Music, psychotherapy, and the soul: thoughts on singing Beethoven's Missa Solemnis.
Journal of Psychiatric Practice May 1, 2011 DOI: 10.1097/01.pra.0000398414.51868.8e (opens in new tab) via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractDrawing on the experience of singing Beethoven's Missa Solemnis, the author examines the emotional states that religious choral music, particularly the Mass, can evoke. These feelings are connected to themes in psychotherapy, including confronting dying and death, the "oceanic feeling" associated with religious experience, the human drive for knowledge, and a longing for an eternal, intelligent, all-knowing entity in ultimate reality.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key finding | Argues that religious choral music can evoke feeling states relevant to psychotherapy themes of death, the oceanic feeling, and the quest for ultimate reality. |
Abstract
The author draws upon the experience of singing Beethoven's Missa Solemnis to explore the feeling states aroused by religious choral music, especially the Mass. He relates them to working with patients in psychotherapy around issues of dying, death, the "oceanic feeling" of the religious experience, the human quest for knowledge, and yearning for an eternal, intelligent, and all-knowing entity in the ultimate reality.