Medicine Music Through Time: Honoring Ancient Tradition - Innovating Contemporary Practice

Across time and culture, music has served as a sacred technology in psychedelic and entheogenic ceremonies—used not merely for ambiance, but as an intentional guide through the landscapes of consciousness. In many Indigenous and tribal traditions worldwide, music is inseparable from healing: drumming, chanting, and vocal invocation in Native and African traditions are used to call in spirit, regulate the body, and clear energetic blocks. This panel explores and exhibits how these time-honored practices continue to inform and challenge contemporary psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT). Bridging traditional wisdom and modern science, panelists will examine the psychological, neurological, and spiritual functions of music and sound healing across both clinical and ceremonial settings. Topics include the development of personalized music protocols, personal experiences of sound healing, the ethical imperative to learn from Indigenous frameworks, and artistic expression of the decolonization of gender and sexuality. Together, we’ll explore music’s capacity to evoke emotion, foster connection, and serve as a vessel for transformation in both individual and collective healing.