And according to FitzGerald, the stars in the sky are an escapism, one that connects all of us. He also used audio recordings from probes that were floating around the solar system.Įlectronic, garage and house music have for decades been a form of escapism, first evolving in the interesting margins of society, and uniting disparate groups. He took images of the universe collected by Nasa and, by feeding them into new software programmes, converted them into sounds, which he then developed into the 10 tracks on the album. It reminds you that we're tiny and insignificant." The musician told MusicTech: "To me, represented the furthest point away the grandest vision of humanity." FitzGerald spent time in New Mexico driving in the desert and stargazing. Just as the Stoics emphasised perspective and how small each of us is compared to the whole of the cosmos, electronic music artist George FitzGerald looked to the universe and the stars for inspiration for his 2022 album Stellar Drifting. ![]() But of course the sounds that each of us find restful are by definition a personal thing, and there is no one-size-fits-all soundtrack that will promote peacefulness for all. This core Stoic idea was, says Sellars, "a huge influence on the founders of modern cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and its effectiveness has been proven by the many studies of CBT that have been made".įrom supposedly soothing pan pipes to ambient rainforest sounds, we are all accustomed to the stock idea of soundscapes as a calming backdrop. The philosopher Epictetus, he adds, who was Aurelius's primary influence, wrote: "When we are frustrated, angry or unhappy, never hold anyone except ourselves – that is, our judgements – accountable." Whatever is going on in the world, "it all depends on our judgments and interpretations of situations, not the situations themselves," explains Sellars. In order to make good decisions we need a calm frame of mind so that we can pause and reflect, rather than behaving merely reactively."Īccording to the Stoics, we just need to see that calmness is within our control. They have been overcome and may act impulsively or violently. ![]() The person in the grip of violent emotions, for instance, literally isn't thinking straight. This is because a disturbed or troubled mind isn’t going to be able to make sensible, rational decisions. Sellars explains: "Calmness is essential to living a good, happy life, Marcus and his fellow Stoics would insist. ![]() As Aurelius writes in Meditations: "The nearer a man comes to a calm mind, the closer he is to strength." But why the emphasis on being calm? Is it really that important to find peace? In the Stoic mindset, it seems, calmness is everything – it is strength.
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