Hearing in Religion; Looking at Music as a Full Body Experience

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Hearing in Religion; 

Looking at Music as a Full Body Experience

When I think of sound as an experience I tend to think of music. Because I tend to get overwhelmed by my sense so easily, I look to music as a safe source of sensory comfort. I pop on my headphones and just press play and I’m transported to a space where I control what’s going on in my mind. In addition to this, I personally do not feel sound on a merely mind based space. I have fission, meaning I tend to get chills when listening to music, contributing to a more full experience where I find that all my senses are impacted. I like to close my eyes and let the music overtake me, and sometimes I’ll even turn off the lights just so I don’t have to think about what I’m doing! Despite the fact that I do not follow any specific religious practices (I am agnostic), I find the use of music in religion extremely interesting. Music is such an accessible form of art for people thanks to the internet, so anyone with an internet source or a friend who can play an instrument can experience whatever type of music they want. Compared to only about a hundred and fifty years ago when you could only listen to the music you had the sheet music too (or if you could afford a ticket to see a concert or go to the opera) our options are basically limitless. 
We talked about music in class in association with Islamic music and the Qur’an. Anne Rasmussen talks about the sharing of music as the sharing of culture and music,
“Those who proactively broadcast their personal playlist into the atmosphere seem to want to share their music or to pro-claim, ‘This is my music, like it or not." - Women, the Recited Qur'an, and Islamic Music in Indonesia, 51

We can look at music as an experience that can bring people together both religiously and communally. We dance to music, we experience music, we feel music. Music is religious even if it’s not about religion because it an experience that transcends languages. Music is its own language and sometimes it’s the only language we speak. 



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