Exploring Shamanic Journeying: Repetitive Drumming with Shamanic Instructions Induces Specific Subjective Experiences but No Larger Cortisol Decrease than Instrumental Meditation Music

Abstract

Exposure to repetitive drumming combined with instructions for shamanic journeying has been associated with physiological and therapeutic effects, such as an increase in salivary immunoglobulin A. In order to assess whether the combination of repetitive drumming and shamanic instructions is specifically associated with these effects, we compared the effect of listening to either repetitive drumming or instrumental meditation music for 15 minutes on salivary cortisol concentration and on self-reported physiological and psychological states. For each musical style, two groups of participants were exposed to two conditions: instructions for shamanic journeying or relaxation instructions. A total of 39 participants (24 females) inexperienced in shamanic journeying completed the experiment. Salivary cortisol concentrations were measured before and after exposure to music. In addition, participants filled out a mood questionnaire before and after the experiment and completed a post experiment questionnaire on their experiences. A significant decrease in the concentration in salivary cortisol was observed across all musical styles and instructions, indicating that exposure to 15 minutes of either repetitive drumming or instrumental meditation music, while lying down, was sufficient to induce a decrease in cortisol levels. However, no differences were observed across conditions. Significant differences in reported emotional states and subjective experiences were observed between the groups. Notably, participants exposed to repetitive drumming combined with shamanic instructions reported experiencing heaviness, decreased heart rate, and dreamlike experiences significantly more often than participants exposed to repetitive drumming combined with relaxation instructions. Our findings suggest that the subjective effects specifically attributed to repetitive drumming and shamanic journeying may not be reflected in differential endocrine responses.

Relaxation – Induced by Vibroacoustic Stimulation via a Body Monochord and via Relaxation Music – Is Associated with a Decrease in Tonic Electrodermal Activity and an Increase of the Salivary Cortisol Level in Patients with Psychosomatic Disorders

“…Previous studies on the impact of music or relaxation on cortisol levels mainly investigated healthy subjects who were not suffering from psychological disorders [22, 23, 43, 55]. As the patients in our study were suffering from depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, adjustment disorders and somatoform disorders, which are supposed to be associated with individual psychosocial stress factors, part of these stress factors might have come to consciousness by focusing the attention towards the self by means of the vibroacoustic stimulation and listening to the sound and music.…”

Prolonged exposure to highly rhythmic music affects brain dynamics and perception

“…Interestingly, the alteration of consciousness while listening to drumming is similar to the alterations experienced in hypnosis (Szabó, 2006). Repetitive drumming has been reported to induce specific subjective experiences such as heaviness, decreased heart rate and dreamlike experience (Gingras et al, 2014). Such similarity between music listening and hypnotic experience is underlined by the fact that highly suggestible individuals show a greater experiential involvement with music compared to low suggestible participants (Snodgrass and Lynn, 1989).…”

“…We hypothesized that, compared to a short auditory stimulation, an over-long rhythmic stimulation, by inducing an absorptive state of consciousness (Herbert, 2012;Gingras et al, 2014;Hove & Stelzer, 2018), would induce an increase in the psychophysical perceptual auditory thresholds and a reduction of event-related responses. Importantly this effect should be mostly visible using regular music compared to irregular music stimulation and should be related to neural entrainment.…”

Tempo subjetivo de participantes com estados alterados da consciência em função de uso da bebida Ayahuasca em rituais xamânicos envolvendo música

“…Resultados de estudos, comparando a música xamânica com músicas instrumentais de meditação, mostraram que os participantes do experimento se sentiram mais calmos e mais relaxados após a exposição da música, independente do estilo xamânico ou de meditação instrumental (Gingras, Pohler, & Fitch, 2014 (Ramos, 2008;Ramos et al, 2011). Berlyne (1974b), ao abordar as pesquisas que envolvem a apreciação estética, afirmou que essas investigações devem ser efetuadas analisando a obra de arte como um padrão de estímulos colativos.…”

“…Estudos mostraram que o ambiente é de grande importância para alterar os estados de consciência, principalmente na jornada xamânica (Gingras et al, 2014;Kjellgren & Eriksson, 2010). Sendo esse um fator de extrema relevância, os experimentos desta pesquisa foram realizados no próprio contexto do ritual.…”