ALTERED STATE (of conscience)

An alternative state of consciousness to the “normal” or waking state in which the nature of music induces the most attentive listeners. Many cultures practice voluntary induction into an alteration of the “ordinary” state of consciousness through the repetition of melodic, rhythmic formulas that underlie the musical practice, whether aimed at work songs – whose purpose is to alleviate the fatigue it is connected to – or ritual actions – whose purpose is to put the participants in contact with the supernatural. This is one of the conditions through which cultures establish relations between each other.