A CROSS-CULTURAL INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDY OF THE HEALING POWER OF SINGING. A dissertation submitted by WENDY MAUDE MCCLURE PACIFICA GRADUATE INSTITUTE

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1 A CROSS-CULTURAL INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDY OF THE HEALING POWER OF SINGING A dissertation submitted by WENDY MAUDE MCCLURE to PACIFICA GRADUATE INSTITUTE in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY This dissertation has been accepted for the faculty of Pacifica Graduate Institute by: CAROLYN KENNY, PhD Advisor BARBARA GARDNER, PhD Chair LISA SOKOLOV, MA External Reader DIANNE SKAFTE, PhD Academic Vice-President

2 April 19, 1998 Copyright by WENDY MAUDE MCCLURE 1998 ii

3 ABSTRACT A Cross-Cultural Interdisciplinary Study of the Healing Power of Singing by Wendy Maude McClure This dissertation attempts to reveal the healing and transformative power inherent in the contained process of singing and vocal sounding. It is a hermeneutical exploration of three disciplines: Jungian psychology, voice therapy as a subfield of clinical music therapy, and cultural anthropology. Several indigenous cultures from all over the world are presented to introduce other cultures' relationship to vocal sound healing. Each of the three disciplines offers containers in which healing and transformation through singing and sounding take place. The Jungian therapeutic process is demonstrated to be one vessel in and through which vocal sound healing can occur, the small but burgeoning field of clinical voice therapy is shown as providing ritual containers for transformation through singing and vocal sounding, and indigenous cultures are presented which utilize song and vocal sounding--with the assistance of animal figures--to induce healing in ritual formats. The way in which voice and song is used for healing in these three disciplines, and the places where these disciplines overlap, is explored. A clinical voice therapy case from the author's private practice is presented which includes points of reference to all three disciplines. The specific case and the iii

4 dissertation as a whole reveal the individual and cultural process of moving from inhibited to uninhibited vocal sounding and emoting through the assistance of an animal figure, the bear. In addition, the dissertation offers a Jungian analysis of the fairytale The Little Mermaid to deepen the discussion of vocal inhibition and the wounding of psyche. The contrast between Western and indigenous worldviews regarding vocal sounding, emotional expression, and healing modalities sets the stage for critical suggestions as to how Western culture can incorporate the transformative power of voice and song into traditional and radical healing contexts. iv

5 DEDICATION To my father, Richard McClure and To the spirit of Bear v

6 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to acknowledge the following people for their piece in this creation. To my advisor, Carolyn Kenny, who started this whole thing off by asking me, "What's the most important and exciting case you've ever had?" To all my classmates and faculty at Pacifica, it was a beautiful journey. Thank you to all my wonderful friends and family who believed in me, and especially Jennifer and Michael Lebel, who provided loving technical support at the final portal. To Hendrika DeVries, my clinical supervisor, who planted the seed 7 years ago by interpreting a dream of mine one day saying, very matter of factly, "Oh, that means you need to go get your PhD." To Alison, for being my teacher and after many years, for allowing me in. To Tahara, for teaching me so much about healing. I am especially grateful to Barbara Gardner, Carolyn Kenny, Dave Cumes, Iken Lord, Tahara Ezrahti, and Donald Kamens for their support on Chapter 4, the last hurdle. Thank you for helping me see with new eyes. I could not have gotten where I did without you. I would also like to thank my dear friend and colleague, Ben Paden, for his southern hospitality and his ever-reaching spirit. I am equally indebted to all my voice therapy clients who had more desire than fear in exploring their voices and souls, and who trusted me to guide the journey. Thank you for the honor. vi

7 TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION AND LITERATURE REVIEW Introduction...1 Overview of the Chapters...1 On Method...3 A Case Study in Voice Therapy...6 Review of the Literature...12 Jungian Theory and Principles: A Foundation for Later Synthesis with Voice Therapy...12 Structure of the Psyche in Depth Psychology...13 Individuation...21 Active Imagination...23 Jungian Analysis of Fairytales...25 Animals in Jungian Psychology...26 Music Therapy Overview Sound and Music...28 Music Therapy...29 Theoretical Orientations in Music Therapy...34 Voice Therapy: Healing with Vocal Sound The Human Voice: Its Mechanics and Ontology...41 Theoretical Assumptions of Voice Therapy...42 Psychoanalytic Roots to Voice Therapy's Operative Methodology Linking Psyche and Soma Personal Aspects of Vocal Inhibition...46 Collective Vocal Injunctions...50 Voice Therapy Treatment...53 Themes and Methods in Voice Therapy Treatment...56 The Appearance of Symbolic Animal Figures in Voice Therapy...61 Cultural Anthropology: The Role of Vocal Sound and Animal Figures in Indigenous Cultural Healing Rituals...64 Origins of Information on Animals, Sound, and Healing in Indigenous Cultures...65 Indigenous Cultures' Shared Perspectives on Animals and Healing...73 Healing and Human Sounding in Ceremony...81 Symbolic Healing Summary vii

8 CHAPTER 2: DEPTH PSYCHOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO VOICE THERAPY Voice as Symbol of the Multi-dimensional Self...96 Archetypes in Voice Therapy...97 The Self Archetype in Voice Therapy...97 The Persona Archetype in Voice Therapy Meeting the Shadow Archetype in Voice Therapy Voice Therapy and the Contrasexual Archetype Individuation and Voice Therapy Active Imagination as a Tool in Voice Therapy Jungian Analysis of the The Little Mermaid The Tale of The Little Mermaid Analysis of The Little Mermaid: Lessons for Human Life Summary CHAPTER 3: ECHOES OF THE VOICE IN MYTH AND THE UNIVERSAL UNCONSCIOUS A Comparison of the Fairytale The Little Mermaid with the Dissertation s Case Study Loss of Voice in The Little Mermaid and the Case Study Animal Associated with the Unconscious The Little Mermaid Story as a Failed Individuation The Healing Synthesis of Voice and the Universal Unconscious Voice and the Universal Unconscious Voicing the World Soul on Wilderness Singing Retreats Encountering the Universal Unconscious on a Solo Retreat Sounding the Universal Unconscious Has No Rules Summary CHAPTER 4: A COMPARISON OF INDIGENOUS AND WESTERN HEALING TRADITIONS Western Exclusion of Voice and Animals in the Healing Process Western Empirical vs. Indigenous Holistic Paradigms A Comparison of Norms for Vocal Emotive Expression A Comparison of Funeral Rituals World Soul at a Western Funeral Control Vs. Surrender in Facing the Pain of Healing The Validity of Healing Inter-Cultural Contrast of the Concept of Self The Role of Animals in the Healing Process Case Study Links Western and Indigenous Healing viii

9 Limits to Assessment that Indigenous Healing Rituals' Power is Symbolic Vocal Sound Healing in the West: A Paradigm Shift Summary CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION Summary of Chapters An Integrative Statement Limits and Future Lines of Inquiry REFERENCES APPENDIX ix