Music you listen to..

[AshNZ]

I walk this empty street
On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Where the city sleeps
and I'm the only one and I walk alone

I love this song and was listening to it in my car earlier today. Then it stuck me how engrossed I was in the song. We know that we attract what we think of most of the time so I thought it can't be good for me to listen to such sad/lonely songs with emotion.

Thoughts?

How can you enjoy such songs without it affecting your sub-conscious in a negative way?

[fellow traveler]

Originally Posted by AshNZ

[CENTER][I]How can you enjoy such songs without it affecting your sub-conscious in a negative way?

Is it "negative" to feel what you feel? ... Perhaps the issue you are confronting is how can I listen to music or anything and not have it affect me the way it does? .....

Perhaps the music is simply causing you to feel feelings which you are already carrying within you but which you were not acknowledging or in touch with previous to listening to the music. .... We have to acknowledge and feel what we feel, .. before those feelings can change.

[onwardbound]

so as big music person, this is a really fascinating question because I can still remember growing up, being into stuff like nine inch nails, or elliott smith, or dark music like nirvana, etc. my parents would always say things to me like listening to that stuff will change my value system, or that this type of music is hurting the 'youth'. i disagree. i couldn't agree more w/fellow traveler. a song, like a poem, is like a snapshot of feelings and emotions. as someone who still has a hard time talking about their emotions, I'm so glad I can put on a record and release those feelings listening to lyrics and melodies.

[Futhark]

Originally Posted by onwardbound

so as big music person, this is a really fascinating question because I can still remember growing up, being into stuff like nine inch nails, or elliott smith, or dark music like nirvana, etc. my parents would always say things to me like listening to that stuff will change my value system, or that this type of music is hurting the 'youth'. i disagree. i couldn't agree more w/fellow traveler. a song, like a poem, is like a snapshot of feelings and emotions. as someone who still has a hard time talking about their emotions, I'm so glad I can put on a record and release those feelings listening to lyrics and melodies.

I could't disagree more. Music is like coffee. You listen to it, you feel it. If it's sad, you feel sad and continue to feel sad. You don't "release" anything, you just keep getting stuck in the same mud.

Now, I can admit that at times when I have reason to be sad it is sometimes calming to listen to sombre music, but only with a really good excuse. Otherwise 99% of the time you are better off not listening to it and getting out of your rut. Listen to some new age or classical and lift yourself off the dirty floor.

[onwardbound]

Since I'm new here and signed up to improve my response to things I disagree with or which I want to resist, I'll simply say that I don't believe everyone experiences art or music the same way.

Originally Posted by Futhark

I could't disagree more. Music is like coffee. You listen to it, you feel it. If it's sad, you feel sad and continue to feel sad. You don't "release" anything, you just keep getting stuck in the same mud.

Now, I can admit that at times when I have reason to be sad it is sometimes calming to listen to sombre music, but only with a really good excuse. Otherwise 99% of the time you are better off not listening to it and getting out of your rut. Listen to some new age or classical and lift yourself off the dirty floor.

[noitcefrep]

I woke up this morning with Nick Drake as my alarm clock, and in terms of emotionally negative music, I think this is about the worst (best?) it gets. I didn't wake with tears streaming down my face and a suicide note at the tip of my tongue, instead happy and ready to start the day

[AjaTrinidad]

Originally Posted by onwardbound

Since I'm new here and signed up to improve my response to things I disagree with or which I want to resist, I'll simply say that I don't believe everyone experiences art or music the same way.

I'm not commenting to agree or disagree on anything, I just wanted to say good for you for working on your reactions to people's opinions. That's really good.