Technoshamanism: Spiritual healing in the rave subculture

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“…The key component in these events is the technologically produced dance music, continuously mixed by DJs, for long durations (sometimes up to 12 hours or longer) and with the purpose of encouraging people to dance. Additional elements that comprise most EDM events include elaborate decorations and visual effects, such as lights that flash to the rhythm of the music, lasers, wall projections depicting symbols, images, film, and sometimes, theatrical performances and dancers on stage with the DJ (Gauthier, 2004;Hutson, 2000;St John, 2012b;Sylvan, 2005;Takahashi, 2005).…”

“…The term rave is typically defined as a gathering of people who listen and dance to electronic dance music in often unlicensed, obscure, continuously varying, and spontaneously organized locations such as a warehouse, church, beach, desert, or forest (Fritz, 1999;Gauthier, 2004;Hutson, 2000;St John, 2001;Sylvan, 2005;Takahashi & Olaveson, 2003). Raves are frequently described as underground dance events that are sometimes created with the intention to generate a cultural or spiritual change.…”

“…However, such perspectives deny the potential for EDM events to function as a space for psycho-spiritual exploration and fail to inquire into the individual motivations of participants. A number of researchers in the field have recognized this gap in the scholarly literature and research on EDM culture (Hutson, 1999(Hutson, , 2000Gauthier, 2004Gauthier, , 2005Malbon, 1999;Sai Chun-Lau, 2006;St John, 2006, 2012aSylvan, 2002Sylvan, , 2005Takahashi, 2004aTakahashi, , 2004bTakahashi, , 2005Takahashi & Olaveson, 2003;Till, 2006). Using research methods inherent to the fields of anthropology, sociology, and religious and cultural studies, these researchers explored the meaning EDM participants associate with attending EDM events and uncovered transpersonal, spiritual, and religious dimensions of their experiences.…”

Embodied techno-space: An auto-ethnography on affective citizenship in the techno electronic dance music scene

“…), it overall eschews the classic Bourdieuian distinction between ÔhighÕ and ÔlowÕ culture (Thornton, 1995). Instead, post-subculturalism fosters an immersive experience of cultural Ônon-differentiationÕ (Hutson, 1999) and unveils the fluidity of class along what MacCannell (1976) described as the universal desire for cultural expression that is ÔauthenticÕ in and of itself.…”

“…Socio-sonic dance space can, hence, have (inter-)subjective transformative affects that navigate between motility, incorporeal intensity and visceral perception (ibid.). In this trialectic context, Becker and Woebs (1999, 59) regard the techno scene even as Òa pseudo-religious pilgrimage site for communication and interactionÓ, a social structure with qualities of spiritual healing (see also Hutson, 1999;Sylvan, 2013).…”