%0 Journal Article
%T EEG Responses To Shamanic Drumming. Does the Suggestion of Trance State Moderate the Strength of Frequency Components? - EEG Responses To Shamanic Drumming. Does the Suggestion of Trance State Moderate the Strength of Frequency Components? - Open Access Pub
%A Guy Madison
%A Mateusz Konopacki
%J OAP | Home | Journal of Sleep And Sleep Disorder Research | Open Access Pub
%D 2018
%X One of the techniques used to induce trance state in shamanic ceremonies is monotonous drumming. According to previous EEG research, certain patterns of drumming cause an increase in power of alpha and theta frequencies of the listener. Present study aimed to determine, if suggestion to experience trance state could increase the relative alpha and theta amplitude and the intensity of experienced state. A group of twenty-four subjects participated in the study. Suggestion to experience trance state decreased alpha frequency power during the drumming condition. No other significant effects of suggestion or drumming were found. DOI10.14302/issn.2574-4518.jsdr-17-1794 The key concept in shamanism is the ceremonial use of the state of trance 7. Altered consciousness may be achieved in various ways, either ascetic - like meditation or sensory deprivation, or ecstatic such as dancing, chanting or use of entheogenic substances. A very popular instrument used in ceremonies is the drum, and monotonous patterns of drumming are often used to induce a state of trance. During ceremonies, unusual perceptions and hallucinations were reported, as well as twitching of the body and generalized convulsions 10. Although the topic of shamanic trance states was extensively covered in the field of anthropology, only a few researchers set out to examine its behavioral aspects in an experimental setting. 8 compared the trance state induced by shamanic drumming with that induced by hypnosis. After listening to a 15 min recording of monotonous drumming the participants (N=206) rated their subjective experience. Forty participants reported experiencing shamanic trance state while listening to drumming. Those participants for whom the trance induction was successful came largely from the groups of medium or high hypnotic susceptibility scores 8, which indicates a link between hypnotic susceptibility and the ability to experience trance state while listening to shamanic drumming. 9 examined the subjective experience of participants (N=12) who listened to different patterns of monotonous drumming. Written descriptions of participants¡¯ subjective experiences were categorized. according to common themes and topics. Among the experienced described were shamanic imagery, feeling of becoming energized, mental or physical discomfort, sensations of movement, flying or distorted body image and loosing track of time. All participants experienced visionary experiences during at least one condition. The experiment supports the hypothesis that rhythmic drumming can induce state of trance 9. A
%U https://www.openaccesspub.org/jsdr/article/671