. To become a true psychonavigator one must dedicate themselves to walking this pathway diligently.

Chapter Two

Oneironauts, Psychonauts, and Reasons to Enter the Liminal

Lucid dreamers are often called oneironauts, which is a combination of the Greek words for dream (oneiro) and nautical voyager, or sailor. Oneironautics is the ability to travel within a dream with lucidity and conscious awareness. While astronauts travel into the vastly unknown landscapes of outer space, oneironauts travel into the vastly unknown landscape of inner space.

Similarly, the word psychonaut comes from the Ancient Greek psyche (soul, spirit, mind) and naut (sailor, navigator). Although it’s come to be predominantly associated with psychedelic use it actually means navigation of the psyche through various means, such as meditation, lucid dreaming, brainwave entrainment, trance journeys, and mind-altering substances. Thus, this term can describe anyone venturing into the psyche regardless of the route that they take.

Jan Dirk Blom, a clinical psychiatrist, describes a psychonaut as someone who "seeks to investigate their mind using intentionally induced altered states of consciousness for spiritual, scientific, or research purposes."2

When you step onto the pathway of navigating your psyche with lucid awareness you can think of yourself as a voyager into the vast recesses of the Great Unknown within your own mind. The reasons you may enter into this exploration of your inner cosmos can be both spiritual and psychological. Philosophy is fascinated with understanding the psyche because it’s at the core of understanding the human condition.

Cultures and peoples through time and history have grappled with what it means to work with the mind and spirit. Entering and altering the mind in order to better understand oneself and one’s place in reality has been a constant exploration, from Tibetan Buddhists, to shamans of South America, to the Siddhars of Ancient India, all the way to people engaging in psychedelic therapy in our current age.

Stepping into the Liminal

Voyager, on the journey of psychonavigation you step up to a portal, a doorway, between Ordinary Reality and the Dreamtime. To be in a liminal space is defined as "a state or place characterized by being transitional or intermediate in some way." On the internet, there is a whole fascination with liminal spaces, and they are informally described as any location that is unsettling, uncanny, or dreamlike.

However, interest in liminal spaces is nothing new. In Tibetan Buddhism, the Bardo realms are essentially liminal spaces. According to this worldview, when a person dies and leaves their body, the soul traverses the Bardo realms and is eventually reborn. These liminal realms in which the soul travels in between realities must be carefully navigated. There are many teachings surrounding what to do in these Bardo realms. The Tibetan Book of The Dead (Bardo Thodol) is an ancient, detailed map used to help guide newly deceased souls through the Bardos to enlightenment or a beneficial rebirth. It reminds the soul to look beyond the illusions of the mind that can be scary and confusing.

Dream yoga is a spiritual practice rooted in Tibetan Buddhism that involves the use of dreams and lucid dreaming to work with the "Bardos of the Dreamtime" in order to prepare for the "Bardos of Death" after we have left this body behind. In Western terms, learning how to navigate the psyche while alive through lucid dreaming and drum journey trance states prepares you to successfully navigate consciousness at the time of death.

Regardless of your particular view of what happens after death, knowing how to work with liminal states of consciousness is an invaluable tool throughout life. Learning to navigate the psyche is a journey of learning how to safely venture in and out of various states of consciousness while maintaining awareness, and thereby successfully making it through the liminal spaces in between.

Table of Contents

Preface

Introduction – Acknowledging the Lineage

PART 1: PSYCHONAVIGATION

1. What Is Psychonavigation?

2. Oneironauts, Psychonauts, and Reasons to Enter the Liminal

3. The Calling to a Perspective Shift

4. Polyphasic versus Monophasic Awareness

5. Working with the Shadow within the Psyche

6. The Three Key Elements: The Guide, the Map, and the Intent

7. The Guide

8. The Map

9. The Intent

10. Creating the Map

11. The Journey to Completion Map

12. Three Modes of Entering Altered States of Consciousness

PART 2: DRUMMING JOURNEYS

13. Entering Trance States through Sound Induction

14. Your Brain on Drumming – The Science behind the
Drumming-Induced Trance

15. Healing Effects of Drum Journeys

16. Four Stages of Entering a Trance or Dream

17. Where We Travel in Drumming Journeys

18. The Underworld

19. Navigating through a Drumming Journey

20. Drumming Journey Examples

21. Integrating a Drumming Journey

PART 3: DREAMING

22. What Is Lucid Dreaming?

23. The Dreamer as Shaman

24. Imbalance between the Dreamtime and Ordinary Reality

25. Remembering Your Dreams

26. Unlocking the Symbols and Metaphors of Your Dreams

27. Tracking Training for Lucid Dreaming

28. Attaining and Maintaining Lucidity

29. Dealing with the Shadow in the Dream Realms

30. A Powerful Lucid Dream

31. Advanced Lucid Dreaming Techniques

PART 4: PSYCHEDELICS

32. Lucid Dreaming and Psychedelics

33. The Rhythm of a Psychedelic Journey

34. Preparing for the Journey – Art-Making, Self-Screening,
Threshold Guardians

35. Setting Your Intent for the Psychedelic Journey

36. Entering the Psychedelic Dreamtime

37. Working with the Shadow in the Psychedelic Journey

38. Client Case Studies

39. Emerging – The Gentle Glide Back

Conclusion

Notes and Illustration Credits

Bibliography

Index

About the Authors

Editorial Reviews

“Navigating Liminal Realms is a profound guide to structured, safe, and transformative inner exploration. The authors emphasize that establishing safety is a prerequisite before engaging in deep inner work—a principle I see daily in my work as a physician specializing in integrative medicine. Their whole-systems approach ensures that healing comes from integration, not just the experience itself. Through lucid dreaming, drumming, and shadow work, the book demonstrates that altered states—whether through these methods or psychedelics—are tools, not the source of healing. As I’ve seen with my patients, where I utilize ketamine when needed as a catalyst to therapy, true transformation happens through preparation, integration, and expert guidance. A must-read for seekers and practitioners committed to responsible, ethical healing.

GEETA ARORA

Both profound and illuminating, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in the farthest reaches of human development and psycho-spiritual exploration.

psychotherapist and author of The Gift of the Nigh PHILIP CARR-GOMM

“Navigating Liminal Realms is a master class in psychonavigation, an art whose name I did not know before reading this compelling book. As a mother–daughter creative team, Norma J. and Nisha Burton possess a rare combination of deep ancestral lineage, unique educational paths, and decades of experience with the Dreamtime, drumming, and psychedelicassisted shamanic journeying. With their unique and broad set of life experiences, spiritual gifts, and communicative skills, Norma and Nisha pull together strands from Eastern, Western, and Indigenous sources. The result is a clear-eyed, sober, authoritative guidebook to the beauty and mystery of the inner journey.

JIM GILKESON

As a retired biotechnology chairman and CEO, I am enthusiastically recommending this extraordinary book. Norma and Nisha have put in writing thousands of years of wisdom, knowledge, and experience from many Indigenous cultures on healing, authentic power, and consciousness. We live in a precarious time when dramatic healing is necessary on a micro and macro level across the globe. It is also a critical period to stand up against the extreme abuses of power we are witnessing on a daily basis. The teachings herein bring these concepts forward in such a humble and compassionate way and also represent the highest ethical standards that I know. Norma and Nisha offer a synergistic approach to generational healing with very relevant case studies. My work with them has represented the most transformative learning process of my career by far, and I am forever grateful.

JOHN DEE

Rarely does a book serve as both a lucid guide and a true initiation. Navigating Liminal Realms is more than a manual—it is a living transmission of wisdom. Norma and Nisha Burton weave ancient traditions with modern insights, offering a structured yet deeply intuitive path through dreams, drumming, and psychedelics. This is not escapism; it is a call to mastery—an invitation to meet the shadow, reclaim innate gifts, and navigate altered states with clarity and purpose. For those ready to step beyond the known and into the fullness of their consciousness, this book is an essential companion."

executive coach and author of Leadership Breakdown ERIC KAUFMANN

Thank you, Norma and Nisha, for the immense gift of your book at such a pivotal time in the revival of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy! As a psychotherapist with 40 years of experience working with traumatized adults, I find your teachings are foundational and essential in protecting the users and facilitators of plant medicines from overwhelm, fragmentation, and misuse of power. If used with the psycho-navigational tools you teach, psychedelics shall not be pushed into the underground again. Having experienced Norma’s total commitment to safe healing, her deep non-dualistic compassion, and her authentic humility based on her own shadow work, I am filled with endless gratitude. I cannot recommend this treasure trove of practical exercises and horizon-expanding concepts more highly. Your lineage and your personal wisdom, humility, and yes, impeccability, are truly the ‘path of the heart’—which your book brings within reach for everyone."

BETTINA DEE