It’s all about the vibes, man!

Apparently there’s new research that seems to indicate that nerves do not transmit electrical impulses (which should generate some heat but can’t be proved to do so) but may instead transmit sound. The article focuses more on how anesthetics work but reading between the lines I think there are some interesting questions for musicians (and theologians?)

What would that mean for phrases such as ‘music of the spheres’ or Jensen’s idea that the Trinity is a fugue? What implications would this have for musicians of all kinds, but especially church musicians? Does music do more than give us a transcendental experience? Is the science going to show that it communicates directly to our nervous systems or changes them some fundamental way? And what about that combination of music and text called song? And what does that mean for us as a society where music is so ubiquitous for all but made by very few?

And tip of the hat to Doug, who had a different take on the whole thing.

I sent this little blurb off to my church music geek friends and PW responded thusly:

There are a couple new books about related matters: Joel B. Green, What About the Soul: Neuroscience and Christian Anthropology, and Daniel J. Levitin, This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of Human Obsession. Sara just set me onto an interesting article in the New Yorker related to the obsession business after a lightning strike.

Looks like I have a couple of additions to my “light” reading pile! — — —
A year ago (or longer) on This Journey…