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Music
CHAPTER 4
Music Contents Differentiated Knowledge Instinct Cognitive Dissonances and Musical Emotions
31 34
Abstract Evolution of consciousness and cultures requires both differentiation and synthesis, detailed understanding and wholeness. These fundamental mechanisms of the mind and culture require and oppose each other. Language leads toward fast accumulation of knowledge, which creates contradictions, cognitive dissonances leading to discarding knowledge. Evolution of cultures required cognitive mechanisms for overcoming this tendency to discard knowledge. This mechanism was strongly emotional voice evolving toward music. Music is necessary for the entire evolution of culture. While language evolves toward more conceptual and less emotional ability, music evolves toward more emotional and less conceptual ability. While language splits psyche, music restores its unity. We come to understanding why music has such power over us: we live in the ocean of grief created by cognitive dissonances, “in much wisdom is much grief”; and music helps us alleviate this pain.
DIFFERENTIATED KNOWLEDGE INSTINCT In this chapter we discuss the main theory of this book: what constitutes the fundamental function of musical emotions in cognition, in the evolution of consciousness and culture, and why music affects us so strongly. Differentiation and synthesis have to be balanced for the development of cultures and for the emergence of contemporary consciousness. Those of our ancestors who could develop differentiated consciousness could better understand the surrounding world and better plan their life. They had an evolutionary advantage, if in addition to differentiation they were able to maintain the unity of self required for concentrating the will. The evolutionary advantage of differentiated knowledge required balance between differentiation and synthesis. Here we examine the mechanisms by which music helps maintain this balance. The main idea of the theory discussed in this book is that maintaining this balance is the very Music, Passion, and Cognitive Function. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-809461-7.00004-2
© 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
31
32
Music, Passion, and Cognitive Function
fundamental function of music in cognition, and the reason for the evolution of this otherwise unexplainable ability. History keeps a long record of advanced civilizations whose synthesis and ability to concentrate the will was undermined by differentiation. They were destroyed by less developed civilizations (barbarians) whose differentiation lagged behind, but whose synthesis and will was strong enough to overcome the great powers of their times. But I would prefer to concentrate on less prominent and more important events of everyday individual human survival—from our ancestors to our contemporaries. If differentiation undermined synthesis (the purpose of life and the will to survive), differentiated consciousness and culture would have never emerged. Differentiation is the very essence of cultural evolution, but it threatens synthesis and may destroy the entire purpose of culture, as well as culture itself. This instability is entirely human, it does not threaten the animal kingdom because the pace of evolution and differentiation of knowledge from the amoeba to the primates was very slow, and synthesis was naturally maintained. This situation drastically changed with the origin of language; the accumulation of differentiated knowledge vastly exceeded the biological evolutionary capacity to maintain synthesis. Therefore, along with the origin of language another human ability must evolve, the ability to maintain synthesis. Synthesis is violated by differentiation in the processes of cognitive dissonances. Cognitive dissonances are unpleasant emotions—feelings, discomforts due to contradictory knowledge. When new knowledge contradicts already existing knowledge, it is unpleasant. And it has been experimentally established that most often this discomfort is immediately resolved: the new contradictory knowledge is rejected fast and without reaching consciousness. I continue discussing cognitive dissonances in “Cognitive Dissonances, and Musical Emotions” section. Here I just emphasize that cognitive dissonances lead to rejecting new knowledge. Therefore to accumulate knowledge and continue cultural process, a new ability is needed, i.e., the ability to overcome cognitive dissonances created by language without discarding knowledge. The dual language cognition model considered in Chapter 3, Language and Wholeness of Psyche, suggests that this ability has to reside within language cognition interaction; this ability has to generate strong emotions related to human voice, positive emotions to overpower the negative emotions of cognitive dissonances.
Music
33
Thus a uniquely human ability evolved, the ability for music. The dual model in combination with the theory of cognitive dissonances results in a scientific theory that music evolved for maintaining the balance between differentiation and synthesis. After reviewing the arguments, we discuss the empirical and experimental tests verifying this theory. Many scientists studying the evolution of language have come to the conclusion that originally language and music were one. In this original state the fused language-music did not threaten synthesis. Not unlike animal vocalizations, vocal sounds directly affected ancient emotional centers, connected the semantic contents of the vocalizations to instinctual needs and to behavior. This is how Jaynes explained the stability of the great kingdoms of Mesopotamia up to 4000 years ago. This synthesis was directly inherited from animal voicing mechanisms, and to this very day the voice affects us emotionally directly through ancient emotional brain centers. I would like to emphasize that which have already being discussed: the fact that since its origin language has evolved to enhance our conceptual differentiation ability by separating it from ancient emotional and instinctual influences (here I mean “bodily” instincts, not instincts for knowledge and language). While language evolved in this more conceptual and less emotional direction, I suggest that “another part” of human vocalization ability evolved toward a less semantic and more emotional direction by enhancing the already existing mechanisms of the voiceemotion-instinct connection. As language was enhancing differentiation and destroying the primordial unity of psyche, music was reconnecting the differentiated psyche, restoring the meaning and purpose of knowledge, and making cultural evolution possible. This was the origin and evolutionary direction of music. Its fundamental role in cultural evolution was that of maintaining synthesis in the face of increasing differentiation due to language. I would emphasize here that the number of cognitive dissonances is large: practically every word contains a new knowledge and therefore to some extent contradicts existing knowledge, otherwise a new word will not be needed. Correspondingly, a large number of musical emotions had to evolve to overcome cognitive dissonances. Although language evolved toward reduced emotionality, music evolved toward enhanced emotionality. Therefore theories of musical emotions, discussed in Chapter 1, Theories of Music, such as GEMS, which attempt to measure musical emotions in terms of emotional words, even if useful for some purposes cannot be successful for explaining musical emotions in principle. I now return to
34
Music, Passion, and Cognitive Function
the basic mechanisms of the mind, including the knowledge instinct (KI), and analyze them in more detail in view of this theory. Previous sections described the KI and the mathematical model of its mechanism, an internal mind “sensor” measuring the similarity between concept-models and the world, and the related mechanisms of maximizing this similarity. But clearly this is a great simplification. It is not sufficient for the human mind to maximize the average value of the similarity between all concept-representations and all experiences. Adequate functioning requires a constant resolution of contradictions not only between multiple, mutually contradicting concepts but also between individual concepts that are quickly being created within the culture and our slowly evolving primordial animal instincts. The human psyche is not as harmonious as the psyche of animals. Humans are contradictory beings; as Nietzsche put it, “human is a dissonance.” Those of our ancestors who were able to acquire differentiated contradictory knowledge and still maintain the wholeness of psyche necessary for the concentration of the will and purposeful actions had a tremendous advantage for survival. Therefore the KI itself became differentiated. It was directed not only at maximizing overall harmony but also at reconciling constantly evolving contradictions. This suggestion requires theoretical elaboration and experimental confirmation. As discussed, the emotions related to the KI are aesthetic emotions subjectively felt as harmony or disharmony. These emotions had to be differentiated along with the KI. Consider high-value concepts such as one’s family, religion, or political preferences. These concepts “color” with emotional values many other concepts; and every contradictory conceptual relation requires a different emotion for reconciliation, a different dimension of an emotional space; Spinoza in the 17th century was the first to suggest that emotions referring to different objects are different emotions. In other words a high-value concept attaches aesthetic emotions to other concepts. In this way each concept acts as a separate part of KI: each concept evaluates other concepts for mutual consistency; this explains the notion of differentiated KI. Virtually every combination of concepts has some degree of contradictions. Otherwise, one concept, or even a simple instinctual drive would be sufficient for directing behavior.
COGNITIVE DISSONANCES AND MUSICAL EMOTIONS Contradictions among knowledge, let us repeat, are called cognitive dissonances. These are negative emotions created by contradictions between
Music
35
pieces of knowledge—between conceptual representations. To illustrate these emotions consider an example: a young scholar receives two offers at once, one from Harvard and another from Oxford. Each offer alone would create strong positive emotions: satisfaction, pride, etc. These are well-understood basic emotions. But the choice between these two offers might be painful. This painful emotion is not related to bodily instincts, it is not a basic emotion; this is an emotion of cognitive dissonance, it is an aesthetic emotion. In this example the emotion can be very strong and conscious. Correspondingly, it would be resolved consciously, by weighing various aspects of these two alternatives. But the majority of cognitive dissonances are likely to be less conscious, or even unconscious. The barely noticeable, unpleasant emotions of the choice associated with knowledge can create a disincentive to knowledge and thinking. New knowledge creating cognitive dissonances often is quickly discarded. This indeed is well known and experimentally proven: the cognitive dissonance discomfort is usually resolved by devaluing and discarding a conflicting piece of knowledge. It is also known that awareness of cognitive dissonances is not necessary for actions to reduce the conflict, and these actions of discarding knowledge are often fast and momentary. Let me repeat that cognitive dissonances often lead to discarding the contradicting knowledge. Everyone can observe it oneself. Watch carefully a usual conversation among people, not between a student and her Professor, but a normal conversation between regular people. Usually people do not listen to each other and immediately discard what they just have heard. We, scientists love to praise ourselves that we do not discard contradictions, that we enjoy contradictions because they give us food for thoughts, for creating theories overcoming contradictions. Yet what happens to discoveries that go against one’s theory, or even simpler, against accepted theories. Well-known studies of the growth of knowledge established that new ideas are ignored, usually until the next generation of scientists. Great scientific discoveries may provoke not only fascination but also envy and rivalry. But worse, as established in the 20th century, the first reaction could be a cognitive dissonance, and as a result the novel is ignored. The negative aspect of cognitive dissonance, discarding of knowledge, has received significant attention since Tversky and Kahneman were awarded the Nobel Prize in 2002. Cognitive dissonance is among “the most influential and extensively studied theories in social psychology.” Still, the emotions of cognitive dissonances, their potential to destroy the drive for knowledge, and consequently the fundamental need to
36
Music, Passion, and Cognitive Function
overcome their negative effects have not received sufficient attention. To overcome the negative effects of the emotions of cognitive dissonances, they must be brought into consciousness. This is the cognitive function of musical emotions. Music creates a huge number of differentiated emotions. Musical emotions help bringing to consciousness the emotions of cognitive dissonances, resolving them, and continuing the evolution of language, consciousness, and culture. The number of cognitive dissonances possibly is as large as the number of word combinations, practically infinite. Therefore aesthetic emotions that reconcile these contradictions are not just several feelings for which we can assign specific words. There is an almost uncountable infinity, virtually a continuum of aesthetic emotions. We feel this continuum of emotions (not just many separate emotions) when listening to music. We feel this continuum in Palestrina, Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich, The Beatles, and Lady Gaga . . . (and certainly this mechanism is not limited to western cultures). It is proposed in this chapter that musical emotions have evolved for the synthesis of differentiated consciousness, for reconciling the contradictions that are entailed at every step of differentiation, and for creating a unity of differentiated Self. The evolution of music, therefore, was necessary for evolution of culture. If not music, cognitive dissonances would have created disincentive to learning, including learning of language and learning any knowledge, which of course are the essence of culture. Musical emotions continue performing this function in cognition: overcoming cognitive dissonances so that culture continue evolving. The origin of music resolving cognitive dissonances disappears from scientific sight at the dawn of human culture. Nikolsky wrote that Aurignacian culture (more than 30,000 years ago) developed conception of the Lunar calendars, “this re-oriented the entire lifestyle from local time to cosmic rhythms, which must have induced psychological stress on our predecessors who had to reconcile different notions of time, day/ night, summer/winter, solar/lunar, as well as space.” This “must have led to cognitive dissonances raising the need for compensating ‘cognitive consonance’ of music, and resulted in the substantial increase in harmonicity involving a transition from indefinite interval based tonal organization to definite interval organization.” This makes much sense in view of findings of Aurignacian pentatonic bone flutes. Unification of musical modes into a single family in the great civilizations of the Bronze Age, also could be viewed within the context of growing cognitive dissonance. Rational harmonization of the entire compass of all available music
Music
37
tones appears as a natural progression of human culture. Inspired by correlative cosmologies, mathematically-based theories of music harmony catered to neurobiological need of the brain to reduce informational stress by employing a new strategy of organizing data and establishing ways for synthesis of new quality.
Here we come to understanding why music has such a strong power over us. Every piece of knowledge creates cognitive dissonances. We live in cognitive dissonances, in a sea of negative emotions created by them, “in much wisdom is much grief.” And if not music we would continuously suffer negative emotions related to knowledge. Music helps us alleviate these negative emotions. Cognitive dissonances extend from minor everyday choices, such as a choice of drink between coca-cola and water, to life disappointments familiar to everyone, unrequited love, betrayal by friends, and loved ones. We do not notice negative emotions related to minor everyday choices, because we have a lot of emotions to overcome them. Strong dissonances related to disappointments with friends and loved ones are a major topic of popular songs. This is the reason we want to listen to Elvis Presley, The Beatles, and Lady Gaga. Most of popular songs help us to overcome these dissonances. And of course there are ultimate emotional discomforts, dissonances related to our desire to live and at the same time the knowledge that our material existence is finite. Otherwise it is impossible to understand why people enjoy sad music. The most listened piece of music is Adagio for Strings by Barber, which is so sad it cannot be listened without tears. In 2004 listeners of the BBC’s Today program voted Adagio for Strings the “saddest classical” work ever. In 2006 it was the highest selling classical piece on iTunes. Music helps us to enjoy better our happy moments and to survive in the ocean of grief. This is why it holds such a sway over our souls. Whereas language has differentiated the human Self into pieces, music has restored the unity of Self. This cognitive function of music is a scientific hypothesis, a theoretical prediction that has to be verified experimentally, and Chapter 5, Experimental Tests of the Theory: Music, discusses experiments confirming this theory.
Music Contents Differentiated Knowledge Instinct Cognitive Dissonances and Musical Emotions
31 34
Abstract Evolution of consciousness and cultures requires both differentiation and synthesis, detailed understanding and wholeness. These fundamental mechanisms of the mind and culture require and oppose each other. Language leads toward fast accumulation of knowledge, which creates contradictions, cognitive dissonances leading to discarding knowledge. Evolution of cultures required cognitive mechanisms for overcoming this tendency to discard knowledge. This mechanism was strongly emotional voice evolving toward music. Music is necessary for the entire evolution of culture. While language evolves toward more conceptual and less emotional ability, music evolves toward more emotional and less conceptual ability. While language splits psyche, music restores its unity. We come to understanding why music has such power over us: we live in the ocean of grief created by cognitive dissonances, “in much wisdom is much grief”; and music helps us alleviate this pain.
DIFFERENTIATED KNOWLEDGE INSTINCT In this chapter we discuss the main theory of this book: what constitutes the fundamental function of musical emotions in cognition, in the evolution of consciousness and culture, and why music affects us so strongly. Differentiation and synthesis have to be balanced for the development of cultures and for the emergence of contemporary consciousness. Those of our ancestors who could develop differentiated consciousness could better understand the surrounding world and better plan their life. They had an evolutionary advantage, if in addition to differentiation they were able to maintain the unity of self required for concentrating the will. The evolutionary advantage of differentiated knowledge required balance between differentiation and synthesis. Here we examine the mechanisms by which music helps maintain this balance. The main idea of the theory discussed in this book is that maintaining this balance is the very Music, Passion, and Cognitive Function. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-809461-7.00004-2
© 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
31
32
Music, Passion, and Cognitive Function
fundamental function of music in cognition, and the reason for the evolution of this otherwise unexplainable ability. History keeps a long record of advanced civilizations whose synthesis and ability to concentrate the will was undermined by differentiation. They were destroyed by less developed civilizations (barbarians) whose differentiation lagged behind, but whose synthesis and will was strong enough to overcome the great powers of their times. But I would prefer to concentrate on less prominent and more important events of everyday individual human survival—from our ancestors to our contemporaries. If differentiation undermined synthesis (the purpose of life and the will to survive), differentiated consciousness and culture would have never emerged. Differentiation is the very essence of cultural evolution, but it threatens synthesis and may destroy the entire purpose of culture, as well as culture itself. This instability is entirely human, it does not threaten the animal kingdom because the pace of evolution and differentiation of knowledge from the amoeba to the primates was very slow, and synthesis was naturally maintained. This situation drastically changed with the origin of language; the accumulation of differentiated knowledge vastly exceeded the biological evolutionary capacity to maintain synthesis. Therefore, along with the origin of language another human ability must evolve, the ability to maintain synthesis. Synthesis is violated by differentiation in the processes of cognitive dissonances. Cognitive dissonances are unpleasant emotions—feelings, discomforts due to contradictory knowledge. When new knowledge contradicts already existing knowledge, it is unpleasant. And it has been experimentally established that most often this discomfort is immediately resolved: the new contradictory knowledge is rejected fast and without reaching consciousness. I continue discussing cognitive dissonances in “Cognitive Dissonances, and Musical Emotions” section. Here I just emphasize that cognitive dissonances lead to rejecting new knowledge. Therefore to accumulate knowledge and continue cultural process, a new ability is needed, i.e., the ability to overcome cognitive dissonances created by language without discarding knowledge. The dual language cognition model considered in Chapter 3, Language and Wholeness of Psyche, suggests that this ability has to reside within language cognition interaction; this ability has to generate strong emotions related to human voice, positive emotions to overpower the negative emotions of cognitive dissonances.
Music
33
Thus a uniquely human ability evolved, the ability for music. The dual model in combination with the theory of cognitive dissonances results in a scientific theory that music evolved for maintaining the balance between differentiation and synthesis. After reviewing the arguments, we discuss the empirical and experimental tests verifying this theory. Many scientists studying the evolution of language have come to the conclusion that originally language and music were one. In this original state the fused language-music did not threaten synthesis. Not unlike animal vocalizations, vocal sounds directly affected ancient emotional centers, connected the semantic contents of the vocalizations to instinctual needs and to behavior. This is how Jaynes explained the stability of the great kingdoms of Mesopotamia up to 4000 years ago. This synthesis was directly inherited from animal voicing mechanisms, and to this very day the voice affects us emotionally directly through ancient emotional brain centers. I would like to emphasize that which have already being discussed: the fact that since its origin language has evolved to enhance our conceptual differentiation ability by separating it from ancient emotional and instinctual influences (here I mean “bodily” instincts, not instincts for knowledge and language). While language evolved in this more conceptual and less emotional direction, I suggest that “another part” of human vocalization ability evolved toward a less semantic and more emotional direction by enhancing the already existing mechanisms of the voiceemotion-instinct connection. As language was enhancing differentiation and destroying the primordial unity of psyche, music was reconnecting the differentiated psyche, restoring the meaning and purpose of knowledge, and making cultural evolution possible. This was the origin and evolutionary direction of music. Its fundamental role in cultural evolution was that of maintaining synthesis in the face of increasing differentiation due to language. I would emphasize here that the number of cognitive dissonances is large: practically every word contains a new knowledge and therefore to some extent contradicts existing knowledge, otherwise a new word will not be needed. Correspondingly, a large number of musical emotions had to evolve to overcome cognitive dissonances. Although language evolved toward reduced emotionality, music evolved toward enhanced emotionality. Therefore theories of musical emotions, discussed in Chapter 1, Theories of Music, such as GEMS, which attempt to measure musical emotions in terms of emotional words, even if useful for some purposes cannot be successful for explaining musical emotions in principle. I now return to
34
Music, Passion, and Cognitive Function
the basic mechanisms of the mind, including the knowledge instinct (KI), and analyze them in more detail in view of this theory. Previous sections described the KI and the mathematical model of its mechanism, an internal mind “sensor” measuring the similarity between concept-models and the world, and the related mechanisms of maximizing this similarity. But clearly this is a great simplification. It is not sufficient for the human mind to maximize the average value of the similarity between all concept-representations and all experiences. Adequate functioning requires a constant resolution of contradictions not only between multiple, mutually contradicting concepts but also between individual concepts that are quickly being created within the culture and our slowly evolving primordial animal instincts. The human psyche is not as harmonious as the psyche of animals. Humans are contradictory beings; as Nietzsche put it, “human is a dissonance.” Those of our ancestors who were able to acquire differentiated contradictory knowledge and still maintain the wholeness of psyche necessary for the concentration of the will and purposeful actions had a tremendous advantage for survival. Therefore the KI itself became differentiated. It was directed not only at maximizing overall harmony but also at reconciling constantly evolving contradictions. This suggestion requires theoretical elaboration and experimental confirmation. As discussed, the emotions related to the KI are aesthetic emotions subjectively felt as harmony or disharmony. These emotions had to be differentiated along with the KI. Consider high-value concepts such as one’s family, religion, or political preferences. These concepts “color” with emotional values many other concepts; and every contradictory conceptual relation requires a different emotion for reconciliation, a different dimension of an emotional space; Spinoza in the 17th century was the first to suggest that emotions referring to different objects are different emotions. In other words a high-value concept attaches aesthetic emotions to other concepts. In this way each concept acts as a separate part of KI: each concept evaluates other concepts for mutual consistency; this explains the notion of differentiated KI. Virtually every combination of concepts has some degree of contradictions. Otherwise, one concept, or even a simple instinctual drive would be sufficient for directing behavior.
COGNITIVE DISSONANCES AND MUSICAL EMOTIONS Contradictions among knowledge, let us repeat, are called cognitive dissonances. These are negative emotions created by contradictions between
Music
35
pieces of knowledge—between conceptual representations. To illustrate these emotions consider an example: a young scholar receives two offers at once, one from Harvard and another from Oxford. Each offer alone would create strong positive emotions: satisfaction, pride, etc. These are well-understood basic emotions. But the choice between these two offers might be painful. This painful emotion is not related to bodily instincts, it is not a basic emotion; this is an emotion of cognitive dissonance, it is an aesthetic emotion. In this example the emotion can be very strong and conscious. Correspondingly, it would be resolved consciously, by weighing various aspects of these two alternatives. But the majority of cognitive dissonances are likely to be less conscious, or even unconscious. The barely noticeable, unpleasant emotions of the choice associated with knowledge can create a disincentive to knowledge and thinking. New knowledge creating cognitive dissonances often is quickly discarded. This indeed is well known and experimentally proven: the cognitive dissonance discomfort is usually resolved by devaluing and discarding a conflicting piece of knowledge. It is also known that awareness of cognitive dissonances is not necessary for actions to reduce the conflict, and these actions of discarding knowledge are often fast and momentary. Let me repeat that cognitive dissonances often lead to discarding the contradicting knowledge. Everyone can observe it oneself. Watch carefully a usual conversation among people, not between a student and her Professor, but a normal conversation between regular people. Usually people do not listen to each other and immediately discard what they just have heard. We, scientists love to praise ourselves that we do not discard contradictions, that we enjoy contradictions because they give us food for thoughts, for creating theories overcoming contradictions. Yet what happens to discoveries that go against one’s theory, or even simpler, against accepted theories. Well-known studies of the growth of knowledge established that new ideas are ignored, usually until the next generation of scientists. Great scientific discoveries may provoke not only fascination but also envy and rivalry. But worse, as established in the 20th century, the first reaction could be a cognitive dissonance, and as a result the novel is ignored. The negative aspect of cognitive dissonance, discarding of knowledge, has received significant attention since Tversky and Kahneman were awarded the Nobel Prize in 2002. Cognitive dissonance is among “the most influential and extensively studied theories in social psychology.” Still, the emotions of cognitive dissonances, their potential to destroy the drive for knowledge, and consequently the fundamental need to
36
Music, Passion, and Cognitive Function
overcome their negative effects have not received sufficient attention. To overcome the negative effects of the emotions of cognitive dissonances, they must be brought into consciousness. This is the cognitive function of musical emotions. Music creates a huge number of differentiated emotions. Musical emotions help bringing to consciousness the emotions of cognitive dissonances, resolving them, and continuing the evolution of language, consciousness, and culture. The number of cognitive dissonances possibly is as large as the number of word combinations, practically infinite. Therefore aesthetic emotions that reconcile these contradictions are not just several feelings for which we can assign specific words. There is an almost uncountable infinity, virtually a continuum of aesthetic emotions. We feel this continuum of emotions (not just many separate emotions) when listening to music. We feel this continuum in Palestrina, Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich, The Beatles, and Lady Gaga . . . (and certainly this mechanism is not limited to western cultures). It is proposed in this chapter that musical emotions have evolved for the synthesis of differentiated consciousness, for reconciling the contradictions that are entailed at every step of differentiation, and for creating a unity of differentiated Self. The evolution of music, therefore, was necessary for evolution of culture. If not music, cognitive dissonances would have created disincentive to learning, including learning of language and learning any knowledge, which of course are the essence of culture. Musical emotions continue performing this function in cognition: overcoming cognitive dissonances so that culture continue evolving. The origin of music resolving cognitive dissonances disappears from scientific sight at the dawn of human culture. Nikolsky wrote that Aurignacian culture (more than 30,000 years ago) developed conception of the Lunar calendars, “this re-oriented the entire lifestyle from local time to cosmic rhythms, which must have induced psychological stress on our predecessors who had to reconcile different notions of time, day/ night, summer/winter, solar/lunar, as well as space.” This “must have led to cognitive dissonances raising the need for compensating ‘cognitive consonance’ of music, and resulted in the substantial increase in harmonicity involving a transition from indefinite interval based tonal organization to definite interval organization.” This makes much sense in view of findings of Aurignacian pentatonic bone flutes. Unification of musical modes into a single family in the great civilizations of the Bronze Age, also could be viewed within the context of growing cognitive dissonance. Rational harmonization of the entire compass of all available music
Music
37
tones appears as a natural progression of human culture. Inspired by correlative cosmologies, mathematically-based theories of music harmony catered to neurobiological need of the brain to reduce informational stress by employing a new strategy of organizing data and establishing ways for synthesis of new quality.
Here we come to understanding why music has such a strong power over us. Every piece of knowledge creates cognitive dissonances. We live in cognitive dissonances, in a sea of negative emotions created by them, “in much wisdom is much grief.” And if not music we would continuously suffer negative emotions related to knowledge. Music helps us alleviate these negative emotions. Cognitive dissonances extend from minor everyday choices, such as a choice of drink between coca-cola and water, to life disappointments familiar to everyone, unrequited love, betrayal by friends, and loved ones. We do not notice negative emotions related to minor everyday choices, because we have a lot of emotions to overcome them. Strong dissonances related to disappointments with friends and loved ones are a major topic of popular songs. This is the reason we want to listen to Elvis Presley, The Beatles, and Lady Gaga. Most of popular songs help us to overcome these dissonances. And of course there are ultimate emotional discomforts, dissonances related to our desire to live and at the same time the knowledge that our material existence is finite. Otherwise it is impossible to understand why people enjoy sad music. The most listened piece of music is Adagio for Strings by Barber, which is so sad it cannot be listened without tears. In 2004 listeners of the BBC’s Today program voted Adagio for Strings the “saddest classical” work ever. In 2006 it was the highest selling classical piece on iTunes. Music helps us to enjoy better our happy moments and to survive in the ocean of grief. This is why it holds such a sway over our souls. Whereas language has differentiated the human Self into pieces, music has restored the unity of Self. This cognitive function of music is a scientific hypothesis, a theoretical prediction that has to be verified experimentally, and Chapter 5, Experimental Tests of the Theory: Music, discusses experiments confirming this theory.