When Consonance Is Not Enough … A Study of the Use of Dissonant Music In Psychotherapy*

This study explores the thesis that dissonant music is of significant help in psychoanalytic process and treatment. The survey emphasizes the spiritual dimension of abstract music, which creates an ego-less state, affording an important treatment toward the listener's well being. The term “spiritual” as used here, refers not to organized religion, but rather to positive, evolutionary self-growth beyond the ego. The investigation involved seven individual listening sessions conducted in psychoanalytic training schools and four sessions with non-analytic minded subjects. The verbal feedback showed that dissonant music, abstract and unfamiliar sound styles, can make a meaningful contribution to healing during psychoanalytic treatment.