I've mentioned often in posts that I consider myself to be a sceptic.Not a dismisser or someone that doesn't believe in anything,rather someone who
listens and approaches with an open mind,that values critical thinking and makes up my own mind based on a mixture of common sense,reason,experience
and gut feeling.
The point I'm trying to make is that personally speaking music effects me emotionally,physically and I hate to say it spiritually.It's not a
rational or mental thing,it's not something that I can possibly induce conciously rather music either effects me on a certain level or numerous
levels or it doesn't.
It fills me with joy,energy,passion,excitement,can make me reflective,inspiree my imagination and creativity,fill me with sorrow not due to any
connection to past events or from evoking a memory but simply from the melody or the harmony.
As I said it isn't a mental process yet it can transport me to places I've never been to,that don't even exist,places I've only visited in my
dreams.A simple example being Voodoo Chile by Jimi Hendrix,not the famous Slight Return but the original version (w/o wha wha) from Electric
Ladyland,it takes me instantly to a dark and dangerous Louisiana swamp thats sweating trepidation,an atmosphere of intent though I've never been
there or anywhere like it.It's the soundscape Jimi creates with his sound,the key,tempo,rhythm,phrasing,the dynamics of his playing that does it,that
conjures that scene in my minds eye and punctuates it with the emotion and feeds my senses,the lyrics only accentuate the journey,setting and mood.
Also music,even on the first listen can send rushes through my body,chills up my spine,give me that physical feeling in my stomach of anticipation and
expectation or simply huge,giant butterflies or even that electric,tingling excitement of my skin,it
's incredibly visceral.
For instance,the energy,exuberance and joy that I feel when I listen to AC/DC because of the energy,the air of enjoyment that imbibes their music will
always make me feel good,happy,enthusiastic (in fact as long as it makes me feel that way I know however bad it's got or may become then things will
be ok,thats held true for 27 years and will be always).Metallica just fills me with rampant energy as if I'd taken a heap of speed
As a child maybe from age 5 to 8 I dreaded singing carols simply because Away in a Manger would make me so emotional I couldnt help but cry my eyes
out.After age 8 it still effected me but I could control it.lol.It wasn't the words,with me the words and lyrics to a song can amuse me,i can
admire,relate,marvel at the poetry,the erruditon or the blantant truth imd them but that is more on the mental appreciation side not the emotional
side.It 's 99.99% the music that matters to me,the words are secondary.
i.e the most amazing,meaningful lyrics won't turn me on to a song if the music doesn't work for me wheras if the music works then the lyrics could
be ignorant,offensive even completely purile and I'd love it.Though good lyrics can enhance the music.Ramble On and Battle for Evermore by Zeppelin
take me to Middle Earth,to a landscape of magic,mysticism and even conjure signs and symbols in my minds eye
Sorry for the massive,rambling reply.Particularly as it probably seems like I've totally ignored your OP just to talk about myself but I'm trying to
explain exactly how essential and as fundamental music is to me,it's as necessary to me as oxygen or water,without it life wouldn't matter much and
that goes for playing music,the guitar every bit as much.
I've been playing 25 years,everything and I mean everything (apart from maybe modifying cars,my other passion) was put aside n played 2nd fiddle to
living,breathing and becoming the best guitarist I could for the first 15.It was worth it as I've reached a level I couldnt even comprehend at the
start.I wanted to be a rock star,it was all,everything but I learnt the last 10 years that jamming,just making music is all that counts doesnt matter
if I'm paid or whether 0,3 or 500 people listen.
I fully understand the altered state of conciousness you talk of when creating and playing music.When I get together with other musicians,when we just
jam,let it go where it goes it's like time,space and reality have gone elsewhere.
That to me is spiritual.God and religion are meaningless just words.It's because of music I believe I have a soul,music taps directly into something
within me unlike anything else.That's my soul.
As for there being a secret message in music I don't actually believe theres an orchestrated or organised message within modern music as a whole
though particular artists do try to communicate their ideas and message,a subtext that may not be obvious unless you look beyond face value.
I read a number of articles on an anti Illuminati website that said 99% of music was out to beguile and subvert,that most artists actively accepted
their role as part of satan's masterplan as the price of success.Some though were absolutely commited and dedicated to satan's goal,none more so
than my all time favourites Zeppelin.If true,if their musics from hell then that's where I wanna go
Some bands lyrics do what it says on the tin,some try to pretend their ambiguity is real insight if you are intelligent enough to see it,others come
from the poetry and the storytellers art,while there will be artists who hide their message for those who are able to decypher it.
I just think compared to the direct and unconcious way music moves the human soul hiding a secret message in their lyrics is clunky,artificial and
ineffective although I've no doubt there's many that do.
Put yourself,let your heart and soul inspire and live in your music and your message won't miss but connect unconciously.Hide it,make it secretive
means only really the like minded will get it n they probably already know anyway