I'm going to take this thread even further off-topic by sharing with you something I read in the train this morning. I hope you find it interesting. A question to magickmumu or anyone else familiar with the work of Steve Roach and Alio Die: which albums or songs would you say fits the five categories of music described at the end of this citation?
I think Eleusian Lullaby by Alio Die would qualify as (4) heart music or (5) meditative music, whereas Trance Spirits by Steve Roach (who's known to the author) would definitely qualify as (2) trance-inducing music.
The Therapeutic Potential of Music
by Stanislav Grof
In holotropic breathwork, the consciousness-expanding effect of
breath is combined with evocative music. Like breathing, music and other
forms of sound technology have been used for millennia as powerful tools
in ritual and spiritual practice. Monotonous drumming, rattling, chanting,
instrumental music, and other forms of sound-producing techniques have
long represented the principle tools of shamans in many different parts of
the world. Many preindustrial cultures have developed quite independently
drumming rhythms that in laboratory experiments have remarkable effect
on the electric activity of the brain (Goldman 1952, Jilek 1974, 1982;
Neher 1961, 1962). The archives of cultural anthropologists contain
countless examples of trance-inducing methods of extraordinary power
combining instrumental music, chanting, and dancing.
In many cultures, sound technology has been used specifically for
healing purposes in the context of intricate ceremonies. The Navajo
healing rituals conducted by trained singers have astounding complexity
that has been compared to that of the scripts of Wagnerian operas. The
trance dance of the !Kung Bushmen of the African Kalahari Desert
combined with extended drumming has enormous healing power, as has
been documented in many anthropological studies and movies (Lee and
DeVore 1976; Katz 1976). The healing potential of the syncretistic
religious rituals of the Caribbean and South America, such as the Cuban
santeria or Brazilian umbanda is recognized by many professionals in
these countries who have traditional Western medical training. Remarkable
instances of emotional and psychosomatic healing occur in the meetings
of Christian groups using music, singing, and dance, such as the Snake
Handlers (Holy Ghost People), and the revivalists or members of the
Pentecostal Church.
Some great spiritual traditions have developed sound technologies
that do not induce just a general trance state, but have a specific effect on
consciousness and the human psyche and body. Thus the Indian teachings
postulate a specific connection between certain acoustic frequencies and
the individual chakras. With systematic use of this knowledge, it is
possible to influence the state of consciousness in a predictable and
desirable way. The ancient Indian tradition called nada yoga or the way to
union through sound has the reputation to maintain, improve, and restore
emotional, psychosomatic, and physical health and well-being.
Examples of extraordinary vocal performances used for ritual,
spiritual, and healing purposes are the multivocal chanting of the Tibetan
Gyotso monks and of the Mongolian and Tuva shamans, the Hindu
bhajans and kirtans, the Santo Daime chants (Ikaros) used in the
ayahuasca ceremonies, the throat music of the Inuit Eskimo people, or the
sacred chants (dhikrs) of various Sufi orders, The above are just a few
examples of the extensive use of instrumental music and chanting for
healing, ritual, and spiritual purposes.
We used music systematically in the program of psychedelic
therapy at the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center in Baltimore,
Maryland, and have learned much about its extraordinary potential for
psychotherapy. Carefully selected music seems to be of particular value in
holotropic states of consciousness, where it has several important
functions. It mobilizes emotions associated with repressed memories,
brings them to the surface, and facilitates their expression. It helps to open
the door into the unconscious, intensifies and deepens the therapeutic
process, and provides a meaningful context for the experience. The
continuous flow of music creates a carrier wave that helps the subject
move through difficult experiences and impasses, overcome psychological
defenses, surrender, and let go. In holotropic breathwork sessions, which
are usually conducted in groups, music has an additional function: it
masks the noises made by the participants and weaves them into a
dynamic esthetic gestalt.
To use music as a catalyst for deep self-exploration and
experiential work, it is necessary to learn a new way of listening to music
and relating to it that is alien to our culture. In the West, we employ music
frequently as an acoustic background that has little emotional relevance.
Typical examples would be use of popular music in cocktail parties or
piped music (muzak) in shopping areas and workspaces. A different
approach used by sophisticated audiences is the disciplined and attentive
listening to music in theaters and concert halls. The dynamic and elemental
way of using music characteristic of rock concerts comes closer to the
use of music in holotropic breathwork. However, the attention of
participants in such events is usually extroverted and the experience lacks
an element that is essential in holotropic therapy or self-exploration -
sustained focused introspection.
In holotropic therapy, it is essential to surrender completely to the
flow of music, let it resonate in one's entire body, and respond to it in a
spontaneous and elemental fashion. This includes manifestations that
would be unthinkable in a concert hall, where even crying or coughing is
seen as a disturbance and causes annoyance and embarrassment. In
holotropic work, one has to give full expression to whatever the music is
bringing out, whether it is loud screaming or laughing, baby talk, animal
noises, shamanic chanting, or talking in tongues. It is also important not to
control any physical impulses, such as bizarre grimacing, sensual
movements of the pelvis, violent shaking, or intense contortions of the
entire body. Naturally, there are exceptions to this rule; destructive
behavior directed toward oneself, others, and the physical environment is
not permissible.
We also encourage participants to suspend any intellectual activity,
such as trying to guess the composer of the music or the culture from
which the music comes. Other ways of avoiding the emotional impact of
the music involve engaging one's professional expertise - judging the
performance of the orchestra, guessing which instruments are playing,
and criticizing the technical quality of the recording or of the music
equipment in the room. When we can avoid these pitfalls, music can
become a very powerful tool for inducing and supporting holotropic states
of consciousness. For this purpose, the music has to be of superior
echnical quality and sufficient volume to drive the experience. The
combination of music with faster breathing has a remarkable mind-
manifesting and consciousnes-expanding power.
As far as the specific choice of music is concerned, we will outline
here only the general principles and give a few suggestions based on our
experience. After a certain time, each therapist or therapeutic team
develops a list of their favorite pieces for various stages of the sessions.
The basic rule is to respond sensitively to the phase, intensity, and content
of the participants' experience, rather than trying to program it. This is in
congruence with the general philosophy of holotropic therapy, particularly
the deep respect for the wisdom of the inner healer, for the collective
unconscious, and for the autonomy and spontaneity of the healing
process.
In general, it is important to use music that is intense, evocative,
and conducive to a positive experience. We try to avoid selections that are
jarring, dissonant, and anxiety - provoking. Preference should be given to
music of high artistic quality that is not well known and has little concrete
content. One should avoid playing songs and other vocal pieces in
languages known to the participants, which would through their verbal
content convey a specific message or suggest a specific theme. When
vocal compositions are used, they should be in foreign languages so that
the human voice is perceived just as another musical instrument. For the
same reason, it is preferable to avoid pieces, which evoke specific
intellectual associations and tend to program the content of the session,
such as Wagner’s or Mendelssohn-Bartholdy’s wedding marches and
overtures to Bizet’s Carmen or Verdi’s Aida.
The session typically begins with activating music that is dynamic,
flowing, and emotionally uplifting and reassuring. As the session
continues, the music gradually increases in intensity and moves to
powerful rhythmic pieces, preferably drawn from ritual and spiritual
traditions of various native cultures. Although many of these
performances can be aesthetically pleasing, the main purpose of the human
groups that developed them is not entertainment, but induction of
holotropic experiences. An example here could be the dance of the
whirling dervishes accompanied by beautiful music and chants. It is not
designed to be admired, but to take people to the experience of God.
About an hour and a half into the session of holotropic breathwork,
when the experience typically culminates, we introduce what we call
“breakthrough music.
