Should You Meditate with Music?
I love music. From my favorite hardcore punk bands to my Ethiopian jazz playlists, I listen to a lot of music throughout my day. There’s value to be found in music in my opinion, and it can be quite the meditative experience to sit back and just listen.
However, in the meditation tradition in which I have trained and received empowerment to teach, music is simply not a part of meditation. I don’t meditate with music, and will be transparent about my opinion. I think silence is generally best for developing insight. I cover the value of silence a bit in my post Guided Meditation vs. Silent Meditation: Which is Right for You?, but I also want to specifically address the question of music.
However, there are many forms of meditation outside of my tradition. And people meditate for many different reasons. On top of this, people bring their unique experience, attitudes, traumas, and preferences. So although I find it to be more of a distraction in general than an aid, it doesn’t mean we should never use music to meditate.
My Recent Experience with Meditation and Music
I happen to have some intensely applicable experience with an example where music may be useful as I’m writing this. If you listen to the podcast, you know the timeline of the construction on the house next door. It’s loud. I generally meditate early in the morning before the kids are awake, but sometimes it just doesn’t happen.
On days when I don’t make it to the cushion early in the morning, my headphones are a great help. I don’t listen to music, but I put some nature sounds on in my noise-cancelling headphones. It drowns out the sound of the hammering, yelling, and all the things that go with construction next door.
This is just one example of how music or noise can be useful. Instead of the abrasive sounds of hammering and yelling, I hear more calm sounds of streams, waves, wind, rain, etc. It’s conducive to my practice when compared to the alternative.
Why People Meditate with Music
There are many reasons people choose to meditate with music. One of the most common I hear from my students is that they find it helps calm the nervous system and they’re able to settle into practice more easily. There’s research to support this. Music can indeed stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system and create a more relaxed state.
As illustrated with my story, music can also help minimize or control external distraction. We are never going to fully evade all distractions in meditation, but it can be useful in moments to choose a calmer distraction. I’ve heard this from many students over the years, especially those that live in especially loud places.
The other common experience I’ve heard from my students is that music helps them build the habit. When they put the music on, it tells their brains that it is time to meditate. For those trying to meditate daily, anything to help build the habit can be beneficial.
Pros and Cons of Music
The major pros of listening to music while meditating that I see are that it can make the entry into meditation easier for beginners, can provide an extra anchor outside the breath or body, might support relaxation or ease, and helps build habit. Especially for those new to meditation, music can be useful in helping ease the transition into practice. Meditation can feel hard at first, and sometimes music gives us that little edge to make it manageable.
The cons of listening to music may be similar to the downsides of listening to guided meditations. You may become dependent, the music can be a distraction, the lack of silence limits sensitivity and deepening, and music can shape the emotional tone. The outside input of music can color your practice and experience, which may be helpful in early practice but less so as you progress with your practice.
The Tradition of Silence
In most Buddhist traditions silence is the norm. This is true in the traditions I’ve practiced in. In fact, in teachings on establishing mindfulness, the Buddha started his teaching with the instruction to meditate in an empty place in the forest. Many scholars and monks agree that this is an instruction to find solititude and quiet.
Although we may meditate with guided meditations, silence is really the preferred method for developing concentration and insight. Silence supports more direct observation of the mind with less outside influence. Furthermore, silence creates less sensory input (specifically in the form of sound in this case), promoting a deeper relaxation.
Music as Meditation
Outside of formal insight meditation practice, listening to music can absolutely be meditative. I find it personally to be relaxing and fully immersive. When I lay down and put my headphones on, I can allow myself to be deeply present with the music and my own experience of it. I don’t want to slight this manner of finding presence, as I think it can be a useful way to relax and be present.
The other notable form of meditation that I’d throw in here is chanting. In many traditions in Asia, chanting is quite common. Regardless of the school, chanting is a part of practice in some way. Theravada chants are often more monosyllabic, while Mahayana chants can be more melodic.
I’ll be honest here. I always thought chanting was a little weird. I’m not a huge fan of ritual myself and had plenty of judgements. When I first was exposed to chanting at Deer Park in California, I quickly understood it differently. It can be a beautiful practice that demands our presence, connects us, and provokes emotion.
Other Sounds and Meditation
As I mentioned in my initial story, I use more natural sounds when it comes to formal meditation practice personally. Natural sounds have less rhythm, so I find attachment doesn’t arise in the same way as it does with a melody. It works with my existing practice rather than becoming a distraction.
Research does suggest natural sounds can help lower heart rate, activate the parasympathetic nervous system, and promote a more relaxed autonomic state. Other research has found people exposed to natural sounds show faster nervous system recovery after a stressor than those without natural sounds.
As such, it is my recommendation to give natural sounds a try if you feel you need to play something to meditate. It might be a shift from music, but I personally find it to be much more conducive to concentration and mindfulness than music. And there are plenty of benefits!
Making Your Personal Choice
I’ve shared a bit of both sides of the coin here, and I hope I clearly expressed my personal opinion. However, there’s something more important here than listening to me or any other teacher: ehipassiko. This is the Buddhist concept of investigating for oneself. The word itself means an invitation to see.
Rather than taking my word for anything, look for yourself. Investigate what is useful, what supports you, and what is a distraction. Remember the concept of impermanence as well. What works for you today may not work for you tomorrow. Be open and patient, and look at your experience with curiosity to see what truly supports your meditation practice.
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