Music has been the staple of many cultures due to the effects it has on song and dance forms. Various communities, including shamans and Native Americans, use music as a way of tribute, prayer, healing, and as a representation of feelings. When music is used in the form of dance, it is typically sacred and the dances are different in each tribe, but also differ in regards to men and women. Many dances are performed as healing rituals and the people who perform them put their mind and soul into it. It is truly considered a physical, mental and spiritual healing experience. They integrate the community and enhance group solidarity by allowing them to truly get in touch with the depths of their mind by undertaking a truly holistic experience. Songs in shamanic healing rituals often feature the shamanic drumming which is the centerpiece of many rituals. There are many people who try to keep shamanic culture alive even in our modern society, these healing techniques are applied in combination with some more modern techniques. Musical healing is a great technique to use and Shamans are some of the best people at using music to clear the mind of all thoughts. Music is a significant part of shamanism as it plays a huge role in healing the minds and spirits of those who have faith in shamanic rituals. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayMany shamans and other cultures use song and dance as a healing technique when people encounter illnesses of supernatural origin, which has proven effective in their culture. Musical healing rituals are often used when spiritual possession occurs in an individual. Music is an integral part of the healing process as it helps in inducing trance. According to Dr. Joseph Moreno, “Music facilitates the shaman's journeys into the spirit world to establish those connections that will benefit the patient” (329). It allows Shamans to interact with supernatural powers with repetitive music that alters the patient's state of consciousness. When the patient's state of consciousness is more open, it allows the music to really tap into the core of their mind to free the patient from demons or possession that is occurring. Shamanic music differs from Western cultural music because, rather than letting our mind wander through our thoughts, the goal is to let go of what we are thinking so that our mind creates new conceptual boundaries. Music therapy is a treatment that shamans around the world participate in, and it is only effective when the healer and patient are synchronized and dedicated to the process. Patients must be willing to participate otherwise the treatment will not be as effective because the patient does not devote his entire mind to the task at hand. Music serves as the practitioner's healing power, which means that without music the practitioner has no healing power. The patient also has the power to block their mind which does not allow them to be healed. Not only are the patient and the healer directly related for the process to work, but the healer also acts as a guide for the patient to ensure that he or she reaches a state of deep relaxation as he or she journeys into his or her unconscious and spirit world. Moreno refers to the process that allows the healer to also distract the left hemisphere of the brain from "immediate temporal distractions, thus freeing the right hemisphere to attend to the conceptualized world of spirits."(Moreno 330). This is one way to understand that the healer and the patient can only work together when they are synchronized in their mindset. Both of you need to be away from external distractions so you can concentrate because focusing on the process is one of the most important aspects of the healing process. Healers are granted an extreme amount of power considering that the music they want to use is what sends the patient on a journey into their mind to the deepest thoughts. One of the most important aspects of healing with music therapy is the types of instruments used and the types of rituals performed in conjunction with the instruments. There are so many variations in the music used because it all depends on the healers process, some may prefer ritual dancing or singing over instruments. It is so open to interpretation that there is only one way to proceed with healing as long as the patient and healer are psychologically on the same page. The common instrument usually found in almost all shamanic healing rituals is the drum, which typically involves the sound of the shamanic drumming being an essential part of the healing process. The shamanic drum is the basis of the musical healing that shamans use on their patients. It plays an important role in trance induction and healers are typically skilled in the use of this percussion instrument. Siberian shamans described the role of music and healing by saying, “The Shaman's drum is the horse that allows him to fly into the sky to meet the spirit world” (Moreno 329). This is simply stating the power that the drum alone pushes the patient into trance during the healing process. Music creates a bond between the healer and the patient, which can grow if the patient is willing to trust the process. It will allow them to grow at a better pace psychologically. They highlight the importance of the drum and how this craft is an integral part of a patient's psychological healing. The sacred sound of the drum when used in repetition is what puts the patient into trance allowing him to slowly open his mind. This is not to be confused with a musical performance because it is not performed for the enjoyment of the patient or healer. It is considered a sacred ritual that helps prevent or rid other Shamans of illnesses. Even currently shamanic drumming is still used as a form of treatment which appears to be very effective with people suffering from substance abuse. According to DARTNA (Medication-Assisted Recovery Therapy for Native Americans), shamanic drumming was an integral part of the healing process for substance abuse until 2008. Drumming helps healers get in touch with the emotional and psychological side of the patient which is more difficult to treat than any physical ailment. Before treating patients, healers must educate them about how sacred the art of drumming is because it has such an important purpose in treatment. According to Dr. Daniel Dickinson, playing the drums has similarities to cognitive behavioral therapy and is known to help increase patients' awareness of their own behavior. Drumming and singing are incorporated into the treatment. Additionally, the twelve-step process for drug-assisted recovery patients involves shamanic chanting and drumming to help patients get through their difficult times. Steps 1-3 involve breaking denial while drumming and chanting rituals that emphasize the spiritual dimension. Steps 4-6 use music as a way to emphasize the emotional dimension as the patient embraces well-being and.