Musical "Worship?"

VERY interesting thread, ECILAM!

I think thoughts & intentions are forms of energy, & events such as concerts CAN be very powerful in terms of drawing & directing energy--for good or for ill.

In much the same way that a pessimistic, negative person can draw misfortune to him/herself unintentionally, a group that gets into a "dark" mindset may stir up shit, metaphorically speaking. Activities like chanting are methods of entering an altered state of consciousness, after all.

I try to use things like chant to purposely enter an altered state of consciousness in order to use energy in a positive, beneficial way. I know others do the same either thoughtlessly or destructively. Either way, I think you can have unintended consequences if you're not clear on your attitudes & intentions.

 

That explains some things....

 

Easy, Thelt.

 

sorry....

 

Regardless of how it might have been intended, I DON'T take this as an insult at all.

 

Do you have any structure or form for this process? Is it rooted in some philosphy or religion? Did you just make it up?

 

I'm not sure I'm following what you're trying to ask. What process?

If you mean my process of questioning, as outlined above--no, no roots at all. Just curiosity & a longing to understand. With a slight bias toward Christianity, I suppose, because that is the faith & culture in which I was raised; so I spent more time on, & felt more comfortable with, Christian-centered texts.

If this isn't what you meant, please clarify.

 

I meant the "using chant to enter an altered state of consciousness"

 

Ah, I see what you're getting at

In my case, I actually think I stumbled upon the process by accident, as a child. I can recall getting into some nonsense "chant" or some repetitive activity--perhaps out of boredom, perhaps to "tune out" what was going on around me. It's only in hindsight that I really perceive the powerful effects. If you have experienced the "creative buzz"--what happens when you get so deeply into what you're doing that time ceases to exist, & you temporarily lose touch with the world around you--THAT'S very much akin to this experience.

I was raised Catholic, so I found a similar sort of experience in the repetitive rituals of Mass, and VERY much so in things like praying the rosary.

As I explored other "brands" of Christianity, & eventually other religions & some shamanistic traditions, I found similar types of activities & experiences.

Chant is just one of many potential tools for altering one's state of consciousness. Drugs are another. Dance is another. The permutations are almost endless. My personal reasons for wanting to achieve such a shift are pretty much (1) to try to understand things from more than one limited point of view; and (2) to try to have some positive influence on my own life, & on the lives of those around me.

It's just one of a number of tools for focusing thought/energy in a particular direction. And like any tool, it can be used beneficially, or carelessly, or maliciously.

 

I actually can relate to what you are talking about. I have experienced it in karate. When you perform kata you attempt to reach the state you describe where you lose your awareness of time and become absorbed with the movements and the imaginary foes you are fighting. I have never really considered this to a religious experience though.