Schopenhauer defined the Will as a “blind incessant impulse” that dictated the existence of both organic and inorganic matter. In human beings, the Will manifested itself in the form of a desire. Put simply, the Will is the ultimate, singular, and undefinable object of our most primordial instincts.
This irony, said Schopenhauer, was the root cause of all suffering. In Buddhist fashion, he argued that — in order to be truly at peace with ourselves — we had to break with the Will and the things that made us human.
Music is different from all other artforms because it alone is an expression of itself rather than something else. Notes and melodies, unlike phrases and colors, do not try to represent anything but can instead be appreciated simply for what they are. Schopenhauer believed music was a direct manifestation of the Will itself.
Consequently, when we listen to music, we feel as though we instantly connect with a higher truth, whatever that truth may be.
Well worth reading the original article - Schopenhauer: why music is the greatest and noblest of all artforms (bigthink.com)
Anyone who has grown up in an Eastern civilization and / or been exposed to Eastern schools of thought, can immediately and innately relate to this.
As Indian Ocean the band puts it, “vileen ho jaaneka philosophy hai ….”. Loosely translated it means being immersed and one with the universe.
So, whatever piece of music you are listening to, if you have ever had that moment of your stomach knotting, your lips and hands quivering, and tears liberating themselves from your eyes, maybe it is because, it is stirring the primordial soup of whatever it is that drives Us.
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