Kurt Leland, "Music and the Soul"

[Korpo]

I had a wonderful experience today, and I owe it to a book: "Music and the Soul - A Listener's Guide to Achieving Transcendent Musical Experiences".

In this book the author tries to outline a "Yoga of Listening" (and performing and composing, actually). The basic premise is that music can activate growth in human consciousness, and in fact target the eight spiritual centers (chakras). Each element of the music targets a different center, and many of these elements can be present in any piece of music. They can help to develop the centers and balance them.

The aspects of the music and their associated centers and concepts are:
1 - Root - Rhythm - Embodiment
2 - Genital - Sonority (Pleasure/Sensuality) - Motivation
3 - Navel - Dissonance and Volume - Identity
4 - Heart - Melody - Union
5 - Throat - Tempo - Life Purpose
6 - Brow - Form - Analysis
7 - Crown - Macro-Rhythm (fluctuations in the total of the music) - Wisdom
8 - Transpersonal - Meta-Rhythm (timelessness) - Transcendence

Each of these centers has three layers - lower, middle and upper - a continuum that also culminates in a crisis point between the centers. Examples:

Center 1 is rhythm - the most basic music possible. Sounds. The lower level is Immersion - being immersed in any soundscape or environment. The presence of sound. The middle level is Interest. Patterns begin to emerge that capture the listener's interest. In the upper level there is Entrainment - the rhythm is now fully developed and has an effect on the listener. It could even lead to an altered state of consciousness. The body might want to move by itself. The crisis point of this center is Boredom. When rhythms go on for too long without change they can quite literally put you to sleep. They overload the consciousness, as is done in shamanic drumming (which is cited as an example). BTW, HemiSync entrainment patterns are also listed as examples for this.

Center 6 is form - the analytical faculties of a human at play. Most music is composed from the 6th center, but that does not mean it needs to be dominant in the actual music. Which level of the 6th center is active will determine what kind of music it will be. The lower 6th is Wit. This is witty, inventive music, playfulness or cleverness. Middle 6th is Invention. A "high level of creativity, logical thinkinng, and serious intellectual play". Upper 6th is Fantasy, the creation of landscapes and pictures in music. According to Kurt, lower 6th composers want us to feel as they do (entertainers), middle 6th composers want us to think as they do (formalists) and upper 6th composers want us to see as they do (visionaries). The crisis point is Irrationality - beyond the reason of the thinking mind but not yet in the fold of the soul mind.

Describing all eight centers in detail, each with their own chapter, the book quite clearly conveys how we can learn to recognise these qualities in music, and gives plenty of examples in all kinds of music. Even though Kurt has a strong background in classical music, also rock, jazz, pop and all kinds of music are mentioned. Including, to my great delight, Jimi Hendrix. For example his "Starspangled Banner" is listed as a witty lower 6th composition (full of clever ideas). Or Genesis' 70s fantasy album "Wind & Wuthering" as example of upper 6th fantasy composing.

Embracing the framework provided in this book I could start to take a closer look at my own music collection, and I can say - it is true! Over the years, paralleling my personal development in many ways, the collection grew along similar lines, expanding into more and more centers, incorporating more and more aspects. My teenage days full of 3rd center music - full of volume and dissonance, up to the crisis point of Violence - and I was indeed manically trying to define my identity. It took years before more and more beautiful melodies returned. Witty ideas, fantastic arrangements showed up later. More and more aspects got involved and the collection feels now much broader than it used to be. Recognising this an expression of my own growth as a person was indeed an interesting change in point of view.

In the latter part of the book some composers are more closely scrutinized for their potential as source for musical inspiration that could lead to growth into the realms of the 7th and 8th centers. I chose one of these for trying to delve into the "Yoga of Listening" - Anton Bruckner.

This was not an easy step for me to make, actually. For one thing music actually in some way always seemed to me to be part of my identity. Delving into new music is always exciting, but also a "risk" as it affects my identity as a person. At least it feels like that to me. Then, classical music in many ways imposing to me. I also was not sure if I was ready, either. But today all factors came together and I chose to listen to Bruckner's 7th symphony.

I sat down in front of my computer, upright in my office chair, comfortable. I started the first track of the symphony - the first "movement" as they are called. I closed my eyes and paid attention to the music. Bruckner composed his later symphonies from the 7th center, which can provide inspiration beyond what is possible from the sixth. Music inspired by the higher aspects of man. As I was exposed to his music several effects happened. After a while I realised I felt my body much less, as if comfortably numb. I felt sensations of energy pulsing softly through my hand or other such body effects. My body image was softly changing, for example shrinking to feel like my hands were closer to my center of consciousness from where I perceive things. I found myself in a meditative state of mind, appreciating the music, awaiting what the next moment would bring. It lasted for the whole movement.

Then the macro-rhythm (7th center music characteristic) happened. As the music expanded, my mind did, too. As the music went into what could only be expressed as "expanding into the joy of life" it seemed as if violins can sing. And then this flow of joy went back into ebb, only to build again. Present in the totality of the music this "macro-rhythm", this bigger pattern of ebb and flow also affected my mind.

Also the music was very beautiful. Different things happened in my mind and body I cannot quite describe. But they all felt good. When my mind was distracted, it was not as good, but when I noticed and brought it back to the music, it would reward my mind with a bigger pleasure of listening to it. I was not analysing the music. I listened to it, trying to take in as much of it as possible.

After the first movement of the symphony had ended, twenty great minutes of music, I opened my eyes and was really a bit surprised that I had experienced this "Yoga of Listening" on first try. Something within me had drawn me to Bruckner, and it had not disappointed. Meditation had happened, my awareness was focussed, energies had flown.

Later I launched into the second movement, which is also another 20 minutes long. Also a very wonderful experience. The third movement and the finale I did not enjoy as much. I got more distracted and scattered. I guess my mind's capacity for this had been exhausted. I was no longer able to maintain that same appreciation and come back to just listening. But the first two movements have totally "sold me" on this "Yoga of Listening". I will explore further.

Oliver

[Korpo]

PS - during the third movement somewhere I started to see strange things in my mind's eye. Like for example melting comic figures. This was quite distracting. Even though I did not think of it at the time it might have been hypnagogic images. All kinds of bizarre things, but I don't think it was remembered stuff. It was created anew.

Oliver

[amazingjourney]

Sounds so interesting! One more book to buy and to read!! Thank you Korpo!

[Neil Templar]

Thanks Oliver this is super interesting to me, i dj and produce my own stuff (electronic).
i remember thinking some years ago,(before i had really started looking into my own spirituality) about mantras, hymns, shamanic drumming etc... many, if not all of the world's spiritual practice forms use sound to achieve altered/blissful/trance states.
i thought that if i studied the various forms they take, i'd be able to perceive a pattern which could be included in my own productions to enable an altered state in the listener.
needless to say, life and it's many distractions soon got in the way and the thought didn't return.

then, one day, after a long weekend of partying with friends, i found myself in a room with two other guys.
we put on Miles Davis's Bitches Brew, and we sat in separate chairs, forming a triangle in the room.

27 mins later, we each described our experience to one another, and they were identical.
i had seen myself, and these two individuals, as balls of energy, with visible cords linking us, and everything else around.
it reminded me of Carlos Castaneda, and Don Juan's description of how they perceived life forms as different coloured energy balls when in the altered state the shamans used.
it was the first time i truly understood and fully believed that we are more than this physical vehicle, and it also gave me an insight into the power music can have over consciousness.

i'll be getting myself a copy of Mr Leland's book asap, thanks for that!!

[Korpo]

Hey, Neil.

I think this constitutes exactly what he describes in the book as TME - Transcendental Musical Experience. The book also includes material about these, and how listeners, performers and composers can achieve them.

I believe you'll like this book.

Oliver

[Neil Templar]

I ordered it today!

[Korpo]

Hrmpf! Now I am trying to find really good adaptations of those classic works - that is frustrating, and I don't have an arbitrary amount of money to spend... At least I can preview all of these with my music flatrate - if they have it and the lousy search engine lets me...

Oliver

[Korpo]

There are three experiences with music I want to relate in here, but right now - I don't have the time!

The first one is about Tchaikowksi's waltzes, how they uplift my spirits, what they do for me, and a strange little experience that happened to me.

The second one is about a lament for violin in the movie "Schindler's List", the one that is played during the Auschwitz scenes. It conveyed a feeling to me that I did not know it existed. It would classify this as a TME.

And the third one is about Bruckner's 8th Symphony. How the switch between two different conductors changed the experience in total, but also the energies that hit me.

Each one deserves a bit of writing, but needless to say, this "Yoga of Listening" is for me. There are times in my life when I want to instantly convey to somebody the way I feel, and all I can think of is a tune, a melody, a sound, something I already know from somewhere. When I want to say "This is undescribable. If you could listen to this music like I do, you would know what I mean right now." The sheer rich texture of instant expression in music, even if I only recognise it in bits and pieces, is one of the most rewarding experiences there is.

Oliver

[sono]

What a marvellous post, Korpo, I really enjoyed it, thanks!

PS: I was trained as a musician & have always had my own little theories about the chakras being activated by music, Bach being at the "top" and "clean" for me as music in its purest state. . . the sort of repetitious thudding sounds that my neighbours produce actually make me physically ill to my stomach (nauseous; it's not just that my musical taste is offended. . .) so I suppose that would be affecting the navel chakra. But I think the music that most "offended" my energy body was something I heard years ago by Varese!
Does anyone else have any particular music-chakra experience to share?

[Korpo]

Thanks, sono. It seems like Kurt shares your feelings about Bach. He describes at least one TME when listening to Bach (I think it was "The Art of Fuge") in the book.

I'm not so sure about "the rhytmical stomping", you know? It's different for different people. I love the music of Jimi Hendrix, for example. But my sister cannot listen to him - he makes her jumpy and uneasy, too restless. But I savour his genius, his abundancy of expressiveness, and I can stand the dissonance and feel how it enriches everything. So we feel very different about the same piece of music.

This one happened this morning:
After reading what Kurt wrote about the "Ride of the Valkyries" in his book, that it has different qualities depending on who arranges it, I downloaded a version by Klemperer. This morning I felt like listening to it (again). It was a wholly new sensation - I repeated it several times.

The first one was familiar - the feeling of passing through the clouds in a blue sky. The sky is deep blue and the clouds fly past. A sense of movement. Carried by the strings. Then a strange thing mixes in - I get the impression of equine muscles. Big equine muscles. I always thought of winged Pegasus horses in connection with the valkyries, but these are big horse thigh muscles at work, hard work. It's as if I can see a really muscular bright white horse galloping on the air. It was as if I could feel the muscles themselves.

At several times I felt like I had to cry. Every time I listen to it now I feel like - I don't know, I just am short of crying. Like I want to storm the sky with them? Like I am missing something.

I feel so elevated by it, I cannot believe my first encounters with this was in movies, in "Blues Brothers" and then in "Apocalypse Now". I feel like I reclaimed it, like these satirical contexts have been shaken off of it, and now I have it back, now I can see how beautiful it is.

Oliver