Is Music The Ultimate Language?

[The_Truth_Seeker]

I speak 2 languages fluently. One is my native language and the other one is English. 

 

And when I switch between these 2 languages, it's as if I switch my modes of thinking, it's almost as if I shift my perspective of reality. 

 

In english speaking cultures you can talk about consciousness, ego, nihilism and all types of philosophical and spiritual concepts but in my language all these would sound terribly weird. Probably it's not possible to translate Leo's work into my language. I understand what Leo is saying but when I think about the same thing in my language or when I "translate", all of a sudden these familiar concepts sounds and feels so foreign and unnatural. 

 

It is said that the the world looks different in other languages. Some argue that it doesn't. But from my experience, it does. I guess the main reason is you can translate words but you can't translate feelings. 

 

So sometimes when I listen to certain music (like the Interstellar theme), I notice long personal and emotional stories are posted in the comment section. It's as if when people hear this music they can truly let go and express themselves with full authenticity. It sounds weird but I've noticed it multiple times. 

 

I also have noticed while listening to some of my favorite music, I can feel something that is beyond space and time. 

 

Music is mysterious....to say the least. 

[Thought Art]

I'd say... 

[Megan Alecia]

Nope because eventually we get tired of listening. Hehe. 

[Egzoset]

Salutations,

 

2 hours ago, The_Truth_Seeker said:

...when I switch between these 2 languages, it's as if I switch my modes of thinking...  ...  ...but when I think about the same thing in my language or when I "translate", all of a sudden these familiar concepts sound and feel so foreign and unnatural.  ...  I guess the main reason is you can translate words but you can't translate feelings.

 

IMO a time may come when translation is no longer involved in the whole process, e.g. once trained sufficiently it becomes possible to reason directly in the 2nd acquired language without relying on intermediary back-and-forth dictionary references anymore.  So if such learning was performed relatively to one specific discipline then it should be no surprize to find oneself spontaneously switching languages depending on a context;  perhaps simply because it's increasingly easier to skip translations as the other dictionary builds up...

 

2 hours ago, The_Truth_Seeker said:

Music is mysterious...

 

This reminds me of an observed phenomenon called the musical brain, which appears to carry sense with no need for translation, possibly similar to sniffer dogs trained to "see" some chemical landscapes with a panoramic view, able to detect minute amounts of illegal substances (nuances) and now CoViD precursor hints it seems!

 

It's as if musical interprets or even listeners by-pass translation and yet i wouldn't go as far as to believe there are no dictionaries required at all, quite on the contrary!  In my own personal words i'd argue the lucky ones amongs us managed to get trained enough to acquire some form of "dictionary", althoug i'd prefer to designate it as a set of "filters" allowing intuitive decoding via dimensions of ourselves that escape logic...

 

In music i doubt great achievement(s) remain accessible past an age of neuro-plasticity, the same as for riding a bike, or just getting to know how to cook, etc.  Briefly put experience provides training itself leading to development of decryption filters that may eventually reveal/deliver sense as a direct affective/emotive induction.  So i suppose that could explain why my favourite music is one where words ain't as predominant as auditory impressions combined to vocal intonations.  In any case i doub't i could have learned english the same without a TV to provide early exposure in a totally different neighbourhood offering zero occurances of the other language, same reasoning for music.  And considering limitations as "plasticity" that's why i'm a firm believer of music and language teaching in schools, e.g. before skills crystalize until it's finally too late, practically speaking...

 

Necessity often accomplishes wonders, like that of curiosity leading to motivation, etc.

 

Good day, have fun!! 

 

P.S.:  this is no medical statement, only the opinion of an ordinary member with nothing to advertize or sell...

Edited March 27, 2021 by Egzoset

[emptiness dancing]

 

[emptiness dancing]

Timestamp 3:20,

I thought this is a beautiful passage.

How a piece of music can become reified in our minds 

Let me propose a thought experiment
Imagine for a moment you're a god 

Omnipotent in every way,
With this power, if you were to listen to a piece of music

You'd be aware of much more than just how it sounds
you'd know how it came into existence
aware of every iteration that existed
in the composer's mind as it was created
you'd also be aware of every cultural, social and biological influence
that contributed to its creation
both deliberate and unconscious
apart from how it was created,
you'd also know everything about its influences.
you'd be coignizant of every different interpretation of that music
that existed in the mind of every listener from every point in time
and you'd be aware of how this understanding is always changing.
you'd be able to trace every phrase,
every musical idea back through the centuries
back to its musical origin,
comprehending how they slowly transformed
from person to person in order to end up where they are now
what others think of as a 'single work'
you'd perceive as a live connection to the endlessly shifting and impossibly
complex conversation of musical thought and influence.

[Rilles]

Music can say so much more than language because it is not limited by words, music is so deeper than language. 

[seeking_brilliance]

Music is pure love.