Music and our inner balance

Music, seen from the perspective of self-knowledge, is not only considered as an artistic expression, but also as the harmony that allows us to balance body, mind and emotion. This is why we say that music and our internal equilibrium are closely connected.

If we consider our entire life, it has its own 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 that was in fashion in our adolescence, the musical styles we choose to accompany our moods.

Therefore, Gnostic philosophy invites us to reflect on the importance of all the sounds that surround us, especially music,which is of particular importance in our work of self-knowledge.

“There’s music in the sighing of a reed;There’s music in the gushing of a rill; There’s music in all things, if men had ears:Their earth is but an echo of the spheres.” Lord Byron.

Music as an innate human need

Throughout the history of mankind, music has sprung from the need to transmit ideas and feelings that could not be expressed in any other way. So much so that most of the ancient peoples of the different regions of the planet have considered music as a gift from the gods.

In all ancient peoples, music, like all art forms, arose from the need to express the feelings, characteristics and spirituality of their culture. Over time, music has been used for different purposes up to the present day: as entertainment, an expression of patriotism, for politics, therapy, etc.

However, for Gnostic wisdom, melodies with true harmony carry in their essence the ability to nourish the soul of the listener, offering us a special way of reconnecting with ourselves. And that is why we can use music to achieve inner balance.

When the melody is instrumental, the listener’s sensitivity is greatly enhanced. 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 can perceive when a musical composition possesses true essence. For then it moves us in a profound way, and leads us to introspection. The message of music, then, can evoke in us inner states of engagement or disengagement, of hope or despair, of comprehension or fury, of melancholy or euphoria.

That is why Gnostic wisdom suggests that we ourselves should be the ones to select these states and not leave them to the whim of fashions or trends. We can do this by selecting the melodies we listen to wisely.

Movement, sound and music

“All movement is integral to sound. Wherever there is movement, 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 perceives. Fish in the sea produce their own particular 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 the air, produce concentric movements… Atoms, rotating around their nuclear centres, produce certain sounds which are imperceptible to man. Fire, air, water and earth have their own particular sonorous notes”. Samael Aun Weor, Logos, Mantram and Theurgy.

Each movement has its vibration, its sound, its keynote, in which it is manifest.  It has been established that, in general, minor chords in music generate melancholy melodies that produce states of sadness. Major chords, on the other hand, produce states of happiness. 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 went viral of the melody emitted by sunflowers, similar to a violin solo. 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, its similarity to the angelic singing of a children’s choir became apparent.

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 beings only perceive a part of the sounds generated around them; within that spectrum of sound there are a number of specific frequencies with which music is made.

So music never diverges from its own nature, which is movement. That is why, 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 move 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 own melody, and as we are part of nature, we need to find our own keynote that brings us into harmony with the universe. And in this way, through music, we can achieve our inner balance.