True? "Music is most direct path to spiritual world!?"

[Dan Fromm]

I agree with Chris.

[Jim Jones]

I'm even less a musician than photographer, but music at its best moves me more than photographs. Sometimes drama does, too. However, as I recall from much younger days, none of them moved me out of the everyday world as did sex.

[Saulius]

Does the medium of photography, likewise, provide a "path" to the spiritual world?

Different strokes for different folks. I think all the arts have potential to inspire and strongly move us. But to literally provide a path to a spiritual world, I think not. But then it depends on ones own personal beliefs.

The interview really stimulated my thinking. Is it true that music possesses unique power to the exclusion of other media?

I don't think so. As I said all the arts have the potential to inspire,but I do think some have an easier time at doing this then others. I think music is one which can succeed at this more often then photography. This is not to say it's easy to create such moving music, just that photography has a harder time at reaching the same level to move someone.

[John Voss]

Because music exists in real time and not in concrete space, its' temporal 'hold' lasts until it ends...on its terms not ours. If you are emotionally disposed to what is being expressed, you can be fully immersed more successfully than with a work of concrete 'art'. In this way, an emotional way, it seems to be more powerful for many than other art forms.

As attuned as I may be to any work of art, sculpture, or photography, none elicits the same sense of spirituality as consistantly and thoroughly as does music. I have no idea whether or not there is a spiritual dimension beyond the one I sense within myself, but that's where music brings me when it's music I love.

[Ken Lee]

All paths lead to the Spirit.

The only difference between any two paths, is how long it takes to get there, and what you see along the way.

When you get there, you realize that you have been there all along.

[Donald Qualls]

I listened to an NPR interview with a French pianist recently. She said she believed, "music is the most direct path to the spiritual world." This struck me as, more or less, an absolute statement. I am inclined to conclude that music simply "works" for this pianist.

Recent research suggests that psilocybin (aka magic mushrooms) may *actually* be the most direct path to spirituality (though I don't think I'd recommend that path, myself).

For photography, I see nothing spiritual about it -- it's art, surely, but I don't see that art and the "spiritual world" are necessarily connected in any way.

[j.e.simmons]

As attuned as I may be to any work of art, sculpture, or photography, none elicits the same sense of spirituality as consistantly and thoroughly as does music. I have no idea whether or not there is a spiritual dimension beyond the one I sense within myself, but that's where music brings me when it's music I love.

John, are you describing listening to music - performing it - or, perhaps, both?

I seem to find the same spirituality in making large format negatives as I do in performing music. I think it has something to do with the process. I don't find the same sense of spirituality in making the prints for some reason.

As for listening to music, or looking at photographs, I find it hard to not get left-brained about listening and looking, thinking of form and analysis, chord resolutions, orchestration - or samples in more modern music, paper, emulsion, composition, etc.
juan

[Robert McClure]

Chris, Dan,

No "spiritual world?"

Should you not request a definition of terms prior to making your assertion?

Robert

[John Voss]

John, are you describing listening to music - performing it - or, perhaps, both?

I should have said that I play cello professionally, and, of course, there is a great deal to think about when doing so that might derail spiritual immersion. But, when technique is as assimilated and 'automatic' as it needs to be by the time one performs something, there's a very successful synergy between the spirit and the physical. If it weren't so I wouldn't expect there to be very many engaging and inspiring performances. For me, there's very little emotional difference between listening and performing.

[Al Seyle]

"For me, there's very little emotional difference between listening and performing."

Right on, John. Music draws me as a listener intellectually and emotionally into it's own center of "spirituality". The music itself is the thing. It's not a representation of the thing as photography is. That's not to say great photography isn't inspirational, but it is still a representation of a something else.