Pulled by God: Sound and Altered State of Consciousness in the Hälqä-Sohbät Ritual of Uyghur Sufis
European Journal of Musicology April 10, 2022 Qian Mu
In Xinjiang, northwestern China, the Uyghur Sufi Muslims practice a localised samāʿ ritual called hälqä-sohbät, which involves dhikr, singing and dancing. Participants in hälqä-sohbät sometimes enter an altered state of consciousness called jäzba, which literally means pulled by God. The hälqä-sohbät includes various sounds such as the singing of hikmät, muqam and mäshräp, as well as instrument...