“An expert musicologist may not understand what he hears, despite his skilled descriptions. The decisive fact is the experience itself.” — R. Scruton.
In Sanskrit, the mind is known as manas. It is often compared to the ocean, thanks to its spread and depth. As the mind gets wafted by the winds of desires, it undergoes modifications (vrittis). These modifications, or the modal consciousness do impart certain knowledge and experience. The Indian Vedanta philosophy advocates the need of cultivating a tranquil, and balanced state of mind — (antahkarana). For Vedanta, when antahkarana is tinged with different objects, it adopts their forms. Thus, a lilt in a rhythm or in a melody, through synchronization either sharpens one’s alert state or imparts relaxation.
Indian philosophy identifies the desires and passions as the causes of disturbance of the mind. They disturb the balance (or the state of equilibrium) of the mind-substance and create sorrows and sufferings in life. The practice of Yoga however is believed to control the mind as it causes the mind to be concentrated upon certain desired things or objects. It prepares the ground for meditation as well as of the super-conscious state in which the individual finds his or her everlasting peace.
`Every outward manifestation in music’, says Swami Prajnanands, ‘is caused by the mind or will-power’. For Arthur Schoppenhauer, Music is not only a copy of one’s ideas, but also a copy of Will.
The power of Music:
Though sound, per se, does not owe an explanation to anyone, it is the human mind that is chronically engaged in the search of its sense of purpose.
A musical composition usually reflects an expression of a thought conceived in the composer’s mind. Here, the composer communicates his resolutions, not reasons. His expression may be down-to-earth (eg., folk music) or sophisticated (as in eg., classical and orchestrated music). It may or may not motivate the listener to listen.
Western symphonies have revolutionized our sound perception. By bringing together numerous instruments of varying timbre and making them play almost simultaneously, the sound, like wine, is blended and presented before a connoisseur! This distinct style of communication is the greatest contribution to the world of music by the West. Marches, war-torn landscapes, day-breaks, firework displays, pastoral beauties, tender, romantic feelings – all find their niche in the chef d’oeuvres of great masters like Bach, Beethoven, Bizet, Brahms, Chopin. Debussy, De Falla, Greig, Handel, Liadov, Mendelsoohn, Mozart, Saint-Saens, Strauss, Tchaikovsky, Vivaldi, Wagner and a host of others. How can we forget the magic of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony in C Minor, unearthing our own internal conflicts, while helping us -at the same time – to resolve them through its passage? And Tchaikovsky’s scene from the Swan Lake that makes us jump out of our bed to remain in tune with its movements? And Vivladi’s depiction of summer in the Four Seasons that triggers the fireballs of anger and heat from the violas and violins? And Strauss’ Blue Danube that flows with a calm majesty of its own? And Greig’s Peer Gynt Suite that ushers in the beauty of yet another glorious morning before us along with hopes and optimism?
Music that Triggers the Psychic Process :
Lehtonen (1986) had referred to musical experience as one of the best ways of activating the psychic processes. The ancient systems such as shamanism, Nada Yoga and chanting, focused on emanation of vibrations from sounds and long remained as the mainstay in binding the mind and behaviour of people and worked towards preservation of tribal societies. Certain frequencies of notes have been found to contribute towards such a healing state by the researchers. The music relationship called the major sixth in which the frequencies of the notes are in the ratio of 8 : 5, is widely believed to have a powerful healing trait.
The major sixth ration also reflects a fascinating range of numbers (Fibonacci sequence) wherein each number in the sequence is the sum total of the two preceding numbers as in 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21 and so on. This sequence is found to be of great significance in nature – apparently in unrelated spheres from geometry and genetics – as revealed in the natural growth pattern in plants, snail shells etc.
Music and Mind: The self-organizing and Pattern-making systems:
Edward de Bono opines that the mind is a self-organizing system. The concept that the mind is a pattern making system as it creates patterns out of the environment and then recognizes and uses such patterns goes in tune with the basic characteristics of music. Music too creates definite and perceivable patterns out of the environment by manipulating sound and silence. It has been demonstrated recently that our mind could amplify the quality of energy contained in a sound wave and cheer up the spirits.
Music like mind is both analytical and intuitive: the Western classical school has an elaborate system of ‘analytical’ melodies in their polyphonies and counterpoints, combined with ‘intuitive’ or ’emotional’ beats which falter at every turn! In contrast, Indian raga music is conceived of ‘intuitive’ or ’emotional’ melodies (ragas), coupled with highly precise, calculative talas. The intuitive, emotional and creative functioning is assigned to the right-hemisphere of the brain, whereas the left hemisphere’s functions are analysis and calculations. In a recent study (Foster, 1990), it has been reported that wave activities in the two hemispheres of our brain (left representing our analytical ability and the right, emotion) are balanced by music. This would mean that the Indian musicologists have mastered the technique of balancing the mind, long before neurologists could even find it!
Quality of Notes:
In music, the low-pitched notes are generally associated with heavier feelings and hence regarded as intuitive and spiritual. We find them extensively exploited in religious chants and mantras. They are felt to be leading to the depths of one’s existence and towards introversion that lends a certain serenity amidst the tension and chaos, one may be surrounded in. On the contrary, the high-pitch is associated with the alert tensed mind, which is rational and to an extent, extroverted, as represented by the beta brain.
Edited by Geeta Shreedar, Nov. 16, 2021