Possession Trance Ritual in Electronic Dance Music Culture: A Popular Ritual Technology for Reenchantment, Addressing the Crisis of the Homeless Self, and Reinserting the Individual into the Community
Rupert Till
December 5, 2016 DOI: 10.4324/9781315255613-18 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Citations | 7 |
| Key points | Argues that Electronic Dance Music Culture contains elements of religiosity and functions as a ritual technology for social construction, fostering community and openness, with transcendent experiences, drug use, trance, and possession central to its spiritual dimension. Proposes a definition of EDMC spirituality grounded in existing scholarship and the author's research. |
Abstract
This chapter explores the relationships between Electronic Dance Music Culture (EDMC) and religion, meaning and spirituality. It briefly outlines some of the existing work in this area before presenting evidence of elements of religiosity found in EDMC during my research. A brief explanation of the historical roots of EDMC is followed by an investigation of transcendent experiences, of how these are perceived, the use of drugs to trigger them and how they relate to trance and possession. Evidence from the field of ethno-musicology is discussed in relation to EDMC, as is the way in which music and dance interact. The effect of individualization within postmodernity is addressed, as is EDMC as a ritual technology for social construction, creating community and openness with others. In conclusion, EDMC spirituality is defined and discussed.