Music and the Exploration of Consciousness

Catalog description

The great psychologist William James famously wrote that “our normal waking consciousness is but one special type of consciousness, whilst all about it, parted from it by the filmiest of screens, there lie potential forms of consciousness entirely different.” Taking this idea as a springboard for this class, we pose the question, what happens if we consider music fundamentally as a tool for the exploration of consciousness? In this course, we will explore the relationship between music and the spectrum of consciousness, from mindfulness and relaxation to ecstatic trances and out-of-body experiences. Drawing primarily on the disciplines of musicology, anthropology, and consciousness studies, we will grapple with the following questions: How has music been used in conjunction with religious, meditative, and mind-altering practices in different human cultures around the globe? What commonalities and distinctions can we find among these practices? What kinds of musical techniques are correlated with them? And what does the study of consciousness tell us about why, exactly, music has this power, and how it works? In addition to substantial reading and class discussion, we will also conduct some first-hand experiments with non-denominational versions of music-mediated alteration of consciousness. Students will be expected to use their voices, perform breathing exercises, and learn basic techniques of meditation as part of class activities. No experience in these practices is required, only willingness and an open mind.