A real price you pay for the beauty of sadness if you are listening to...

[Oskar-O]

Hi everyone. It's my first topic here in this great community. I might be struggling a bit to properly frame as it's touching on rather intricate and non-provable concepts. But there we go... 

I've been thinking about this for a long time pondering on my innate drag towards melancholy, anger and a "pain body" as Eckhart Tolle would say. 

So, I am a big music lover. I don't play anything, however, my receptiveness towards emotions coming from certain artists seems to be extraordinarily strong.

Now, I've encountered an interesting view on the music while reading Power vs Force by David.R. Hawkings. He labeled  heavy rock/metal and gangsta-rap as detrimental to one's soul/brain (let's acknowledge the fact that there might be a bit of generalization)

Not exactly the case here with the artist I am talking about, but it makes it even more intricate.

I am talking about the guy called Elliott Smith

(i don't want to post links, but if you wanna give it a listen go for "Alameda", "Angeles", "Waltz. No.2", "No Name no.1" or "Between the bars".

Long story short: mainly acoustic, sort-of folk,  gentle and melancholic songs played on the guitar. Quite somber lyrics. 

He ended up stabbing himself to death wife a knife (although it remains open to investigation). He was a drug and alcohol addict and was suffering from different paranoias, especially at the end of his life. Definitely, an over-sensitive soul that went all the way down the downward spiral until the end in the early thirties of his life.

So even though it's not a typically "explicit content" conveying aggression, hate, scorn, a dominance of primal instincts (like in metal/hip hop music) it's definitely "heavy". It's overwhelmingly beautiful, but "heavy".

My question in the face of more and more evident links between quantum physics (meaning all kinds of subtle vibrations that impact us) and spirituality is:

Can listening to it actually harm and drag me down emotionally and condition for unhappiness?

Or is it "just" music? 

What are your opinions on that?

What do "gurus" say? 

I can't wait to hear your thoughts on that. 

Thanks

Oskar

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Truth Addict]

@Oskar-O

Music is just a language. Just like the English language.

For a cat, music means nothing.

For a banana, music means nothing.

For an infant, music means nothing.

Musical taste is something you acquire by time. Just like any language.

All the meanings are generated by you, the mind.

Watch Leo's episode about meaning, value and purpose.

[Rilles]

I love Elliott Smith but I think theres more to his music than just the sadness, there is a deep understanding of life there if you are willing to listen and dissect carefully. Thats what attracted me to his music in the first place. Im not a sadsack. 

[SgtPepper]

Hobby musician here. 

A lot of artists have severe emotional issues. Thats why they are so in touch with their feelings probably and can express it in the fashion that they do. 

Music does have an effect, it has energy and you pick the energy you want to surround yourself with. So just be mindful of what music you listen, how it makes you feel, and what are you intentions with listening to artists.

When I feel sad, I listen to sad music like Brand New or Radiohead. In one way it maintains my feelings, in another it makes me feel not alone in my feelings in the midst of daily social life. In another way I can just appreciate an artist's ability to express sadness or despair. Pair yourself with music that you need.

It's a tool although we may not think about it like that, but its just an extension of how you feel. the beauty of music is in the eye of the beholder. 

sometimes Ill stay away from certain artists Six-nine because I find his music distasteful, excessively aggressive and negative. But Ill find system of a down to be genius and inspiring. So listen to artists from a genuine place and understand what they were trying to do with their work. 

------

Don't be afraid to feel emotions or to suffer. It usually increases our empathy and connection to our fellow humans! When I think of Brian Wilson and the vulnerability he displayed in some of his songs like "Don't worry baby" or "You still believe in me", it strengthen my connection to others because I also recognize that feeling.