Trance through Dance

A Look at Three Cultures

:In our culture, the word trance provokes images of raves, drugs, and hypnosis. We tend to view altered states of consciousness with skepticism, not trusting something that we do not regularly experience. However, in the developing world and in ancient cultures trance is a common occurrence that serves many purposes. Trance is used to communicate with the gods, to heal illness, to celebrate, and to meditate. There are many ways to enter an altered state of consciousness, often through intense stimulation of the senses. The auditory stimulus of drums, chanting, storytelling, and singing can promote an altered state of consciousness. The visual design of a mandala, viewing art, or intense lights can be used as well. Olfactory stimulation through scents can recall memories and transport us to another realm. Taste and digestion work through starvation, herbs, drugs, and fungi. Finally, the kinesthetic sense can help induce trance through dance, repetitive movement, mudras, pranayama, oxygen deprivation, and sexual acts. While each sense can help induce trance, often they are used in combination. Here, we will look at a few cultures that use dance as a major contributor in a trance ritual. We will see how three cultures on three different continents use dance to enter an altered state of consciousness.

First we will look at the !Kung Bushmen of the Kalahari desert. The Bushmen were one of the last groups who lived a hunting and gathering lifestyle, but recently, because of reduced territory, have begun farming. For the !Kung, trance is a regular part of life. The !Kung believe that they have medicine deep in their bellies, known as n/um. The medicine is usually dormant, and requires a special ceremony for activation. The ceremony begins with a circle of women singing, chanting, and drumming around a fire. Then the dancing begins in a ring around the singers. The dancing begins jovially, but becomes more intense as the night continues. The dancing warms up the n/um, and the vapors produced begin to rise through the spinal column, eventually exhibiting itself as sweat. Before entering trance, the participants stare intently, their bodies tense and rigid and their footsteps heavy. Sweating intensifies as their bodies begin to spasm and veins protrude from their necks and faces. They may enter the trance suddenly or gradually, leaping and somersaulting before collapsing, or staggering and falling. Community members try to protect the trancers during this state, and once they are in the ‘half death’ phase, they rub their bodies to keep them warm, keeping the sweat shining. Finally, the trancer rises and lays their hands on the community members, curing illnesses. Each community member will be touched, and anyone with a significant illness will receive prolonged attention. Occasionally the healer will resume dancing to strengthen the trance. After about an hour of curing, the healer lies down and sleeps. In a typical ceremony each medicine man will perform this process twice. In this instance, dance not only induces the trance, but also activates the healing potential of n/um. While traditionally only men were encouraged to enter trance, now women participate as well. Over half of the population can enter trance, but not all of these have the skills to be medicine men. For novices, the trance often includes dancing in the fire, rubbing hot coals on themselves, or running haphazardly into the wilderness. These actions must be controlled before the trancers are allowed to become medicine men and heal others. The Bushmen’s use of trance is unique in the community participation and the high number of individuals who reach trance and reap its psychological benefits.

In our own country trance rituals occurred in many Native American tribes. The example that gets the most attention is that of the Plains Indian’s Ghost Dances. During the late 1800s, the Plains Indians were nearly all confined to reservations. Around the same time, the government recognized the unifying power of dance, and banned all danced ceremonies. Disregarding this decree, the Ghost Dance appeared. Spurred by the prophecy of the Western Paiute leader Wovoka, many people believed that a great earthquake was going to destroy the evils that prevailed and restore the land and the buffalo. It was said that those who devoted themselves to the Ghost Dance would be saved, while all non-believers would be swallowed up. To perform the Ghost Dance, thousands would gather and dance for days at a time before falling to the ground in a trance. While in the state of trance, people could make contact with their ancestors and ask advice. The dancers were mostly men, and they would dance in a clockwise rotation stepping on the left foot and dragging the right, all the while singing and chanting. Sometimes when first entering trance, the participant would run through the prairie or spin wildly before falling to the ground. They were protected during the trance by the solar and lunar symbols depicted on their buckskin shirts. In this case, dancing was used to induce trance to convene with the ancestors for advice about the future, it demonstrated a faith in a coming change. In addition, the trances allowed parents to visit deceased children during a time when infant mortality rates were extremely high. The Ghost Dance was a unifying event both within tribes and between tribes that were long enemies, all coming together for a common cause and belief.

Finally, we will take a look at the serpent ritual performed by the Pullavas of India. In the caste system, Pullavas are an outcaste group. Their presence is thought to be polluting, however, they are vital for one of the most powerful cleansing rituals that invokes the serpent deities. To guard against sickness, disease, and ill fortune, Pullavas are called to higher caste families to perform this ritual. It begins by preparing the space, an area is cleared and a canopy of palm fronds is erected. The Pullavas begin a ritual dance of painting a mandala on the earth using powders of ground rice and spices. The various colors of powder are drizzled on the earth to create an elaborate mandala consisting of eight cobras intertwined. During this process the family and neighbors assemble to watch. Once the mandala is complete, offerings of food are placed around the design. The mandala is blessed by a higher caste priest as he circles the mandala in a clockwise direction, and removes the impurities of the Pullavas. Next, a young Pullava man performs the ‘fire massage’ around the mandala. This involves dynamic somersaults, snake-like twists, and rubbing torches along his bare skin. Finally, he puts out the torch with his mouth to conclude the ceremony. Next, two young girls sit in the middle of the painting. During the percussive music, the girls begin to sway and toss their heads from side to side. Soon they enter a trance, and are possessed by the serpant deity. During this time, family members may also go into trance and express complaints against other family members. The serpant deities, through the mouths of the girls, give advice and remedies. Once the conversations have subsided, the girls begin to slide around the mandala with convulsive body movements and sweeps of their long hair, erasing the painting. Once the mandala is completely destroyed, the gods return to their realm and the girls slump into a coma like sleep. In this instance of trance, only a select few can initiate the trance, and these are young girls of a low class. Many people can participate in the role of spectator, but few are actually involved in the ceremony. The trance is used to awaken the serpant deity, and to allow a conversation across spiritual realms that will provide protection for the sponsoring family.

:These three case studies demonstrated three different uses of dance to induce trance. Some of the similarities included rhythmic music, circular movement, and a wild abandon followed by a coma-like sleep or ‘half death’. Between the cases, we can see that both male and females can reach a trance state, as well as a wide range of ages. In these cases trance was used for healing, communication with the gods, communication with the dead, and purification. Dances use to induce trance emphasizes the physical power of the body and the body’s affect on the mind. Through manipulation of the body, it is possible to alter our consciousness and benefit from the practice.

:Bibliography

Jonas, Gerald. Dancing: The Pleasure, Power, and Art of Movement. New York: Abrams Inc., 1992.

Kracht, Benjamin R. “The Kiowa Ghost Dance, 1894-1916: An Unheralded Revitalization Movement.” Ethnohistory. 39.4 (1992) JSTOR. 28 Oct. 2008

Lee, Richard. “The Sociology of !Kung Bushman Trance Performances.” Trance and Possession States. Ed. Raymond Prince. 1966.

Marshall, Lorna. “The Medicine Dance of the !Kung Bushmen.” Africa: Journal of the International Institute. 39.4 (1969) JSTOR. 28 Oct. 2008

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