Music and Altered states of Consciousness

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F61384984%3A51110%2F23%3AN0000051" target="_blank" >RIV/61384984:51110/23:N0000051 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="https://isfp.cz/2023/en/symposium-program/" target="_blank" >https://isfp.cz/2023/en/symposium-program/</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

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Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Music and Altered states of Consciousness

Original language description

Music has always been a part of various religious ceremonies, magical rituals, healing and shamanic practices inducing trance, meditation and other phenomena that can be collectively called altered states of consciousness. Therefore, the question is what mechanisms lie behind the music’s influence on the human psyche? Are altered states of consciousness induced by the music alone or are there other aspects, such as anthropological or social, at play? What is the role of music in various rituals? How does it affect us in our everyday life? The practice based on altered states of consciousness can be found in various forms all around the world – e.g. in African or African-American cults (Bori, Rab, Umbanda, Santería or voodoo), in shamans’ (both Asian and American) work, in the healing trance rituals of Zar (Ethiopia) or Gnawa (Morocco), it also includes Indian mantras (both traditional Vedic and their modern Western adaptations), Tibetan ritual music or trance theatre performances in Bali (Rangda/Barong). Last but not least, we should also mention Western sacred music, such as Christian liturgical chants in Gothic cathedrals which enhance these states visually with their vertically oriented architecture. The use of the Japanese shakuhachi flute in the suizen Zen Buddhist meditation practice of the Fuke sect is a case in point. Here, even the style of playing the instrument is governed by this purpose – individual musical phrases are measured by the length of the player’s breath (as is well known, breathing techniques are some of the most effective means of inducing altered states of consciousness – see pranayama, holotropic breathwork, etc.). However, altered states of consciousness are not only present in non-Western cultures! They are indeed a part of our everyday musical life, whether we are aware of it or not. Rock musicians and their audiences fall into a kind of trance, a players’ specific state of consciousness is a prerequisite for a good jazz improvisation, and even in the daily practice of an instrument a specific, both highly beneficial and addictive, “other” state of consciousness is highly desirable. Electronic dance music festivals (especially some of their sub-genres such as psytrance) are a kind of modern shamanic rituals centered around altered states of consciousness.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

M - Conference organization

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

60403 - Performing arts studies (Musicology, Theater science, Dramaturgy)

Project

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Continuities

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2023

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Event location

HAMU, Malostranské nám. 13, Praha 1

Event country

CZ - CZECH REPUBLIC

Event starting date

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Event ending date

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Total number of attendees

18

Foreign attendee count

6

Type of event by attendee nationality

WRD - Celosvětová akce