The drum and the rattle are the commonest ways into the shamanic state of consciousness, used by shamans almost everywhere: a steady beat of around four a second, with plenty of overtones and undertones, helps the mind let go and the senses open. Other cultures have also used dancing, shaking, chanting, fasting and plants. All of them are means to an end; what makes a journey shamanic is contact with the shamanic realms, not the method.
What methods are used to enter a journey? #
Many, but the drum is the commonest. There are many ways into the trance state: dancing or other repetitive rhythmic movements such as shaking or swaying, singing and chanting, fasting, and hallucinogenic plants. Most common, though, are the drum and the rattle, the two basic tools of shamanic practice.1 Paul Francis’s own kit is modest: he uses very few physical objects aside from his drum, his rattles, and some cleansing and protective sprays and feathers.2
Why is drumming used in shamanism? #
Because it works, and has done for a very long time. “There are few shamanic cultures who do not extensively use the drum or some other form of rhythmic instrument.”3 Where the drum is less used, as in humid rainforests where a drum-skin is hard to keep taut, other means take its place.
The drum is played in a particular way, “somewhere between 200 to 240 beats a minute – so around about four beats per second or slightly slower.” Shamanic drums are also tuned to produce many overtones and undertones: “The human brain has trouble processing this and tends to start ‘making things up’.” People often start to hear other sounds, chanting, birdsong or pan-pipes, and the senses begin to cross over. The drum is “a beautifully crafted piece of technology, perfected over thousands of years”.4
Is the drum essential? #
No. It is a tool, not the definition of shamanism. The drum is not used in all cultures, and is in any case a means to an end, and only one way of entering the shamanic state of consciousness. What counts is where it takes you: “What makes something shamanic is the awareness and contact with the shamanic realms, not the depth of the trance state, nor the means of entering trance.”5 See What state of consciousness is used in journeying, and do journeys have to be visual?
Should I use drumming? #
Yes, especially when learning. A recording is the easiest way to start: shamanic drumming from a shop, online or the college’s free downloads, beginning “with either a ten or a fifteen minute one for your first journey.”6 Recordings vary a lot, with single drums, double drums, rattles, didgeridoos and more, so it helps to try different ones.7 Drumming in a group is another way of journeying with others.
What if the drumming distracts me? #
Let it go. “Once the drumming starts, a good tip is to ignore it. Allowing the drumming to distract you during the journey is another classic trick the left-brain plays to sabotage things if it is allowed to.”8 Pay it no attention, and concentrate on the journey instead.
How long does a journey last? #
Usually ten to thirty minutes. Recordings “are usually available in anything from ten to thirty-minute lengths. If you find your mind tends to wander when doing longer journeys, then breaking them into two shorter journeys instead can really help.”9 Two ten-minute journeys can work better than one long one.
What is the call-back? #
The signal to come home. Towards the end of a recording, the drumming slows and stops, and “This will be followed by thirty seconds of deliberately loud, fast and erratic drumming. This is the call-backCall-back. The change in the drumbeat that signals the return at the end of a journey: back through the route you came, into the physical body, grounded. More about this”.10 It is the time to say thank you and goodbye, and to come back to your body; there is no need to retrace your steps. “Do not worry about missing the call-back. It is designed not to be missed.”
What about movement and dancing? #
They are old ways into trance. They are still part of a living practice. Dancing, shaking and swaying were used across many cultures, and “movement practices such as chi kung, tai chi, kum nye and yoga” are amongst the deliberately entered trance states.11 In Therapeutic Shamanism the journey itself is usually done sitting or lying down, often blindfolded, whilst movement practices have their own value. See What part do music, rhythm and dance play in shamanism?
What about plants and other powerful experiences? #
They can have a place, and Therapeutic Shamanism does not decry them. Shamanic cultures used long ceremonies, fasting, dancing, hallucinogenic plants, vision quests and sweat lodges, and Paul did many such things in his twenties and thirties. They certainly had their place in waking him up, yet gradually their positive effects wore off, and the real difficulty was bringing such experiences into daily life.12 He regularly hears from people who have taken ayahuasca in Peru, or done a vision quest in the wilderness somewhere. The question is how such experiences can become part of everyday life. See What is a vision quest? and What is a sweat lodge?
