Music

The last topic to be discussed in this blog is the subject of music, its power, limitations, and dangers.  The key to understanding the importance of music in the spiritual life is to understand the relation between emotion and reason.

Music speaks to both the rational and the emotional mind but more to the emotional mind.  No long discussion is needed here, because it is self-evident.  For example, consider that music can be either cynical or naive.  It can be sentimental, nostalgic, wistful, bitter, joyful, peaceful, sorrowful.  And it can be beautiful.  Music creates mood.  Music also tells a story and can create ideas, but the primary focus is that music relate ideas to emotions.  For that reason alone it carries a great weight.

The mathematical patterns underlying music can, but do not necessarily appeal to our rational nature.  Enjoying patterns is not the same as rational activities like analyzing patterns, developing new patterns, or elaborating on existing patterns.  Music may even occupy a space in the mind, suppressing certain thought processes.  Listening to music is an activity that can suppress the inner dialog and capture or redirect the listener.  This is evident in the fact that the listener is not often content merely to be an audience, but wants to participate.  I can not think of any other art form that engages the audience more naturally and universally.

Music can be both good and bad.  Music can be prayer, it can be meditation, it can serve as a backdrop for reflection.  It can lead us towards a proper mindset, increase our sensitivity to the needs of others.  Rationally chosen, music provides relief to Falzhaefengilt by greatly reducing the complexity of the spiritual life.   As such it soothes and dulls the pain of self introspection.  To this extent, music acts as a medicine. Its hidden transformative nature can press people into action.  Think of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," or "Les Marseilles." But the more powerful the medicine the more dangerous its abuse.  Music can distract us from what is important, it can make us turn inward, it can cause despair, frustration, and mistrust.  And, it can reinforce destructive attitudes. By attuning to it and incorporating it we can become angry and violent. Moreover, it is difficult to compose music that does not reflect our current state of mind. Modern musicians, it would seem sing with most meaning when they sing of their own anger, emptiness, frustration.  Music offers a kind of commiseration with the state of the world, but it seldom offers a cure.