Vision Journey by Byron Metcalf

The Vision

During a recent meditation, I had a wonderful vision of a group of seven shamanic drummers playing a ‘classic’ or traditional type of shamanic journey pattern (steady, repetitive drumming). There were also two more people playing rattles and another that had a huge ceremonial drum mounted on a stand. Most of these people appeared to be ‘seasoned practitioners’ – ‘Elders’ – with many years of experience, knowledge and wisdom. I heard nature sounds and other dreamtime-like soundscapes (spirit breath, huasca spirits, wind, and other ambient sounds) that made the sonic landscape seem so much larger than life. The setting was in a forest.

The apparent leader of the group signaled to the ceremonial drum player to begin and after 2 potent strikes of that huge drum, a rattle player set the tempo for the journey. The big drum continued for a few more hits and then the leader joined in at full tempo with his medium pitch shaman drum. I could feel the anticipation building for what was to come. Another big drum hit and the other rattle player (playing a rattle in each hand) joined in at full tempo with the leader’s drum. And then another drummer joined the leader’s pattern ¬¬– and then another – and then another – each time the big drum signaled their time to join in until all seven were playing the same pattern together with the rattles!

As one might imagine, the sound of all of the drums and rattles together was incredibly potent and powerful! AND there was more! After a short time of everyone playing together, an old man appeared with a didgeridoo and stepped into the circle of drummers, and began playing an otherworldly, dreamtime drone to support the drummers and the journey. At this point, I was so moved and inspired that I got up from my meditation and began formulating some ideas of how I might create this vision in my studio.

I’ve been pretty isolated here due to Covid, so I decided to play all of the drum and rattle parts myself and also created the soundscapes and ambient sounds in my studio. I recorded the nature sounds a few years ago in the Prescott National Forest. Dashmesh recorded the didgeridoo drone in his studio and sent it to me via the Internet.

Vision Journey employs a classic type shamanic journey pattern – utilizing steady, repetitive drumming and percussion that will induce and sustain a shamanic trance state very quickly, especially when using headphones. It is just under 26 minutes long and the full tempo is 240 beats per minute, which is ideal for shamanic journeying. (Vision Journey does not incorporate Hemi Sync or Field Effect Audio Technology)

Vision Journey is a perfect track to drum with during your own journeys or with clients, or to practice and enhance your shamanic drumming skills. But most importantly, the multiple drums and rattles, along with the other sounds in Vision Journey, will support very deep and profound journeywork of various kinds.

I recommend that you listen to the track all the way through before doing any journey work with it. I created a non-traditional ‘return’ or ‘call back’ using 5 hits of the big ceremonial drum that builds into a final hit dissolving into 4 minutes of peaceful nature and ambient sounds to support your integration.

Wishing you many deep Journeys,

Byron

Byron Metcalf is an award-winning professional musician and recording artist and shamanic practitioner. Byron’s highly successful music business career spans 5 decades and covers a wide variety of musical styles and genres. Byron produces music for deep inner exploration, breathwork, shamanic journeywork, body-oriented therapies, various meditation practices and the healing arts.

byronmetcalf.com