Shamanism

Religious experiences have often been associated with a specific, culturally-set location and particular types of music. Anglican or Lutheran Christianity, for example, takes place in the church and is accompanied by organ music (see for example Evans 2006). Contemporary shamanism, as a form of spiritual practice, differs from these types of associations, as the shamanic practitioner can move the sacred space easily from one location to the next. Music and sounds are essential parts of this process.
This interdisciplinary study unravels the ways contemporary Europeans use ritual music for creating a connection with the environment. Through the lens of health as a cultural phenomenon (Ansdell & DeNora 2012), it is also possible to investigate how ritual music is used in healing. As it is particularly women …show more content…
As part of this, previous research she conducted contained some initial comparisons between the traditional Shamanism where the western jazz musicians’ way of inducing an altered state (see Hytönen-Ng 2013). This research project connects Dr Hytönen-Ng’s expertise on musically induced altered states with the contemporary shamanic tradition. Through these previous studies, the researcher has been able to make a number of contacts with shamanic practitioners in United Kingdom and Finland, and it will be their expertise and knowledge of this community that will be the bedrock of the research topic and data to be obtained. Her previous research has also looked at the way in which a meaningful place is being created through musical interaction. Her expertise on place and space research becomes useful when the ideas of creating a sacred space through ritual action are being introduced. The researcher has been able to developed sensitive fieldwork practises that allow her to effectively study the individual experiences of the