The “trance dance” of the Ju/’hoan Bushmen (San) of Southern Africa: implications for hypnotic means of healing

Abstract

Within the perspective of the history of hypnosis, the healing dance of the Kalahari Bushmen (San) is regarded as special kind of kinetic trance that uses focused emotional intensity inside music and dance to initiate movement automatisms for healing. We demonstrate how the Bushman way of healing introduces new distinctions, metaphors, and strategies for the understanding and practice of hypnotically oriented forms of therapy. We propose that the Bushman form of trance, one that utilizes the arousal and amplification of emotions, improvised sounds, and spontaneous movement, suggests a unique form of healing trance and hypnotic induction. The Bushman dance relies less on purposeful induction through direct or indirect verbal and nonverbal suggestion and entrainment, and more on the amplification of emotion and song. These help awaken spontaneous movement that goes past choreographed dance. In short, the so-called trance dance of the Ju’/hoan Bushmen of southern Africa is primarily concerned with waking up strong positive feelings through rhythm and song, bringing forth a spontaneous vibration in the body, and sharing or passing this vibration to others. We discuss how this brings forth the experience of crossing over from the everyday reality of distinguishing, languaging mind (what the Bushmen call second creation) into the highly charged, ecstatic experience of transformation in which all of creation is experientially felt rather than named (called first creation).