Music for Meditation (1985)

8/20/2019 Music for Meditation (1985)

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MUSIC FOR MEDITATION

Cecil A. Poole

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MJ-158 385

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MJ-158

MUSIC FOR MEDITATION

By Cecil A. Poole

The use of music as a background for various activities goes back

to the beginning of the development of music. In our Temples it is

customary to have selections of music played during certain parts of

the ritual and for meditation periods that may be observed in connection

with a Convocation. This use of music is also frequently employed by

individual members in their own meditation and concentration. It is

therefore not unusual for us to receive requests concerning suitable

types or selections of music that are most appropriate for meditation

and during Temple Convocations.

The history of music is closely related to the development of

various practices in any ritualistic type of activity. We find in the

earliest civilizations that the development of music took place simul

taneously with the development of activities that were associated with

religion and with other serious or more solemn practices of individuals

in any type of observance that may have been a part of their social

structure. Music is used not only in connection with religions and

rituals, but it is also consistently used in festivals and in other

types of observances that are primarily for entertainment and enjoyment.

The history of music further shows that its progress is closely

related to the emotional life of the individual. That its effects were sensed more keenly by those who reached higher degrees of development,

insofar as civilization is concerned, is indicated by the simultaneous

development of music in most cases with the advancement of civilization.

As an example, we find that in ancient Egypt a great deal of time and

consideration was given to the study, the practice, and the execution

of music. A number of very fine musical instruments were evolved and

developed. Some of them became unique in history and were used par

ticularly in connection with observances in the temples of the various

sections of Egypt where religious practices and various types of ob

servances were held.

It is common knowledge that much of the music of the Western World had an impetus for its development in connection with the early history

of the Christian church. In that way religion has contributed to the

development of the heritage of music which is ours today. During the

past few centuries, many of the great musical compositions were related

directly to church activities. The composition, direction, and presen

tation of music in the cathedrals and churches provided many composers

with their only means of livelihood.

In considering music for meditation and temple use, it is also of

interest to consider briefly just what music is. Music may be thought



of as sound created by various instruments, which combine rather simple

principles. Most musical notes with which we are familiar today are

produced by two objects coming together and producing a noise, or by a

forcing of air through a tube or some type of hollow structure, or by

an object coming in contact with a tight string or wire which produces a certain vibration.

Music, however, is more than sound alone. Music is related sound,

that is, certain sounds put together in a manner that is connected. In

that sense, music can be compared with language: the notes are the letters

the phrases or measures of the musical score the words; the themes are

the sentences. Letters and words by themselves carry little meaning,

but they can be combined into sentences, and sentences into paragraphs

which produce continuity of thought and express definite ideas. In

other words, they say something. And so it is that the sounds or notes

that compose music can be put together into phrases and themes and

arranged in such order that they produce, in connection with a rhythm,

a timing, and a melody, certain things which can be understood as a

whole. Again, these notes tell us something and the theme is readily

understandable.

Music, as explained to us in our monographs, is a universal

language. We can understand it to a certain degree without knowing the

language of the composer who wrote it. It can be understood in the

light of our interpretation of the effect that the sound makes upon

our consciousness. That music affects us in various ways can be proved

by a selection that is solemn, or one that has the rhythm of a march,

or music of a faster tempo usually associated with dancing or other

types of festivity.

In addition to the close relationship of the development of music

with religion, music has also been associated with many forms of

ritual and drama. The highest form of music insofar as drama is

concerned is, of course, the opera. Here the theme or idea that the

author attempts to tell is put into a musical setting and written to

be performed as both drama and music. In ritual, music usually forms

the background or the means of setting the mood for the ritual that is

to be performed. We almost immediately associate a great cathedral

with a solemn, processional type of music. We associate a place of

amusement with music that is light and gay. In ritual such as our own

nonreligious Rosicrucian ritual, certain phases of musical composition

are conveyed to the participant's consciousness. These create an attitude of calmness, also an attitude which contributes toward the

best possible understanding of the ritualistic presentation, and will

set the stage for what is more important to be accomplished by the

ritual itself.

To understand more completely the use of music as related to medi

tation, it is important that we thoroughly understand meditation itself.

The subjects of meditation and concentration are so important that

they are among the first ones introduced in the earliest monographs of



the Rosicrucian teachings. We might say that the processes of medi

tation and concentration are the fundamental disciplines of the mind.

It is through the channel of concentration and meditation that we are

able to use our mental faculties to gain wisdom, experience, and over

all psychic development. These are the channels by which we admit

into consciousness that which is essential for us to learn, if we

are to gain anything from the experience of life. By concentration

and meditation we develop the ability to bring consciousness and creative

mental power to play upon the function of living and the using of our

mental faculties creatively.

Upon examining the mechanics of meditation and concentration, we

will realize that they are different. Concentration, we might say, is

an active mental process whereas meditation is a passive mental process.

In other words, when we concentrate we try to bring all the mental

creative ability within us to bear upon a certain thing, such as a

problem or something that we are attempting to learn. Concentration is

the funnel, we might say, through which our mental faculties are brought

to bear upon the situation to which we wish to give our attention with

the hope of reaching a solution.

Meditation, on the other hand, is a more or less passive procedure

by which we attempt to absorb those impressions that may come into

consciousness and sort out those that may have value to us. It is a

period of reflection, of preparation wherein we attempt to rest physi

cally and assemble our mental attributes so they can be used in more

active mental processes.

We can comprehend consciousness in a visual way. This can best be

done by selecting a symbol to represent consciousness, and the most

perfect symbol for that representation is the circle. The circle is

complete and inclusive, as is consciousness, at any particular time.

Our consciousness at any moment consists of the things which we are

perceiving and the memories that are passing through our mind. In

other words, consciousness is at any one time a composite of many

impressions that are flashing through our mind just as if we were

viewing a scene through a window.

Whatever may be our behavior at any moment is the reflection of our

conscious state. We may be thinking of work that is immediately at hand,

or of problems waiting to be solved that seem difficult at the moment. We may be having certain physical sensations which may be pleasant or

unpleasant. We may be thinking of an engagement we have to keep tonight

or tomorrow, or of an event that may have occurred yesterday and brought

us happiness or sorrow. All these impressions are constantly pushing

themselves into the state of our present consciousness or awareness.

We are taught, in connection with the study of concentration and

meditation, the importance of ridding our consciousness of all this

miscellany of impressions in order to succeed in concentrating our mind

upon any one thing and really directing our attention to it thoroughly



Rosicrueian Order - AMORC

ANALYTICAL DISCUSSIONS

(Supplementary Lecture)

and completely. To thus completely dismiss from consciousness every

impression except one is a most difficult proeess to learn. Concen-

trating on one thing requires practicing a technique over a long period

of time. The circle of consciousness, that is, the state of awareness

which is composed of our sensations and thinking of the moment, is so completely our prívate life, our personal situation at any moment, that

it is difficult to sort out or to throw any part away, or to push out

of our mind the many impressions surging through consciousness. Even

though we may direct our attention exclusively to a problem that may

be confronting us, we are nevertheless constantly pushing back into the

unconscious or subconscious area of our being those things which we do

not wish to have intrude and bother us at a particular moment.

The circle of consciousness, then, is something which we have to

learn to control if we are to concéntrate successfully, or if we are to

be able to free our minds for the benefit of inspirational meditation.

In concentration the attention is directed toward one fixed thing which becomes the point in the center of the circle.

Music becomes a valuable aid in concentration when it filis our

circle of consciousness. In meditation or in concentration the back-

ground of music attempts to occupy a certain amount of our attention,

at least enough of it that certain extraneous thoughts— certain ideas

that are cluttering our mind at a particular time— can be forced into

the background and the music allowed to take their place. Music

becomes to a degree the content of consciousness, but we need not

direct our whole attention to it. It can be heard in the background

and at the same time be enjoyed, if it is music of a type that tends

to inspire and to make us calm and relaxed. It is under those circum-

stances that we are in the best position either to enjoy relaxed medi

tation or to bring definitely before consciousness a specific problem

and direct our whole attention upon it.

In other words, music becomes a filler for our circle of conscious

ness; it becomes a background which tends to shut out those impressions

that might otherwise interfere with the puré function of meditation and

concentration. The selection of music for that purpose cannot be

definitely regulated by any absolute criterion. There are only certain

general principies. Obviously, highly exciting music as used in the

most exaggerated form of the dance, or martial music that is used for a

military band, is not going to be the type of sound that will captivate

our consciousness to make it calm and at ease. Background music, that

is, music which is built of simple melodies or simple themes and which

is quieting to the consciousness, is the most effective type. This

does not mean that all music for meditation must be extremely soft in

volume, but it means that the ideal music for meditation runs more or

less evenly. Certain themes and variations, such as the fugue and

other similar structures in music, are those which are ideal.

It is sometimes best not to consistently use music of which we

are overly fond or with which we are too familiar. Music with which



Rosicrucian Order - AMORC

ANALYTICAL DISCUSSIONS

(Supplementary Lecture)

we are familiar and the words that accompany it, if used too often,

may distract our attention from the purpose of meditation and concen

tration. Purthermore, music of which we become very fond may attract our attention to itself or the intricacies of its performance. It is

therefore best to select neutral music as often as possible. Various

compositions can be tried.

In the Rosicrucian Supreme Temple an attempt is made to select

music that is appropriate to various parts of the ritual. No final

solution has been reached concerning the exact music that should

always be used at any particular time. This is clearly indicated by

the fact that we are constantly looking for new music, and adding

selections of different types and moods for this use. This music is

selected with the intention of contributing to the sense of purpose in

the Temple Convocations, and to build up, to the best of our ability, a situation and an environment suitable for the work and worship which

is the purpose of the Rosicrucian Temple.

Documents

Music for Meditation (1985)