posted on Apr, 9 2008 @ 06:54 PM
"If people knew the secret of music, it would upset the world".
These Rumi's words (which have been haunting for more than 10 years) are NOT included in the article below.
But many other insights - extremely valuable insights - are.
Below is an excerpt from a MUCH longer text (that also includes reflexions on modern music):
The Secret of Music and the Arts
"Why does music appeal so much to man? The whole of manifestation has its origin in vibration, in sound; and this sound, which is called nada in the
Vedanta, was the first manifestation of the universe. Consequently, the human body was made of tone and rhythm. The most important thing in the
physical body is breath, and the breath is audible; it is most audible in the form of voice. This shows that the principal signs of life in the
physical body are tone and rhythm, which together make music. Rhythm appeals to man because there is a rhythm going on in his body. The beating of the
pulse and the movement of the heart both indicate this rhythm.
The rhythm of the mind has an effect upon this rhythm that is going on continually in the body, and in accordance with its influence, it affects the
physical body. The notes appeal to a person because of the breath; breath is sound, and its vibrations reach every part of the body, keeping it alive.
Therefore, in having an effect on the vibrations and on the atoms of the body, sound gives us a sensation.
This is only an explanation of the appeal of music to the physical body. Music reaches further than the physical body; it only depends on what kind of
music it is. There is a tradition that the first language in the world consisted of music. After that, a language of words came into being. Even now,
among primitive races, there is a language of sounds; and the more musical languages of the world are more expressive, whereas the languages which
have less music in them are less so. It is not only words that convey a meaning; very often the tone of the voice conveys it much better, and
sometimes the same word can have two or more meanings depending on the tone in which it is spoken."
[edit on 9-4-2008 by Vanitas]