MEANINGFUL MUSIC LISTENING: INSPIRATION AND SELF-TRANSCENDENCE
MEANINGFUL MUSIC LISTENING: INSPIRATION AND SELF-TRANSCENDENCE

Summary/Abstract: Scientific studies suggest that media experiences may bring not only pleasure but also meaningful insights and inspiration. Such experiences can reflect self-transcendence, resulting in focusing not only on oneself but feeling more connected to others or to even be inspired to take action in the real world. One of the most powerful media forms in this context is music which also involves creative extramusical processes. These include emotions and visual imagery that vary depending on the types of musical pieces, on listeners' musical perception and on their sociocultural environment. Therefore, listening to music can also evoke meaningful insights, inspirational states, and self-transcendent experiences. In fact, studies show that music is the most popular media source for seeking inspiration. This paper focuses on meaningfulness, self-transcendence, and inspiration evoked by music from the listeners' perspective. It also explores the thin line between the listeners' personal (inner) and social (outer) experiences since individual extramusical associations are greatly influenced by the listener's sociocultural environment including other media.

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