Detailed Table of Contents Foreword;.............................................................................................................xiii; Preface;.................................................................................................................. xv; Chapter 1; Biogenetic.Structural.Perspectives.on.Shamanism.and.Raves:.The.Origins.of. Collective.Ritual.Dance;.......................................................................................... 1; Michael James Winkelman;, Arizona State University, USA; The.worldwide.development.of.raves.and.similar.collective.rituals.characterized. by.all.night.communal.rituals.involving.dance,.drumming,.music,.and.often.the. use. of. psychedelic. substances. can. be. understood. as. a. modern. manifestation. of. the.same.biological.principles.underlying.shamanism..The.shamanic.ritual.was.a. nighttime.ceremony.which.engaged.all.of.the.community.in.a.powerful.interaction. with.the.spirit.world.as.the.shaman.beat.drums.or.rattled.while.singing,.chanting. and.dancing..The.common.underlying.biogenetic.structures.of.shamanism.and.raves. involve:.the.social.functions.of.ritual;.the.effects.of.dance.and.music.as.systems.for. social.bonding.and.emotional.communication;.and.the.effects.on.consciousness.that. produce.alterations.of.emotions,.identity.and.consciousness.and.personal.healing.; Chapter 2; The.Roots.of.Trance:.Reflections.of.Space.Rock,.Psychedelia,.Krautrock,.and. Post.Punk.Live.in.the.1970s.and.1980s;................................................................ 38; Peter Smith;, University of Sunderland, UK; This.chapter.explores.the.roots.of.trance.by.taking.a.reflective.and.historical.view.of. the.influences.of.1970s.and.1980s.music.on.the.development.of.trance..The.author. reflects.on.concerts.which.he.personally.attended,.analysing.them.for.music,.lyrics,.style,. performance,.and.concepts.which.formed.the.roots.of.trance..This.includes.performances. from.the.following.genres:.space.rock,.psychedelia,.Krautrock,.and.post.punk..The. chapter.discusses.performances.by.the.Grateful.Dead,.Pink.Floyd,.Arthur.Brown,.The. Edgar.Broughton.Band,.Kraftwerk,.Joy.Division,.and.Public.Image.Limited..In.each. case.those.elements.which.have.contributed.to.the.development.of.trance.are.highlighted.; Chapter 3; Transformational.Festivals:.A.New.Religious.Movement?;.................................. 58; Andrew Johner;, Lesley University, USA; With.the.growing.popularity.of.psychedelic.trance.worldwide,.as.well.as.a.general. resurgence.of.electronic.music.in.the.United.States,.several.new.forms.of.music. festivals.are.one.the.rise.in.North.America-.among.these.are.transformational.festivals.. Transformational.festivals.in.North.America.are.a.progeny.of.psychedelic.trance,. Burning.Man,.and.full-moon.rave.culture..Transformational.festivals.incorporate. spiritual.practices.such.as.yoga,.chanting,.meditation.and.ecstatic.dance.alongside. their. primary. exhibits. of. musical. and. psychedelic. entertainment.. The. festivals. advertise.a.predominating.intention.of.providing.attendees.with.multiple.avenues. of.self-development,.therapeutic.healing,.and.spiritual.transformation..The.purpose. of.this.chapter.is.to.access.elements.of.belonging,.identity,.religiosity,.and.elitism. among. transformational. culture. and. their. transformational. festival. events.. This. chapter.will.offer.comparison.to.religious.revivals,.cults,.new.religious.movements,. millenarianism,.and.cultural.revitalization.movements. ; Chapter 4; Psychedelic.Trance.and.Multimedia.Neo-Rituals:.The.Modern.Shamanic. Tools?;.................................................................................................................... 87; Emília Simão;, Portuguese Catholic University, Portugal; Sérgio Tenreiro de Magalhães;, Portuguese Catholic University, Portugal; This.chapter.examines.the.relevance.of.multimedia.technologies.in.Psychedelic. Trance. gatherings,. exploring. its. technical,. sensory. and. spiritual. convergence.. Technology.devices.have.always.been.a.part.of.our.lives,.from.the.first.artefacts.of. early.humanity.to.the.most.sophisticated.of.our.era,.where.technology.has.taken. control.of.some.aspects.of.our.lives..In.the.late.twentieth.century,.a.new.stage.of. history.characterized.by.the.transformation.of.our.material.culture.through.mechanisms. of.a.new.technological.paradigm.started..We.live.in.communion.with.all.kinds.of. technologies.that.complement.and.extend.us.in.most.of.our.existential.aspects,.not. only.in.a.technical.way.but.also.a.personal,.emotional.and.even.spiritual.level..The. electronic.dance.music.and.its.relevance.in.modern.cultures.can.be.a.reflexion.of. this.reality,.where.new.technologies.and.multimedia.tools.have.awakened.neo-ritual. practices.in.Psychedelic.Trance.gatherings,.evoking.tribal.experiences.with.shamanic. foundations,.and.mediated.by.high-tech.guide.elements. ; Chapter 5; Psychedelic.Trance.on.the.Web:.Exploring.Digital.Parties.at.Second.Life;........ 109; Emília Simão;, Portuguese Catholic University, Portugal; Sérgio Tenreiro de Magalhães;, Portuguese Catholic University, Portugal; Armando Malheiro da Silva;, University of Porto, Portugal; This. chapter. proposes. an. approach. about. Psychedelic. Trance. tribe. behaviours. and. manifestations. in. digital. environments,. and. cyber. ritual. dynamics. beyond. the.virtual.parties.in.Second.Life..Many.spatial.communities.are.simultaneously. digital.communities,.and.both.became.complements.and.extensions.of.one.another.. Psychedelic.Trance.movements.and.manifestations.have.been.happening.through. all.kinds.of.physical.spaces,.now.also.extended.to.digital.spaces..Psytrance.neo- nomads.are.now.techno-nomads,.moving.to,.from,.and.through.the.web,.redefining. themselves,.their.practices.and.their.gatherings..In.this.scenario,.Psychedelic.Trance. branches.emerges.everywhere,.especially.in.social.networks.and.three-dimensional. immersive.environments.like.Second.Life..This.digital.migration.is.not.only.making. the.tribe.growing,.is.also.enhancing.boundaries.and.increasing.the.individual.and. collective.consciousness.of.its.members..Nevertheless,.even.if.the.Trancers.became. simultaneously. physical. and. virtual. natives,. the. digital. parties. do. not. seems. to. replace.their.outside.experiences.; Chapter 6; Requirements.of.a.Digital.Platform.for.Psytrance.Parties;.................................. 132; Sérgio Tenreiro de Magalhães;, Portuguese Catholic University, Portugal & Minho University, Portugal; Digital.platforms.that.support.virtual.worlds.are.becoming.more.complex.and.there. is.a.growing.fusion.between.real.life.and.digital.objects..Wireless.technologies,. screens’.resolution.and.colours,.3D.technologies,.virtual.and.augmented.reality. can.change.the.way.a.user.experiences.a.virtual.environment..This.chapter.explores. input.and.output.technologies.for.computing.devices.and.discusses.the.technological. developments.that.constitute.requirements.for.the.success.of.non-physical.trance. parties.or,.as.some.would.prefer.to.call.them,.virtual.trance.parties.; Chapter 7; Psytrance.Influences.on.Touchless.Interactive.Experiences:.New.Roles.for. Performers.and.Audience.within.the.Electronic.Music.Scenario;....................... 146; Paulo César Teles;, University of Campinas, Brazil; Aidan Boyle;, Jacobs University Bremen, Germany; In.the.fields.of.new.media,.art,.and.technology,.we.live.and.evolve.together.with. multimedia.interactivedigital.technology..This.symbiosis.has.made.it.possible.to. develop.novel.works.that.dialogue.with.theexploratory.nature.of.the.human.being. when.confronted.with.unfamiliar.technological.equipment..The.electronic.music. scenario.brought.us.some.elements.that.inspired.and.provoked.us.in.this.quest..The. Psytrance.style.in.particular.made.us.realize.that.once.a.minimal.simple.harmony. was.supported.by.a.solid.rhythm,.the.audience.could.interact.and.control.many.of.the. sound.clusters.available,.solely.with.their.body.movement..In.this.chapter.we.report. experimental.results.and.analysis,.which.point.towards.an.approach.for.composing. electronic.music.through.the.distinct.and.innovative.behaviour.of.the.participants,. turning.them.into.real.performers,.as.well.as.transforming.the.role.of.the.DJ/VJ.by. engaging.them.in.a.two-way.dialogue.with.their.audience. ; Chapter 8; Exploring.Psytrance.as.Technognosis:.A.Hypothesis.of.Participation;............... 170; Psyence Vedava;, Independent Researcher, Greece; This. chapter. explores. the. performative. process. occurring. in. the. dance-floor/ stage.of.a.psytrance.event.as.‘technognosis’,.a.concept.that.combines.media,.arts,. performance.and.technology.with.the.notion.of.gnosis..Technognosis.is.proposed. as.an.overarching.concept,.able.to.theorize.the.whole.transpersonal.range.of.the. psytrance.experience,.including.its.spiritual.dimension,.enabled.by.the.induction.and. facilitation.of.alterations.in.consciousness..The.psytrance.experience.is.analyzed.it. terms.of.aesthetic,.visionary.and.mystical.experiences.understood.here.as.qualities.of. gnosis..At.the.same.time,.this.chapter.contends.that.technognosis.affects.participation. and.invites.its.multi-media.and.performative.expression,.triggering.fundamental. changes. in. ways. of. human. thinking,. imagining. and. operating;. potentiating. the. adoption.of.participation.as.the.next.paradigm.in.human.existence..In.parallel,.the. chapter.proposes.a.post-modern.approach.in.researching.and.analyzing.the.psytrance. phenomenon.as.a.whole,.combining.media.and.performance.studies.with.religious.