~ Yopo's Drum ~
These photographs are front and back views of the frame drum that I play in Drumming Circle. The drum was made during the summer of 1998. (Thanks Randy, for your guidance in its making!) The frame is of oak, while the drumhead and wrapped cords are of elk rawhide.
The drum beater in the foreground was made from a large splinter of wood taken from the hollow of the old bur oak. (I knew when I took the wood that it had some special purpose, but that wouldn't be revealed until several months later.) The dark discolorations visible on the shaft are lightning burns. More difficult to see are the tiny holes bored by woodworms over the years since the lightning struck.
Drumming is an ancient means of attaining an altered state of consciousness, and has been used for that purpose by the shamans of diverse tribal cultures for many thousands of years. There is, of course, a scientific explanation for the fact that the sound of a drum can alter one's consciousness. The principle behind the effect is known as auditory driving.
The electrical activity of the neurons in the brain is rhythmic; that there is a correlation between specific brain rhythms and specific states of consciousness can be demonstrated using an instrument known as an electroencephalograph. When a person is exposed to a persistent rhythmic auditory input---for example, the continuous beating of a drum---the firing of the neurons tends to become synchronized with---or driven by---the auditory beat. The result is a shift of consciousness that may be either slight or profound.
As with any means of attaining an altered state of consciousness, set and setting are relevant factors in determining the usefulness of the process. A drumming circle provides a supportive ceremonial context wherein set and setting are optimal, so that an altered state can be achieved in a natural fashion, maximized, and used in a variety of beneficial ways. Drumming can be used in conjunction with various healing practices, for example, or to induce a trance state for shamanistic journeying.