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Scientists say a mind-bending rhythm in the brain can act like ketamine

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Re: Scientists say a mind-bending rhythm in the brain can act like ketamine

#81

I’ve studied Afro-Cuban percussion for 28 years now and I can tell you from experience there are some bata rhythms that definitely make the listener enter into a heavy trance state. Haitian vodun drumming is especially designed for generating trance and out of body experiences in its entirety. If you can find an old recording of Haitian voodoo drums give it a listen using good headphones with your eyes closed, and af…

This has turned into a music recommendation thread, apparently. From a different side of the world, Wardruna has a few 'trancey' tracks; here's one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F67VZblDrQg

Heilung as as well, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CvBSnzSz-o

Re: Scientists say a mind-bending rhythm in the brain can act like ketamine

#82

From an old documentary I watched early '00s (no idea what it was called), there was a musician that claimed music with a BPM between 135-140BPM and a 16th note bass line was in a frequency range that made it very easy for the human brain to sync up to it. Something about being very close to the Theta wave (or which ever brain wave, it's been a long time since I've seen it). This would result in a dance floor full of…

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Re: Scientists say a mind-bending rhythm in the brain can act like ketamine

#83
Interesting. I don't know the name of the song, but have often visited this video simply to listen to the drumming. It seems mood-boosting - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Atkp8mklOh0. In the comments people way things like, "this is so calming", "why do I keep watching this?" Will explore some of the other links here with the addition of meditative breathing.

Re: Scientists say a mind-bending rhythm in the brain can act like ketamine

#84
post #31

Having not yet read the article I hope this is still relevant - for people who like music you can really lose yourself in ("trance inducing" is a bit cringey ...), check out Nusrath Fateh Ali Kahn. One of his most famous songs linked below but obviously his repertoire is huge and easy to find. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDfELfpumEE From Wikipedia: a Pakistani vocalist, musician and music director primarily a sin…

A legend. His core stuff is very powerful and his voice is up there.

Going slightly tangential: There was a Bollywood song he did with Shreya Ghoshal (an angel in her own right). I kept listening to that song repeatedly for some reason; often on repeat. A month or two later I decided I had to wean myself off it - I actually felt it was affecting me in some way and I was not sure it was good or bad. Recently I came across another song which ended up on loop and I had to stop listening to. Not as powerful as the first. Early on, I did look at the singers - they were the same two. So perhaps it was not a trance state - just a combination of singers that appealed to my senses. Those two have my number. I know I listen to it at a reduced level of comprehension since I know very little Urdu/Hindi; so I rely entirely on the audio aspect with little brain devoted to language comprehension.

Re: Scientists say a mind-bending rhythm in the brain can act like ketamine

#85

I’ve studied Afro-Cuban percussion for 28 years now and I can tell you from experience there are some bata rhythms that definitely make the listener enter into a heavy trance state. Haitian vodun drumming is especially designed for generating trance and out of body experiences in its entirety. If you can find an old recording of Haitian voodoo drums give it a listen using good headphones with your eyes closed, and af…

Brazilian Candomblé ritual music may have the same effect. For those who want to try: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0ZBZI5pSOg

interesting you bring this up as it shares many roots with the Afro-Cuban diasporic music associated with bata drumming

Re: Scientists say a mind-bending rhythm in the brain can act like ketamine

#86
post #25

I’ve studied Afro-Cuban percussion for 28 years now and I can tell you from experience there are some bata rhythms that definitely make the listener enter into a heavy trance state. Haitian vodun drumming is especially designed for generating trance and out of body experiences in its entirety. If you can find an old recording of Haitian voodoo drums give it a listen using good headphones with your eyes closed, and af…

Could you recommend any artists or albums? Love this stuff!

Abbilona has recorded a lot of these sacred Afro-Cuban "liturgies"

https://sunlightsquare.bandcamp.com/album/masters-of-bat

Re: Scientists say a mind-bending rhythm in the brain can act like ketamine

#87

I’ve studied Afro-Cuban percussion for 28 years now and I can tell you from experience there are some bata rhythms that definitely make the listener enter into a heavy trance state. Haitian vodun drumming is especially designed for generating trance and out of body experiences in its entirety. If you can find an old recording of Haitian voodoo drums give it a listen using good headphones with your eyes closed, and af…

I feel like with this music it's hard to separate the dance, song, and religious context. Have you experienced trance states in the sense that practioners do with Orishas embodying participants, or do you mean something else by "trance?"

I think it's also interesting you indicate listeners, rather than the drummers getting into that state - my memories of learning bata drumming are largely of going into a hyper-focused state that I wouldn't describe as trancelike, but also very different than the mindset I was in playing something like orchestral music.

Re: Scientists say a mind-bending rhythm in the brain can act like ketamine

#88

From an old documentary I watched early '00s (no idea what it was called), there was a musician that claimed music with a BPM between 135-140BPM and a 16th note bass line was in a frequency range that made it very easy for the human brain to sync up to it. Something about being very close to the Theta wave (or which ever brain wave, it's been a long time since I've seen it). This would result in a dance floor full of…

I too have heard this but looking at brain waves on wikipedia: Delta wave – (0.5 – 3 Hz) Theta wave – (4 – 7 Hz) Alpha wave – (7 – 15 Hz) Mu wave – (7.5 – 12.5 Hz) SMR wave – (12.5 – 15.5 Hz) Beta wave – (15 – 30 Hz) Gamma wave – (>30 Hz) Based on the wide frequency range on any of those it's hard to justify a range as tight as 135-140BPM, "137 heaven" notwithstanding There's definitely some interesting cognitive sci…

I like the psytrance you created. Saved for later.

Re: Scientists say a mind-bending rhythm in the brain can act like ketamine

#89
post #9

I’ve studied Afro-Cuban percussion for 28 years now and I can tell you from experience there are some bata rhythms that definitely make the listener enter into a heavy trance state. Haitian vodun drumming is especially designed for generating trance and out of body experiences in its entirety. If you can find an old recording of Haitian voodoo drums give it a listen using good headphones with your eyes closed, and af…

It would be great if you could link to a recording that you think could induce this state, given that you’re an expert in this field! If I’m left to search on my own I’m not sure I’ll find the correct recording.

Not OP but Smithsonian Folkways record label would be, in my mind, the best online source for such recordings. For example:

https://folkways.si.edu/music-of-haiti-vol-2-drums-of-haiti/...

https://folkways.si.edu/rhythms-of-rapture-sacred-musics-of-...

Re: Scientists say a mind-bending rhythm in the brain can act like ketamine

#90

Interesting. I don't know the name of the song, but have often visited this video simply to listen to the drumming. It seems mood-boosting - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Atkp8mklOh0 . In the comments people way things like, "this is so calming", "why do I keep watching this?" Will explore some of the other links here with the addition of meditative breathing.

Reminds me a lot of this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y4KnPV5iBY
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