The Path, Vol. I.—1886-'7.: A Magazine Devoted to the Brotherhood of Humanity, Theosophy in America, and the Study of Occult Science, Philosophy, and Aryan Literature.Various
Religion
The Path, Vol. I.—1886-'7.: A Magazine Devoted to the Brotherhood of Humanity, Theosophy in America, and the Study of Occult Science, Philosophy, and Aryan Literature.
Various
Theosophy -- Periodicals
Finally, if this resonance exists as the great undertone of nature,
it is probable, natural and consistent that it should be a stepping
stone towards reaching Spirit, since harmony and accord are vitally
necessary to our progress in either the physical or the psychical
world. The effect of harmonious sound on the moral nature of man has
received much scientific attention in relation to its influence over
the insane. The Rev. R. H. Haweis speaks of it in “Music and Morals,”
as “the much neglected study of Musical Psychology.” His remarks are
greatly to our present point. “What has Nature done for the musician?
She has given him sound. * * Thoughts are but wandering spirits that
depend for their vitality upon the magnetic current of feeling. * * *
Emotion is often weakened by association with thought, whereas
thoughts are always strengthened by emotion. I have endeavored to * * * *
to show that there is a region of abstract emotion in human nature;
* * * * that, this region of emotion consisted of infinite varieties
of mental temperature that upon these temperatures or atmospheres
of the soul depended the degree, and often the kind of actions of
which at different times we were capable. * * Who will deny that the
experience of such soul-atmospheres must leave a definite impress upon
the character? * * * But if, as we have maintained, music has the power
of actually creating and manipulating these mental atmospheres, what
vast capacities, for good or evil must music possess!” * * * The Bible
itself pays a tribute to the emotional effect and power of changing
the soul’s atmosphere possessed by even such a primitive instrument
as David’s Harp. “When the evil Spirit from God was upon Saul, then
David took an harp, and played with his hand. So Saul was refreshed,
and was well, and the evil Spirit departed from him.” (1 Sam. xvi,
23.) I have no doubt whatever that the acknowledged influence of music
over the insane might be far more extensively used; indeed if applied
judiciously to a disorganized mind, it might be as powerful an agent
as galvanism in restoring healthy and pleasurable activity to the
emotional regions. Who can deny then, if such a mysterious command as
this is possessed by music over the realm of abstract emotion, that
music itself must be held responsible for the manner in which it deals
with that realm, and the kind of succession, proportion and degrees of
the various emotional atmospheres it has the power of generating.
Testimony upon these various points might be multiplied, but is not the
above sufficient to indicate a possibility at least that these “Singing
Silences” are closely allied to “Nada Brahma,” the omnipresent sound,
the vibration caused perhaps by the speeding of Light, (which is the
first Divine Thought,) from the Central Sun, and in the mighty harmony
of its coming, awakening and vivifying all things?
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