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I am going to ask you to suspend your western mind while reading this story, in other words that portion of the brain dedicated to European rationality needs to be put on hold. Just for a while, leave it in "park", remove all the skepticism. Believe. This is what l had to do for a few days in East Bali where l was on yet another quest to see a portion of the real Bali, the one untouched by western ways, where the culture remains ancient and intact. By Pamela Tibbs.

Like most western people visiting this emerald island of magic and mystery, things l don't understand captivate me. And even though l have meditated for years, l just cannot comprehend the trance state of mind that is such an integral part of the Balinese culture.

According to Webster's Concise Dictionary, to be in a trance is to be in a state of altered consciousness, resembling sleep - as in a state of hypnosis. It is a state that the Balinese are easily acquainted with, and will mention in an almost casual manner. Like
many of the customs that appear exotic to the western mind, seeing people enter a deep trance and perform the impossible is simply a part of Balinese life. 

One of the most popular tourist attractions is the kecak dance, which has an old man kicking the fire with his bare feet as the grand finale. This man feels no pain as he walks through fiery coals and scatters them along the ground, and after the dance, we see him sit on the ground and "wake up" from his altered state of mind. Many of us would now accept this as being just another part of the mystery that is Bali.

The trance state of mind is in fact a regular part of many traditional Balinese dances. Kris dancers utilise this state of being to stab themselves with razor sharp knives, which then refuse to enter the body In some instances dancers actually pierce the body with the kris, while singing and dancing for hours on end. When the sharp  blade is removed there is no blood and the dancers apparently feel no pain.

In her bock, Revolt in Paradise (an excellent source for those interested in learning about the culture and history of Bali), Ketut Tantri tells the story of being taken to a special place in the jungle behind a small village. There she saw two young girls perched atop the shoulders of young men  who were leaping and dancing, performing virtually impossible moves while all were deeply entrenched in another world in their minds. The girls never fell, the boys never faltered a step, and none of them were dancers by profession.

To communicate with the gods, it is often necessary to enter a trance. During a ceremony in the temple, a young girl, who must still be a virgin, will sometimes enter this enlightened state of being. The Balinese believe that the gods are speaking through her, particularly if there is something wrong with the offering at the temple.

Seeing my interest in this particular part of the spiritual fabric of the culture, a friend invited me to his family temple in the eastern part of Bali to not only observe but be a part of a ceremony that was deeply steeped in the roots of his being. "This is special to my village," Ketut assured me. "We are very traditional there."

Having had some harrowing rides on the  back of the motorbike of this ever-smiling seemingly modern blue-jeaned young man, l had to wonder just how traditional a place he could come from. In spite of his cheerful declaration that the ride would be "super gorgeous and very fast," good sense took over and l declined his offer of taking the two-and-a-half hour ride from Ubud to Tulamben on the back of his motorbike. His description of the scenery certainly proved true, but the ride was most assuredly less nerve wracking from the back seat of a kijang.

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