Music: Spiritual Effects of Rock/Metal Music

[AlexKawajima]

I was going to recommend this band called Ava Inferi. It is some of the most beautiful almost angelic sounding doom metal stuff. This band is from Portugal and suprisingly enough is the new band from Blasphemer (aka Rune Eriksen) who used to be the guitarist in the notorious black metal band Mayhem.

This is quite a departure from Mayhem, but it is still some really fantastic stuff. The singer has one of the most beautiful voices I have ever heard. I been listening to the new album Blood Of Bacchus quite a bit. I am hoping to add some of this style into to my new band I have formed. If only I could get someone with such a lovely voice.

They have a myspace or last.fm if you wanna search it. I highly recommend it.

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Well, my view on this subject, for what it's worth, is this:

Personally, I don't like dark and heavy music like you're talking about, because I am simply repulsed by it. Not very thought out, really, just a basic reaction to negativity, the same as I would feel if someone were saying things in a very angry or negative manner.

However, in trying to think of it in a more objective sense, I am reminded of something Ra said once. Unfortunately, I'm too lazy at the moment to try and look it up, but it went roughly to the tune of this: The questioner asked Ra some sort of question about dealing with the parts of ourselves that are less than angelic and certain desires, etc., to which Ra replied something like "All experiences are of the creator. All densities are of the creator, all acts. The desire of those of the confederation is not for you to avoid these things, but to experience them if you have the desire. For truly, it matters not. Any experience which is desired should be pursued." Or, you know, something like that. That's basically what I got out of it, I guess. So, in that light, while it does seem to me that this music does somehow (I would even say in an objective way, not just based on the person listening) seem to embody anger and certain "dark" emotions and things, I think that if you have a desire to listen to it, then you should. It seems to me that you ought to fully allow yourself to experience those things which it calls up in your mind, which are parts of yourself. And if you are able to love those parts of yourself and accept them without necessarily acting on them, then you have gotten one step closer.

However, I do also think that much of the reason certain people like certain types of music is purely chemical. That is, certain music produces certain neurochemicals or hormones, such as perhaps adrenaline and other stress-hormones in the case of angry music, or certain relaxed neurochemicals for new-age music, and people can become addicted to these chemicals just as much as they can pot, caffeine, cocain, or heroin (although obviously it's not as unhealthy as at least the last two). This may not be the case for everyone, but I do theorize that it is a contributing factor for many.

I think it's not so much what you actually do, but your intentions and how you react to it. Especially how you react, that's important. Allowing yourself to feel anger and even hatred, observing this from within and knowing that it is ONLY thoughts and emotions, and accepting it as just a particular pattern of vibration which arises from the creator like all others, and having a sort of neutral appreciation for it (like all other things), then you're on the right track. It's that attachment/aversion duality that gets us into trouble.

Personally, I don't have the desire to hear it, so I avoid it whenever possible, and put up with it when not.

Yeah I just have a taste for this music. I can't remember who, but someone I know said that this music chooses you, not the other way around. Iron Maiden had that affect on me when I was younger, and I couldn't have been "blessed" more to have been baptised in the metal of such an awesome band.

Its unfortunate that my mother is no longer alive, because I was named after a mexican guitar player name Alex who my mother was friends with. I would really like to be able to find out more about my background if possible and about this guy Alex. This led me to believe I may have been a musical person in my past life. As far as Dark Music goes, I just found that path and am very attracted to it. I also wear all black clothing all the time as its the only color I feel suites me. I feel very comfortable with the night and it is very spellbinding, just about anytime I am wandering about in the night hours. Who knows what that says, about the color black.

Plur, after you mentioned your past life situation in the Argh II thread, I recalled about being musical in my past life per the person I was named after being a guitar player. The only thing I know is that I was named after a guitar player, and ironically that is what I became.

Dr. Bruce Goldberg (Re-incarnation specialist, hypnotherapist) who was on Coast to Coast am a few weeks back mentioned that names and traits are lined up and are not chosen by randomness. It was meant to be that way all along. I am not sure my take on Dr. Goldberg, but that would seem to be in line with the re-incarnation line that I may come from. Perhaps I was born with the tendency to be so musical.