Spectrum of Spirit: A Digital Sanctuary for Spiritual Discourse and Community

The mission statement at the entrance to historic All Souls Church in Stony Brook Village says “We strive to be mutually supportive of the personal spiritual journey, respecting the individuality of all, and accepting the value of meeting people wherever they are on that journey.” This is perhaps most true during the monthly Native American Drumming sessions All Souls offers to the community.

The unique sounds of Native American drums provide a spiritual healing practice that is thousands of years old. The drums seek to integrate the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual parts of the human self, creating a state of well-being. Each meditation begins with a reflection on how humans are an intimate, interconnected part of our majestic, beautiful, 13.7-billion-year-old universe. Some Native Americans, in describing the human relationship to other Earth creatures, say, “Mitakuye Oyasin” (we are all related), very similar to how St. Francis of Assisi referred to other creatures and even celestial bodies as brothers and sisters.

Dr. Ric Statler leads the drumming at All Souls. He is proud of his Indian bloodline and feels he has a responsibility to share his indigenous peoples’ perspectives and traditions. His grandparents on his father’s side moved to the United States from Columbia. His grandmother was a Chicha (Andes Mountains) and his grandfather was from the Inca tribe. Native Americans share many values and beliefs with Christians, Jews, Muslims, and other faiths. Chief Standing Bear (1829–1908) famously said, “There is one God, and He made both Indians and white men. We were all made out of the dust of the earth.” Chief Joseph (1840 –1904) reflected “I believe much trouble and blood would be saved if we opened our hearts more.”

The Native American drums induce heightened states of awareness and provide a simple and effortless way to still the chatter of the mind, thereby inducing altered states of consciousness. It is one of the quickest and most powerful ways known to open the heart and connect with a power greater than ourselves. The drumming sessions induce a deeper sense of self-awareness by inducing synchronous brain activity, which synchronizes the two brain hemispheres, integrating conscious and unconscious awareness. The key to this is the activation of Theta brain waves.

The steady rhythmic beat of the drum is the key to transporting a participant into the deepest part of his state of consciousness. This steady beat activates Theta brain wave activity. The state of heightened Theta waves is also seen in deep prayer, deep meditation and has similar effects, as is brought on by the constant and rhythmic drone of Tibetan Buddhist chants, which transport the monks and even other listeners into realms of blissful meditation.

Theta waves allow us to be receptive to information beyond our normal conscious awareness. During the Theta state, many find they can comprehend advanced concepts and relationships that become incomprehensible when returning to normal states. Theta has also been identified as the gateway to learning and memory. Theta meditation increases creativity, enhances learning, reduces stress and awakens intuition and other extrasensory perception skills. When the brain is in Theta, it appears to balance sodium/potassium ratios which are responsible for the transport of chemicals through brain cell membranes. This appears to play a role in rejuvenating the fatigued brain.

All are welcome to attend these monthly sessions at 7:00pm in the All Souls Rectory located at 5 Mill Pond Road in Stony Brook Village (across from the Duck Pond). These sessions are held on the fourth Thursday of the month (third Thursday in November and December). For more information, call 631-655-7798.