Music and ayahuasca

Benny Shanon*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

This chapter examines the musical facets of the special state of mind induced by ayahuasca, a powerful Amazonian psychoactive brew especially famous for the vivid hallucinations that it induces. The chapter is divided into three parts. The first presents background information concerning ayahuasca and its scientific study, and discusses the use of music in ayahuasca rituals. The second part reviews and analyses the phenomenology of auditory and musical effects encountered in the special state of mind induced by ayahuasca inebriation, the effect of music on the ayahuasca experience and its visions, and musical performance. The third part deals with general issues such as the psychological import of music and its relationship to consciousness and its alteration.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationMusic and Consciousness
Subtitle of host publicationPhilosophical, Psychological, and Cultural Perspectives
PublisherOxford University Press
Pages1-17
Number of pages17
ISBN (Electronic)9780191728617
ISBN (Print)9780199553792
DOIs
StatePublished - 19 Jan 2012

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© Oxford University Press, 2011. All rights reserved.

Keywords

  • Ayahuasca
  • Consciousness
  • Hallucinogens
  • Music
  • Psychoactive drugs

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