The Feeling of Transcendence in Music

Listening to beautiful music often evokes a sense of transcendence in many individuals. This experience is not limited to believers in a higher power; even non-believers can relate to these feelings. The significance and beauty of music are recognized by philosophers, who try to explain this phenomenon. Charles Taylor notes that pre-modern cultures had more contextual frameworks for understanding transcendence in music, while modern society can feel a sense of emptiness and mystery. Julian Barnes, an agnostic, describes missing the context and significant meaning that religion provided while appreciating the arts and music. Music has even led some individuals, like Albert Einstein and Steve Jobs, to contemplate the existence of a divine being.