Music -The Real Story

Of all the art forms, Music is by far the most mysterious. As human beings we live in a predominantly visual world. Science tells that 70% of the information we rely upon for our survival and existence is visual. We are visually dominant. We rely upon sight, and therefore upon light, to extract enough of the proper information from reality to ensure our survival on every level and on an everyday basis.

            In a more primitive world, we might have relied more upon sound than we do now for our survival due to predation; however, in the modern world, we feed our ears lots of ear candy, probably to ensure our emotional survival.  Other art forms such as painting, sculpture, and architecture, even dance and theater rely solely or at least heavily upon vision as the primary sense of perception.

 

            Music however, is a medium of expression that requires attunement to the subtle frequencies of sound and vibration. Music, and what we refer to as tone, melody and rhythm, is not just sound, it uses sound in such a manner that it becomes the carrier frequency for human emotion, and induces the entrainment of the whole being including the mind. This entrainment of the mind allows the listener to oftentimes go into a reverie, and create his or her own movie with the music as the soundtrack.

            Poetry is also an art form that relies upon the sound of the spoken word. When the spoken word is lyrically put to melody, tone, and rhythm, we have song requiring the human voice as the instrument.

            We know that other species of animals have far more acute hearing. We know that dogs and bats are species of animals that can hear ultra-high frequencies, and correspondingly, whales can hear very low-frequency sound that we cannot perceive. And yet our hearing range is perfectly adapted to our particular niche of survival.  So, enough about species diversity and back to our discussion of music!

            When does sound become music, and when does music become art form? Long before infants can speak, they become preoccupied and fascinated with the sound of their own voice, using it as a musical instrument as well as an instrument of communication requiring language. As infants gain more and more motor skills, they often demonstrate these skills by pounding their spoon in a rhythmic fashion on something as they sing and articulate to their soul’s content. As young children, we have a natural proclivity towards expressing ourselves lyrically with our voice and rhythmically with our bodies and with spoons and cups.

            At a very early age, often in the womb, we are exposed to music as a way of soothing us, as well as a way of stimulating us.  For music to function as a form of self-expression, one has to play it, or at least sing and play along.  Music, as self-absorption, would probably look like someone walking around holding an iPhone and listening to music through ear buds, completely entranced in a private world of sound.  Music is the carrier wave of emotional energy.  Interestingly enough, the musician – composer – recording artists creates music from the richness of his/her own inner emotional field as the source and the carrier wave upon which to embed the frequencies of sound and feelings that comprise the music.

            On another level, we can begin to perceive music as soul “food", a nourishing substance for our inner being and for consciousness itself.  We are literally feeding the soul with sound frequencies that have been organized and arranged in a very specific way by the composer – producer. This coherent flow of sound that happens as an experience with sound, in a specific time frame, and this is what we refer to as music.  It is the actual frequencies of the music that are the carrier waves, which hold the “psychic and emotional information”, channeled by the creator. And by creator, I am referring to the composer – producer, as well as the inspiration that comes from the Creator energy.

            When we begin to understand the complexity of frequency as a fundamental causation of music, we really begin to expand our understanding of what music really is on the fundamental metaphysical level, where sound comes from, and what is the essence of perfect digital sound replication that currently exists in our world solely for the purpose of our listening pleasure.

            So, if we are going to talk about music and listening pleasure, I would like to talk a little bit about music prior to the 60s. All music created by human beings throughout the history of time, was created on some kind of sound producing physical instrument. From the banging of rocks and sticks of primitive humans, to the chamber orchestras of Baroque and Classical Europe, playing the sophisticated music of the likes of Beethoven and Bach, all music had to be played live on the physical instruments. In essence, in terms of music, the frequencies that the human ear was exposed to, were either that of street musicians, bards, and that of shamans, priests and rituals, or it was the sophisticated music composed for the aristocracy and gentry’ classes and not generally heard by the masses.  But the music was alive, present, and could only be performed and experienced in the living moment. It could not be frozen and preserved in time, and be electronically reproduced for a future audience. That is the privilege of the 20th century and beyond.

            It is interesting that Thomas Edison gave us the moving picture, the light bulb to illuminate it, and the sound recording and playback devices that allow us to listen to the recorded sound at some future time and space.  When you are listening to recorded music, remember, it is only a replication of the actual music that was performed by living, breathing entities known as musicians, and executed at some previous time and space.                                     

            When you listen to recorded music, it is only a replication, perfect as it may be.  Where does the sound exist?             

            It is all just frequency organized, designed, and compose in a way that can evoke powerful inner vision and strong emotional response.  Let's say you were listening to a Beethoven symphony that was recorded by a world-famous orchestra. The music was performed at one moment in time, and it was recorded electronically at that same moment.  What we are listening to is a perfect rendering of the frequencies and vibrations of the original moment. We take all this for granted, but it is pure magic.

            Our next mental adventure is to ponder the idea of electronic music, i.e. sound design and sound synthesis. The music of the 60s and the technological quest for the big electric sound of rock 'n roll opened the way to an entirely new world.  With the likes of Jimi Hendrix, a whole new world of frequencies opened up.  And remember, he was known to use mind-expanding substances when he performed.  As the frequencies changed, so did the world! 

            It has been suggested somewhere, that music is used by the higher forces to raise the frequency and the consciousness of people, of the planet, and of collective mind field itself.  Those initial experiments in sound and music of the 60s are primitive when compared to the technology of sound design, music production, music replication and sound delivery today, all perfectly designed to fit the human ear, mind, and soul.

            If our eyes are the windows to the soul, then our ears must be the front door and the stairs into the house where the soul resides. What is music? What is sound? What is vibration? What is frequency, tone, modulation, pulse, rhythm, color so on?

            These are just words and concepts that attempt to describe and to isolate qualities about something that is so very mystical and mysterious – Music.  We can talk and contemplate music all we want.  Fortunately for us however, we must sit back and have the pure experience of just listening with our ears and with our whole being, in order to know what music is.  Only when we are involved and participating with the fullness of our being, can we truly "get" what music is all about.

            Music, like color, is critically important to understanding the nature of metaphysics and its application to the real world, the application of magic.  From the standpoint of the application, what does ”quantum" really mean to the human experience, and to the shift that is occurring presently in planetary consciousness. Music is everywhere as a background to the world in which we live. Shows like American Idol and X Factor only demonstrate how mystified we are by the awesome power of music, by the power of performance, and by the incredible mesmerizing effect of "image".

            And yet, most people who enjoy listening to music, do so by what I refer to as a digital sound feedback loop. They are either listening seated in front of a good sound system, in front of their computer, or they are listening through a digital headset, and the listening process is pretty much self-contained.

            Food for thought!   Remember, prior to our current era of technology, the majority of music that we listened was either performed live or recorded live, such as live performance music, symphonic music, and street music. Today, however, most of what we listen to that we call music, is digitally created, digitally manufactured, and experienced digital through high-tech sound systems. Furthermore, synthesizers create a preponderance of the music itself electronically.  We are able to listen to sounds, frequencies, and subtle nuances and color of tones that are not found in nature and have never been experienced before in the earth dimension. This is truly 21st-century technology.

            What a miraculous age we live in! It has been said in some mystical orders, that the higher forces to entrain human consciousness to higher frequencies in order to evolve the collective paradigm use music. Equally, one could postulate that more malevolent forces could use the same psycho-spiritual technology to entrain human consciousness for less than holy purposes. This would be where the corporate music industry gets its bad rap.

            Consciousness is directly experiencing reality in this present moment. Awareness is its tool. Attention is the focusing of awareness so that consciousness can pinpoint experience, and can clearly focus on what is happening right now… right now… right now… ad infinitum. This collection of moments is the quantum. Keep working with it you'll get it! That's a joke!  Even the thinking that there is something to get someday in an imagined future, is the quantum of it. Someday is a figment of the imagination. There is only now!  And that is what music is all about!  Listening to it, performing it, dancing to it, and making love under the influence of its spell. Music, more than any other art form, weaves a spell of magic that allows us to be suspended and exalted in the present moment we call The Now.

            With a painting, one can stand and stare. The image doesn't go anywhere, doesn't disappear. But with music, the sound and corresponding frequencies appear out of the emptiness, only to return just as quickly. It's good to stop every once in a while, close your eyes, and devote all your awareness and attention to your ears, and just listen. Listen to the sounds. Listen to the silence. Ultimately, listen for the sound that you cannot hear. This will take you into the emptiness itself.

            Now for the serious stuff. An elite and powerful few who maintain tight control over this power have, always understood the immense influence of vibration, frequency, thought, and mind entrainment. From the priests of the ancient world and their control of superstition and ritual through the use of magic, chanting, music, rhythm, and movement, to the voodoo priests of modern Haiti, to the music moguls and producers of hip-hop, pop, and rock, music will always be used to soften the blow of reality by assisting us in creating a very rich inner world of feeling and experience.  A world of inner magic, joy, freedom and wonder, at its highest frequency.

            But what of the other side. The Shadow. The dark side of the Force. Rock 'n roll! Or is that sex drugs and rock 'n roll?

            If one doesn't have a dualistic approach to reality, such that there is always a right and wrong, and frequency is all-powerful and it is the signature of every thing, then I guess the frequencies of modern music are like bringing in the wrecking crew to get rid of the old structure, so that a new one can be built in its place. This is why we like listening to "oldies", because it makes you feel as if your world is still safe and cozy like it used to be. The world of our inner fears never feels safe, and at the same time it's always fun to get nostalgic about the good old days.

            Are our children being programmed by the music? Most definitely! Is music being used in war? Listen to the music that ISIS uses in its recruiting videos. It is quite compelling. Many American soldiers in front-line positions in Iraq and Afghanistan were known to listen to intense rock 'n roll during combat missions. Almost like being at home with a videogame, but with a little bit more of an adrenaline rush. Every military in the world throughout history has used trumpets and drums to inspire the passions that are required of men to voluntarily sacrifice themselves as dogs of war.

            Music is everywhere in our world, elevators, lobbies of buildings, the bank. It is electronic, and it is designed to have an effect. Music is always a carrier frequency for some other intention, whether it be to communicate how I felt when my girlfriend dumped me, to wanting to get you pumped up and excited and get you moving, or intending to relax you on your way to your doctor or lawyer while you sit in the waiting room, music is always up to something.

            Watch how the politicians will aligned themselves with certain styles of pop music, and with the ranks of popular music artists to demonstrate how hip they are, how cool they would be as your leader, and that they are relevant and modern.

            On the far end of the spectrum in the other direction, there is music that has been and is being created solely for the purpose of creating spiritual connection to the frequencies of higher consciousness and to the refinement and entrainment of the more rarefied emotional states.  We are so lucky and blessed to be living at this time of profound digital awakening. I do not believe that we are creating our technology as much as we are channeling our technology, and are being cosmically turned on by this very technology at the same time.

            Our brain capacity and neo-cortex for the most part has been evolved in its present state of physicality, quite a long time, much longer then our current technology has been around. Our modern, digitally based technological reality has only existed for short period of time. I do not believe that our slow march through civilization and technological development from the ancients through the Renaissance, to the first half of the 20th century is what turned on our brain so that we could create our current technological revolution. It is as if our brain – nervous system – consciousness itself, has been lying dormant for eons, only to be slowly waking up.  It has only been recently, that our consciousness has been turned on by technology itself as a self-replicating internal feedback system.

            We are turning ourselves on! Literally! We are electronically dialed in, and it is a digitally based feedback loop between our electronic devices and the delivery of high definition digital sound.  At the highest level of intention and artistry, the more refined the frequencies, the greater the entrainment of love, peace, light, and harmony. 

Long live rock 'n roll!

            People love to dress up, drink, "party", and listen to music and dance. Every indigenous culture in the world has done it since the beginning of time. In the modern world it can be a rave, a nightclub, a birthday party or street party, or for that matter, a very private party. People love to dance and get free and have fun, and music is the main game in town.

The difference between the modern world that we are living in, and other times in history is the frequencies. The digitally based electronic musical world that we live in delivers frequencies to our ears, and vibrations to our bodies, that have never been heard or experienced before on the earth dimension, (except possibly when the extraterrestrials landed in their ships at different periods of time in human history, and a handful of human beings heard the sounds and frequencies emanating from the propulsion systems of their ships).

            Other than that, there was no hope for electronic music and sound frequencies coming from the digital realm of quantum space. We are moving into a brave New World and music and frequency will be what leads us gracefully or not so gracefully into our very near, not-so-distant future.

            As always, the musician – artist – sound designer is the one who impregnates the waves of music with the frequencies of intent. As they say on Arcturus, “as the frequency so is the artist”, or was it "as is the artist so is the frequency ". 

-Blessings, James Hyman.