The Archaeoacoustics of the Maya Pyramid of Kukulkan

On my first pilgrimage to the Maya ceremonial center of Chichen Itza in March 1995, I discovered that an incredible acoustic phenomenon can be heard at the Pyramid of Kukulkan. If you clap your hands directly in front of the pyramid's main staircase, it echoes back an almost mechanical bird-like chirping sound. Handclaps from different positions along the base of the staircase likewise trigger the echo, but with different musical tones spanning half an octave. Tour guides and tourists like to clap their hands to hear a chirped echo in a range of different notes. 

Me atop Kukulkan Pyramid in 1995

In 1998 acoustician David Lubman recorded the hand-clap echoes at Kukulkan Pyramid and compared them with recordings of the nearly extinct Quetzal, the sacred bird associated with both the name of the pyramid and its plumed serpent deity Kukulkan/Quetzalcoatl. He found that recordings and sonograms of several echoes really do match the bird's cry. Even more amazing is that same clap also seems to echo back the sound of a rattlesnake off the stairway of the nearby Temple of the Warriors a split second after the bird sound. On either side of the stairway are two stone columns four feet wide, carved to represent feathered rattlesnakes. It takes a while to find the right spot to clap to get the effect of both sounds, but it's worth it to hear that at least once in a lifetime. 

Whether the pyramid was built to deliberately produce these evocative echoes, or it happened by chance, is still a matter of debate among scientists and archaeologists. Inspection and ray acoustic modeling provide a simple physical explanation for the chirped echo -- the "picket fence effect" due to periodic sound reflections from the treads of the staircase. The reason that a chirp like a bird is produced is because of geometry. The time between later reflections is longer than early reflections causing the frequency of the echo to rapidly drop by about an octave.

Me in the Ballcourt with friends-1995

The Great Ballcourt is another structure at Chichen Itza that displays unusual and unexplained acoustic anomalies. The stone walls act like an acoustic waveguide and words softly whispered at one end of the ball court (measuring 545 feet long by 225 feet wide) are clearly audible all the way at the other end and a single clap or shout sounded in the center of the ball court will produce nine distinct echoes. According to acoustician David Lubman, "the Great Ballcourt (GBC) can produce mind-bending sound effects supportive of ancient Maya mythology described in their best-known creation story, the Popol Vuh. GBC sound effects include hallucinatory disembodied voices, shouting crowds, the whooping of an invisible bird flying rapidly through the playing field, and, with middling success, growling jaguars and menacing rattlesnakes. These animals are also represented in GBC carvings and frescoes."

Lubman's findings at Chichen Itza suggest that its ancient builders were skilled theatrical sound designers who engineered sound for mind manipulation. Sound effects discovered so far seem uniquely appropriate for each monument and may be intentional designs. If the theory of intentional design has merit, we are led to two extraordinary conjectures. The Maya may be the only people known to have "coded" a sound into stone. The chirped echo at this 1300-year-old Maya pyramid in the Yucatan may be the world's oldest known sound recording!

Shamanic Journey Drumming

Shamanic Journey Drumming is now available on iTunes. This album has been digitally recorded to support the listener in making shamanic journeys. The harmonic overtones and undertones on this recording were produced by a 22-inch single-headed, elk hide, cedar frame drum pulsed at four-beats-per-second. This tempo induces a theta wave cycle in the brain. Theta rhythms are associated with the deepest states of shamanic consciousness. Researchers have found that if a tempo of four-beats-per-second is sustained for at least 15 minutes, most people can journey successfully even on their first attempt. Listen to all my music on SoundCloud. To learn more read Shamanic Journeying.

Mongolian Shamans: Masters of Ecstasy

In the post-communist era shamanism is undergoing a dramatic revival in Mongolia. Harshly suppressed during Mongolia's long Soviet rule, shamanism is suddenly widely sought to fill the spiritual void of a newly democratic society. Mongolian shamanism evokes a rich and barely-tapped store of astrological, environmental, and geographic cultural knowledge. In partnership with National Geographic Magazine, Carolyn Drake has published a photographic essay exploring the shamanic resurgence.

"Intimacy in the Eco-fields: The Mother Tongue"

Streaming live on the Co-Creator Radio Network on Tuesday, November 20, at 11 a.m. Pacific time/2 p.m. Eastern time, on her show "Why Shamanism Now?: A Practical Path to Authenticity," Christina Pratt interviews Will Taegel, Ph.D., author of The Mother Tongue: Intimacy in the Eco-field. Taegel shares "The Mother Tongue Hypothesis," challenging listeners to enter into deep reflection and question their current beliefs. According to Taegel, today's science shows that all life communicates, and that our intimate relationship with nature can guide us through these turbulent times. Taegel shares tools to communicate with and learn from the natural world so that we are able to participate fully in our role in the manifestation of a new era. Prior episodes from "Why Shamanism Now" can be downloaded for free on iTunes. 

"Mindfulness and Animism: The Art of Soul Healing"

In a recent article for The Huffington Post, Kelley Harrell, neoshaman and author of Gift of the Dreamtime, explores how our cultural perceptions affect our ability to heal and stay well. Many of us invite soul healing into our lives, and then experience an initial phase of euphoria and wellbeing, only to eventually take on symptoms of dis-ease or imbalance again. Kelley attributes this to our inability to fully embrace the mindfulness and worldview of our animistic forefathers. Read more.

Korean Neo-Shamanic Drumming Video

The Sonagi Project is a Korean percussion ensemble that has created modern, original music based on traditional shamanic rhythms and chants. The group brings traditional Korean percussion instruments into the twenty-first century by performing traditionally-based yet original repertoire for contemporary audiences. View the video on Vimeo.

Korean Rhythms and Shamanism in Contemporary Music from The Korea Society on Vimeo.

New Release: "Song for the Whales"

Listen to the soundtrack to my new video "Song for the Whales." "Song for the Whales" is a musical tribute to the whales. Listen to all of my albums on Spotify.

The Shamanic Drum Instructional

The Shamanic Drum Instructional is now available on iTunes and Amazon. On this companion recording to my book The Shamanic Drum, I instruct the listener in playing ten ceremonial drum rhythms, including those for invoking the seven directions. A 30 minute shamanic drumming is also performed, which listeners can use for shamanic journeying. This recording can be used independently or as an integral companion to my book. Listen to all of my albums on SoundCloud.