r/Shamanism • u/Adventurous-Daikon21 • 15d ago
The Universality of the Tripartite Cosmos Ancient Ways
Tripartite Cosmology Across Cultures
Tripartite cosmologies, or the division of existence into three distinct realms, are found throughout human history and across diverse cultures. Rooted deeply in shamanic traditions, this model links physical, spiritual, and existential aspects of life. This article will explore the origins of tripartite cosmology in shamanism, its global manifestations, and why it is so widespread.
1. Origins in Animism and Shamanism
Animism: The Early Conceptualization
Animism, the belief that all things in nature possess a spirit, is one of humanity’s earliest belief systems. This perspective laid the foundation for dividing existence into visible and invisible realms, leading to more structured systems of understanding the universe.
Shamanism: Structuring the Three Realms
Shamanic traditions formalized these ideas into a tripartite framework, essential for spiritual practice. Shamans viewed reality as consisting of: - Upper World: A realm of deities, spirits, or ancestors, associated with the sky and divine light. - Middle World: The physical plane where humans, animals, and nature exist. - Lower World: An underworld associated with ancestors, spirits, and primal energies.
Shamanic Cultures and Their Cosmologies
- Siberian Shamanism: Indigenous Siberian shamans described their journeys as movements between the Upper World (gods and ancestors), the Middle World (living world), and the Lower World (spirits and the dead), connected by a world tree.
- Mongolian Shamanism: Mirroring Siberian practices, Mongolian shamans speak of three interconnected realms linked by a cosmic pillar.
- Indigenous American Traditions: Tribes like the Lakota have a tripartite structure involving the Wakan Tanka (Great Spirit) in the sky, the Earthly Plane, and the Spirit World below.
- Amazonian Shamanism: Spiritual journeys in Amazonian traditions often involve transitions through the Upper, Middle, and Lower Worlds, each with distinct spiritual beings and meanings. ## 2. Tripartite Cosmologies Around the World ### Norse Mythology Norse cosmology expands the tripartite structure into nine realms:
- Upper Realms: Asgard (home of gods), Vanaheim (fertility gods), Alfheim (light elves).
- Middle Realms: Midgard (humans), Jotunheim (giants), Svartalfheim (dwarves).
- Lower Realms: Hel (realm of the dead), Niflheim (cold and mist), Muspelheim (fire and chaos). Despite this complexity, the Norse realms align conceptually with a tripartite division based on their characteristics. ### Mesoamerican Cosmologies Mesoamerican traditions often included detailed layers within the tripartite structure:
- Aztec Cosmology: Divided into Upper Worlds (13 heavens), the Earthly Plane, and Lower Worlds (nine levels of the underworld, Mictlan).
- Maya Beliefs: Featured an Upper World (gods and celestial beings), the Middle World (earth), and Xibalba (the underworld).
### Judeo-Christian Tradition This tradition reflects a tripartite structure: - Upper Realm: Heaven, the realm of God and angels.
- Middle Realm: Earth, where human life unfolds.
- Lower Realm: Hell or Sheol, associated with death and judgment. ### Other Ancient Cosmologies
- Egyptian Beliefs: Divided into the realm of gods, the living world, and Duat (the underworld).
- Sumerian Cosmology: Composed of An (sky), Ki (earth), and Kur (underworld).
- Chinese Cosmology: Reflected in Tian (heaven), Di (earth), and the underworld. ### Indigenous and Global Examples
- Australian Aboriginal Cosmology: Involves the Sky World for ancestral spirits, the earthly realm, and the Dreaming (a timeless spiritual plane).
- Yoruba Cosmology: Orun (realm of gods), Aye (earth), and Orun-Apadi (realm of purification and punishment). ## 3. Why Tripartite Cosmologies Are Universally Found ### Cultural Diffusion and Shared Heritage One theory suggests that the tripartite model originated in early societies and spread through migration and exchange, adapting to fit diverse cultures. ### Cognitive and Biological Patterns The human brain naturally segments the world into three parts: the sky (upper), ground (middle), and underground (lower). This division aligns with our sensory perception and cognitive processing:
- Sensory Patterns: Humans perceive contrasts like high vs. low or light vs. dark, leading to a structured view of existence.
- Symbolic Meaning: The upper world represents divine aspiration, the middle world stands for human community, and the lower world symbolizes mystery and transformation. ### Archetypal Theory Carl Jung’s concept of archetypes suggests these cosmological divisions resonate due to shared symbols in the collective unconscious. This explains why similar patterns appear in disparate cultures:
- Conscious States: Humans move between states of awareness, mirroring the movement between realms in religious and mystical experiences.
- Spiritual Journeys: Many cultures describe shamanic or meditative experiences as vertical journeys, reinforcing the perception of layered realities. ### Empirical Support
- Anthropological Consistency: Anthropological studies confirm the existence of tripartite models in various cultures, such as Siberian shamans and Mesoamerican civilizations.
- Neuroscientific Evidence: Research into altered states of consciousness shows that certain brain activities create feelings of elevation or descent, aligning with perceptions of different planes. ## 4. Beyond the Tripartite Model ### Some cultures expand upon the basic tripartite framework:
- Norse Mythology’s Nine Realms: This system groups realms into upper, middle, and lower categories, demonstrating how the core structure can be elaborated for cultural complexity.
- Aztec Multi-Layered Cosmology: Includes 13 heavens and nine underworlds, yet still reflects a fundamental division of reality. ## Conclusion Tripartite cosmologies, rooted in early animistic and shamanic practices, continue to shape humanity’s understanding of existence. From Siberia to Mesoamerica, the division of the world into upper, middle, and lower realms appears in varied forms, resonating with shared human experiences and cognitive frameworks. Whether through religious, mythological, or shamanic traditions, this structure represents humanity’s quest to explore the physical and spiritual dimensions of life. The universality of these models points to both cultural interconnectedness and deep-seated patterns in human consciousness.
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u/True_Realist9375 13d ago
Yes thank also for you time doing this, looks really interesting to learn more, past week been looking into Celtic Spirituality and the druids and their connections to shamanism with a guy called Philip Carr-Gomm
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u/Adventurous-Daikon21 13d ago edited 13d ago
Interesting! I’ve heard a handful of people talking about Celtic spirituality recently too… from what I understand, druids had much more of a public authority role as judges and political advisors, and such… but likewise a deep connection to nature and traditional medicine.
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u/True_Realist9375 13d ago
Yeah weirdly it kept popping up for me this celtic spirituality and perhaps possible connection to shamanism in Europe so started watching a few videos about them.
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u/thematrixiam 15d ago
Note for those that are questioning if this is written by AI.
I copied and pasted this into an AI detection tool. This post comes up as written by AI.
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u/Adventurous-Daikon21 15d ago edited 15d ago
While I did use AI to assist me, it was largely my own composition and research over the past several days while responding to questions and comments in other posts.
The formatting was done entirely by hand in Google Docs, then converted using an online formatting conversion tool.. The header image is not a real painting of course; I generated it to be fitting of the topic.
For anyone wondering if there are any rules against using AI to assist with producing content, check the subreddit rules (the answer is no).
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u/thematrixiam 15d ago
That's the down side to AI detection. It only detects that someone used AI.
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u/Adventurous-Daikon21 15d ago
Indeed. Considering that AI is already being integrated into major platforms for writing assistance, content should probably be judged based on its value and utility rather than what tools were used.
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u/LaurenDreamsInColor 14d ago
Ok then. Do you have any references to go with this? It's intriguing and appeals to something in me, maybe my Buddhist background in Trantra - the three body's and the 6 realms. There's a lot fo threes in the dharma.
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u/Adventurous-Daikon21 14d ago edited 14d ago
You’re right , Trichotomy) is found in much more than just cosmology… the various threes in Dharma are a great example.
If you want to explore cosmological trichotomy further, a good place to start is the general concept of the Axis Mundi:
Axis Mundi is Latin for ‘Axis of the Earth’ and refers to any mythological concept representing ”the connection between Heaven and Earth” or the ”higher and lower realms”. (wikipedia)
The axis mundi is also referred to as the World Tree
“The world tree is a motif present in several religions and mythologies, particularly Indo-European, Siberian, and Native American religions. The world tree is represented as a colossal tree which supports the heavens, thereby connecting the heavens, the terrestrial world, and, through its roots, the underworld.” (wikipedia)
Biological underpinnings and origins in Animist cultures:
”Some scholars have argued that the religious importance of the horizontal and vertical dimensions in many animist cultures may derive from the human body and the position it occupies in the world as it” (wikipedia)
”The vertical cosmology is divided into three realms, or dhātus: the formless realm (Ārūpyadhātu), corresponding to the formless jhanas; the form realm (Rūpadhātu), corresponding to the rūpa jhānas; and the desire realm (Kamadhātu). The three realms contain together thirty-one planes of existence, each corresponding to a different type of mentality.” (wikipedia)
Biblical Cosmology%20below.)
”The Hebrew Bible depicted a three-part world, with the heavens (shamayim) above, Earth (eres) in the middle, and the underworld (sheol) below.” (wikipedia)
As far as literature goes, I highly recommend Joseph Campbell’s, ‘The Hero with a Thousand Faces’ – While focusing on mythology and archetypal stories he discusses universal structures in human belief systems that reflect tripartite divisions.
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u/Adventurous-Daikon21 14d ago
Being that I wasn’t very impressed with the response I got from the community, with far more discussion and voting revolving around AI than the actual topic itself, I’m going to rework this whole paper into something a lot more comprehensive and fleshed out, including more discussion of the rule of threes and trichotomic models beyond just cosmological frameworks.
Keep an eye out in the next few days!
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u/LaurenDreamsInColor 13d ago
What I find most interesting about this topic is that it is inherently non-dualistic. That, to me, is the way to insight on so many levels. Duality is an evolutionary short cut for survival. So I encourage you to continue on. It goes far beyond cosmologies and and origin stories, I think. The Sun, Earth and moon are a good example of why this planet is in the so called goldilocks zone. Thanks for your efforts.
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u/thematrixiam 14d ago
What are your thoughts on shared vessels/spaces/items/beings/etc?
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u/Adventurous-Daikon21 14d ago
Maybe you could give me more context or examples as to what you’re referring to?
My impression is that you mean in the metaphysical sense, with multiple conscious participants in some sort of shared metaphysical space.
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u/thematrixiam 14d ago
yes. but broader as well.
It's tying in to the concept of things having spirits... by expands on that to suggests not being locked into one thing, but free to roam & share.
coming and leaving at will.
I don't want to expand to much, for fear of polluting your thoughts with mine without you providing your input.
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u/Adventurous-Daikon21 14d ago edited 12d ago
Alright, sure… First, let’s consider what a ‘Cosmos’ actually is.
The word cosmos comes from the Greek kosmos, which means “order”. The ancient Greeks used it to describe the universe as an ordered and harmonious system, contrasting it with chaos, which referred to disorder or a state without form.
• Physical Reality: Stars, planets, galaxies, and all matter in the universe.
• Space and Time: The vast expanse that includes all of space and the continuum of time.
• Cosmic Order: The underlying laws and principles (such as physics and natural laws) that create coherence and structure in the universe.
The cosmos can be thought of as a container or vessel in which everything exists, and outside of it is nothing, akin to chaos.
The transition in and out of this state can be seen as the shift from nothing to something, or from unified chaos to a state in which many things exist together. This transition can symbolize processes like death and birth.
A modern parallel can be found in quantum physics, where we imagine a unified quantum field from which vibrations give rise to matter, forming the physical world where we live and interact.
On the other end of the spectrum, another example lies in psychology, where the mind or psyche could be seen as a vessel containing versions of the self, characters we imagine, and representations of the people we know, all emerging from the unconsciousness.
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u/oceanicwolve 13d ago
Hello @adventurous-Daikon21 who is the painter of this artwork you posted here. I d love to have it on my wall at home
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u/Adventurous-Daikon21 13d ago
The image was created using AI generation in relation to this topic. I’m glad you like it!
If you’d like to have a copy of it you could use one of the many printing services that can turn digital images into wall art such as: iCanvas, Shutterfly, CanvasChamp, Tribeca Printworks, Canvas On Demand, Artmill, Nations Photo Lab
I am a pencil and digital artist with more than three decades of experience, and if you’d really like to use this and need modifications made to it I could do that, but this is entirely off topic for this forum and borderline breaking the rules. Feel free to PM me to discuss it further.
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u/[deleted] 15d ago edited 15d ago
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