Wow, people! Even though I haven't been feeling well enough to do much debating or analysing or criticizing -- or even put together at least a semi-coherent response -- please know that I've been checking in and reading the above discussion with great interest .... and MUCH enjoyment!

Daylia, when you find words that resonate for you about what is otherwise as undefinable as the Spirit hang on to them. It seems to be a very tangible time here on Mudcat... oh well...

Music calls all of us here or we wouldn't be posting at Mudcat. Some songs are mired in the mud, others reach for the stars, just keep singing.

Tinker, I really like that. Thank you!

kris, I loved your post! and thank you too.

And Cluin, you're right, there's nothing wrong with feelin good. Even folkies know that! I agree with your insights on music and spirituality, and I liked your story too   :-)

Poppa, thank you very much for your timely endorsement. By the way, isn't Creation itself the very Essence of "carnal"???


well, upon reading that, I felt the rhythms of my soul corrusulate with sanguine perspicacity! The heirarchical layers of chordal vicissitudes that normally inundate me with Karmic torpor were blissfully eradicated in a swirl of Logi in all their planetary splendor. In fact, it still permeates my aura as I type this...

But, mystics gain quite a lot for not using that rigor -- they traffic in ambiguity intentionally -- something physicists hate to do -- and thus leave logical holes big enough to drive a soul through ... Some people approach the boundary between the material and the spiritual as an adventure; others bounce off it as hard as they can. It keeps them safe in the world of predictable solids.

:-) LOL! Whatta wit onya both!

Bill, Amos -- please don't ever change. Let's agree to disagree (in varying degrees)about matters musically metaphysical for at least another million millenium, ok? This is just too much fun ... I know I'd miss it!

Amos, I scratched my head over the title of the article for quite a while too, until I focused on the words "Esoteric Perspectives on a Science of Consciousness". "Esoteric perspectives" on any science would be an "esoteric" interpretation of that science -- (meaning "relating to knowledge that is restricted to a small group", or "designed for or understood by the specially initiated alone", according to Webster's) -- and not the science itself.

I don't know any physicists who would say the whole universe is electrical energy; nor could it be sound vibrations

Well, I keep thinking of the hydrogen atom, the smallest of all atoms, the basic building block of matter. Composed of one proton and one electron -- one positive and one negatively charged subatomic particle -- and the electrical field of attraction between them.   And electricity is movement, or vibration ... and vibration is sound. Hmmmmmmmm

Anahata, thank you very much for all of your insights and for posting your interesting website. "Unstruck sound". I won't forget!

Andrez, I will keep my eye out for the book you mentioned. SOunds intriguing, and this IS one of my favorite areas of study! I do appreciate your suggestions re working with my students, too. Right on!

Martin, I know exactly how you feel about too many words, too much analysing, blah blah blah and the "tower of babble". :-) It depends on one's perspective, one's interest in the subject. As someone pointed out above -- music IS at times, and for certain people, nothing but "background noise".   But that's certainly not all it is! Unless, of course, one chooses to limit their perception, knowledge and appreciation of music this way.

I think the same thing applies to the article I presented here, or any other body of material -- esoteric or otherwise.

Okay, I KNOW I've missed a few of you who really don't deserve to be missed, and I'll be back, but now I do need to go back to bed. Inspired by Anahata's article, I am going to lie there and "re-orchestrate" the sounds and songs of all the molecules of my body back into harmony with one another.    If I can only get 'em playin the same song in the same key, in perfect timing and tuning with one another, I'll be restored to perfect health! ;-)

(Hey, it's worth a try. If it works, you'll be the first to know!!)

daylia