Shamanista

Animism | Shamanism | Spirit Journeys | Healing

Drumming, Rattling, and Other Sounds for Journeying

In Siberia, the drum is referred to has the shaman's horse, because it carries the shaman to the spirit world. Drumming is used as a vehicle for journeying in most shamanic cultures.

Rattles are used for journeying in many cultures, too, as are a variety of other sacred instruments.

Whatever sound you use for journeying needs to go on steadily for at least 15 minutes. Half an hour or more is better.

Eventually you can learn to drum steadily for 45 minutes to an hour, but that takes a lot of stamina. Beginning journeyers need somewhere between a quarter and a half hour.

Drums

The best drums for shamanic journeying are single-sided or double-sided hoop drums, played with a lightly padded beater.

[photos or drawings of hoop drums and beaters coming soon]

Ideally the drum head should be made from the skin of a wild (not a domesticated) animal.

However, drums headed with synthetic materials such as Remo can be excellent for journeying because they produce such strong overtones, and because they don't go flat in humid weather and require tuning.

Drumming for journeying should be a steady and even, at a tempo of at least 180 to 220 beats a second. In fact, research has shown that 300 beats a second is even more effective in putting people quickly into a deep trance.

That is not as hard as it may sound. If you strike the drum with each syllable while rapidly counting "one-thous-and, two-thou-sand, three-thou-sand," and so on, you fairly quickly (with repeated practice over a few weeks) learn to keep the fast, steady beat without counting.

Besides drumming for journeying, shamans use drumming to break up energy blockages and to feed the spirits of the land.

Rattles

Rattling can be used to break up energy patterns in an area--either to cleans the space or as part of reforming the energy in preparation for a shamanic ceremony. Rattling can also be used to help cleanse the energy of a human, animal, or object..

Rattling can be used for journeying, and rattling can make overtones, but most people do not find it quite as easy to journey to rattling as they do to drumming.

Rattles are among the oldest instruments. They can be made in many styles, from many different materials.

[photos or drawings of rattles coming soon]

Often they are made from bundles of objects that clack together, such as reeds. Sometimes they are made by stringing together shells, animal teeth or hooves, or stones with holes in them.

In North America rattles are often made by filling a rawhide pouch with sand. When the rawhide had dried and hardened into shape, the sand is poured out. The hard, hollow pouch is then filled with tiny stones, a handle (stick) is inserted into the opening of the pouch, and the pouch is tied (and sometimes also glued) tightly to the handle.

In the Southern Plains and in the Southwest, small gourds were often used instead of rawhide pouches. In some cases, the gourds own seeds were left inside, producing a much softer sound than stones do.

In Africa small cowrie shells are tied together with fibers to form a net that fits loosely over the outside of a large gourd, making a different kind of rattle.

Tibetan Bowls and Crystal Bowls

Tibetan bowls and crystal bowls, played by rubbing a striker (often just a wooden dowel, which must be padded for crystal bowls), create a great sound for journeying. Both kinds of bowls create magnificent, ethereal overtones. The sound is very easy to journey with, especially to the upper world.

Tibetan bowls, however, are made of seven sacred metals and are prayed over while they are being made. Because of the shamanic origins of Tibetan Buddhism and the special qualities of the bowls themselves, they seem to be better for shamanic work.

Bells and Chimes

Bells and chimes, such as Tibetan tingsha, are wonderful for breaking up blockages in a person's energy field and for cleansing the energy in a small space. They are not as good for journeying.

However, there is a way to play a Tibetan bell with a small, smooth stick, so that it sounds like a very high Tibetan bowl. That can be especially good for journeying to the Upper World.

Singing, Chanting or Toning

For intformation on singing, chanting or toning, see

Flutes and Other Instruments

Information on flutes and other instruments for journeying coming soon!

Didgeridu

Information on didgeridu for journeying oming soon!

Recordings

Recordings are almost as good for journeying as live playing. Recordings are more portable for traveling, and with earphones you can have drumming for journeying at any time, without disturbing people around you.

For recommendations and sources for recordings of sounds for journeying and for healing, see the annotated list of recommended audio CDs for journeying.

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