Music and inner balance

Music, seen from the approach of self-knowledge, is not only esteemed as just another artistic expression, but is considered as harmony, which allows us to balance body, mind and emotion. This is why we say that music and inner balance are in close correspondence.

If we look at our life, all of it has a soundtrack, which accompanies us from the time we were in the womb to the present day: the sound of the amniotic fluid, our mother's voice, lullabies, the melodies of our childhood. Later on, the music in fashion during adolescence, the preferences of musical styles that accompany our moods.

Therefore, Gnostic philosophy invites us to reflect on the importance of all sounds around us, especially music. It has a special importance in the work of self-knowledge.

"There is music in the sigh of a reed; There's music springing from the furrows; There's music in all things, if man had ears; The earth is but the music of the spheres" Lord Byron

Music as an innate human need

Throughout the history of mankind, music was born out of the need to transmit ideas and feelings that could not be expressed in any other way. To such an extent that most of the ancient peoples of different latitudes of the planet have considered it as a gift from the gods.

Like all artistic manifestations, music arises in all ancestral peoples as a cultural need to express their characteristic feelings, idiosyncrasies and spirituality. With the passing of time, musical art has been given different purposes up to the present day. As entertainment, expression of patriotism, politics, therapy, etc.

However, for Gnostic wisdom, melodies with true harmony carry in their essence the ability to strengthen the soul of the listener. Because they provide us with a particular way of finding ourselves. And that is why we can use music to achieve inner balance.

Thus, when the melody is instrumental, the listener's sensibility is notably heightened. Because without words, the language of sound speaks through tones, rhythms, melodies, which are much more subtle than spoken language. This allows the listener to become more perceptive to other sensory stimuli.

So, we can say that to truly appreciate music we must learn to hear it consciously. In this way, we perceive whether a musical composition possesses true essence. Because then it moves us in a profound way, leading us to introspection. The message of music, however, can invite us to inner states of encounter or disencounter, of hope or despair, of understanding or anger, of melancholy or euphoria.

That is why Gnostic wisdom suggests that we choose these states ourselves and not leave them to the whim of fashions or trends. We do this by properly selecting the melodies we listen to.

Movement, sound and music

"All movement is coessential to sound. Wherever there is motion, there is sound. The human ear can only perceive a limited number of sound vibrations. However, above and below these vibrations that the ear registers, there are multiple sound waves that no one else can perceive. Fish in the sea produce their own peculiar sounds. Ants communicate with each other by sounds inaudible to our physical perception. Sound waves, acting on water, produce movements of elevation and water pressure. Sound waves, acting on air, produce concentric movements... Atoms, rotating around their nuclear centres, produce certain sounds imperceptible to man. Fire, air, water and earth have their own particular sound notes."Samael Aun Weor, Logos, mantram and theurgy.

Each movement has its vibration, its sound, its keynote, in which it manifests itself. It has been proven that in general, minor chords in music generate melancholic melodies that produce states of sadness. Major chords, on the other hand, produce states of joy. The effects of music therapy have been extensively studied. Reflecting on these issues leads us to ask ourselves: On what note do we vibrate? Is our vibration the same when we are happy as when we are sad?

There are also studies and sound tests (using vibration amplifiers) that have demonstrated the musical harmony of the "singing" of trees and plants. Recently, a video of the melody emitted by sunflowers, similar to a violin solo, went viral. Similarly, experiments have been done on the sound waves emitted by crickets when they sing, where, by lowering the wave frequency of the vibrations emitted, it was possible to perceive their similarity to the singing of an angelic children's choir.

Music is related to the universal principle of vibration which explains that everything vibrates, everything is in motion, whether we perceive it or not. Thus, vibration produces sound, but the human being only perceives a part of the sounds generated around him; within that spectrum of sound there are a number of specific frequencies with which music is made.

So it never strays from its own nature, which is movement. So whatever music we are listening to, something will be moving.

Through self-knowledge we learn to benefit from movement, sound and music.

It is important that these vibrations mobilise us in a beneficial and harmonious way. Therefore, it is essential that the music we listen to generates joy, that it puts us in tune with life on the levels of matter, energy and consciousness. Because all of nature emits its melody, as part of that same nature, we need to find our keynote that puts us in harmony with the universe. And in this way, through music, we can achieve our inner balance.