Music, Ritual & Trance

‘It is late in the night; I am exhausted after hours of ecstatic drumming, chanting, singing and dancing, but I am wide awake. It feels as though time has ceased to exist and all that remains is presence, breath, rhythm, and sound. There is no effort in my movement, only a feeling of being immersed in the present moment, a sense of deep connection and unity. The music seems to play by itself in a natural state of flow and I observe, witness how my thoughts fade away, only a heightened sense of perception, an awareness turned inward, and a blissful joy arising from a feeling of deep interconnectedness. Maybe you had this kind of experience, in some form or other,…… did you? Did you ever experience a musical trance?’

Every ancient tradition had its own rituals and ceremonies that were bringing healing and balance into the community, harmony with the forces of nature and renewal of vision and spirit, and many of those rituals were based on music, especially drumming, singing and dancing, and often accompanied by trance states of consciousness.

The roots of musical ceremonies  and trance culture are definitely to be found within tribes and indigenous peoples. In tribal cultures the shaman or priest is the link between Earth and Heaven.

Traditionally the shaman is priest, healer and artist at the same time and embodies all those functions. He is considered to be in communication with the spiritual dimensions of life and serves as a bridge between the visible and invisible worlds. He knows the journey into the unknown and how to control the forces of spirit for the benefit of his community.

The most essential and important instrument in shamanic rituals is the drum. Every drum resembles the rhythm and pulse of the universe, the heartbeat of the big mother.

Other important instruments are rattles and shakers, sounds of bowls, gongs, bells, cymbals and chimes used both for calling the guiding spirits and to support the induction of a trance state of mind, to open the space for a more universal dimension of spirit and sound.

The purpose of all of these sounds is not to please us but to carry us into a space beyond our usual perception; into states of trance, ecstasy and meditation.

The most powerful of all the sounds is the human voice that carries the whole spectrum of sound, reflects all the elements, and has the most living and magical quality. The voice is the main carrier of spirit and the primal link to the divine spirit and the forces of life. Shamanic singing is a channel of communication with the higher powers.

Through dance, a harmony and synchronicity between nature and the participants is established.  Dancing creates a rhythmical grid and powerful structure to carry the ritual and it is the strongest tool for the collective trance.

Modern science views rhythmic entrainment and synchronization as important mechanisms behind collective musical experiences and altered states. The body is our vehicle into trance.

Now; what is it about ‘trance’? Why is trance an integral part of human music culture and in which way is it beneficial for us human beings.

In its original meaning, trance is not so much a state as a passage—a crossing from ordinary awareness into a deeper experience of reality.

Trance often shifts attention away from everyday mental chatter and into a more focused, absorbed state. This can calm the nervous system, reduce stress, and create conditions for restoration and healing. In trance, people often become more aware of subtle feelings, imagery, memories, and intuitive impressions that are usually hidden beneath the activity of the thinking mind.

In many traditional cultures, trance was not considered an escape from reality. It was a way of entering reality more deeply — through rhythm, sound, breath, movement, and enhanced presence. A musical trance often leads to feelings of expanded awareness, unity, happiness, and connection to something larger than oneself.

A beneficial trance state allows us to temporarily step beyond the constant activity of the analytical mind and enter a deeper field of resonance. In that space we can listen more deeply, feel more fully, access creativity, release tensions, and reconnect with aspects of ourselves that are usually hidden beneath the noise of everyday life.

On my personal musical journey I was fortunate to experience and take part in many different forms of musical rituals and experiences of musical trance. Over the years I developed my own musical ritual that I practice nearly every morning. It is a combination of breathing, toning and opening the resonance, accompanied by a simple Indian instrument with a low steady drone sound and sometimes a rattle or shaker. It is a combination of voice-practice and meditation that after a while leads into an expanded state of consciousness, a gentle trance that brings a state of mo-mind, vision, and rejuvenation. This practice absolutely helps me to stay stay in my center, release and recharge.

The archaic spirit of tribal music has inspired many music cultures throughout history. The African slaves brought their music and musical rituals to America and had a major influence on the music of Cuba and Brazil, Gospel and Jazz, Reggae and Rap. In North Africa the black spirit mixed with the world of Islam, and the desert tribes of the Sahara and the Bedouins of the Arabic world cultivated many forms of musical rituals and trance.

The Sufis especially give importance to the ritualistic and ceremonial aspect of music and gather in secret meetings to experience divine ecstasy. From the Gnawa in Morocco and the dancing dervishes in Turkey, to Qawali music in India and Pakistan, the Sufis carry great knowledge and experience of spiritual musical trance.

India is an ocean of musical expression and depth, and trance is an integral part of the Indian music tradition. The classical Indian music and the devotional music of temples and ashrams are deeply spiritual and based on a profound understanding of the power of sound. Many times a performance will lead the whole audience into a state of ecstasy and bliss, and even in the streets one can see snake charmers playing their flute for the cobras to dance.

Chanting of mantras is practiced by millions of people in India and entirely based on an attitude of healing, devotion, spiritual communion and bliss. Wherever we look in this world we will find musical ceremonies and rituals as an integral part of life and culture, and people gathering for the sake of sacred communion.

Black Gospel, Bulgarian choirs, Gipsy music from Spain, Greece or the Balkans, Sufi music and dance, Indian music and Kirtan, Mongolian throat singing, Tibetan ritual music, Indonesian Gamelan, Flamenco, Bedouin music, Tarantella, Afro Cuban music, Brazilian Samba, Jazz, Funk and so many more musical traditions are rooted in musical ceremonies.

Though these traditions emerged in different cultures and languages, they share a common understanding: music is not merely entertainment, but a vehicle for communion, healing, and transformation."

In the history of many different traditions we find certain celebrations and customs for the people to just let go, get wild, paint themselves or wear masks and costumes and simply turn everything upside down. We need to break through our ordinary life from time to time, need “peak experiences” in order to gain perspective and not get crazy from “normal life.

In Shamanic rituals we leave our ordinary world for unknown fields of experience and perception. Those kinds of rituals were traditionally done in a very clear cultural or spiritual context, oftentimes accompanied by powerful medicine plants and with the guidance of a shaman or priest. Encountering the spirit can lead into quite unknown places and spaces, scary experiences and powerful processes, and one has to know how to deal with that. The way through the dark night of the soul is a scary one and demands a clear and strong guide that knows the journey well and keeps up the spark of light.

Human beings have always used music to cross thresholds of consciousness, connect with each other, and remember their place within a larger harmony.

The tribal spirit is ever alive and present in music and many modern forms of contemporary musical rituals. Trance parties are one of these modern rituals where especially the young people find much more meaning then in established religions, a synchronicity, joy and communion that is universal, inclusive and meaningful. All over the world people gather in concerts and festivals to simply dance, brake free, remember their tribal roots and connect to mother earth and the spirit of nature.

More than this, we are witnessing a revival of tribal ways of gathering and community-based healing practices. Around the world, people are rediscovering the healing power of circles, ceremonies, music, dance and shared ritual. Beneath the many different ways and traditions lies a common human need: to belong, to reconnect with nature, to find meaning, and to experience harmony together.

We are witnessing the revival of something very ancient and timeless.

The circle.The song.The dance.The ceremony.

We are the ancestors of the future.