The Meanings and Functions of Tunes That Come into One’s Head

Abstract

This paper is devoted to the study of internally generated auditory imagery, specifically tunes that appear spontaneously in one's consciousness exclusive of external musical input. Melodies that appear in the periphery of one's awareness during directed activity can protect the ego from the interference of internal desires or demands. Music present in consciousness irrespective of any specific melody may be experienced as a protective, omnipotent parental companion and thus guard against danger and the painful loneliness of separation and loss. The frequent or continuous spontaneous appearance of music in one's consciousness is considered to be a characterological mode of thinking—thinking in music.

Music, Memory, and Relatedness

“…Marjorie McDonald (), in an article offering psychoanalytic perspectives on the Suzuki violin teaching methods, affirms Winnicott's view of the transitional uses of music. More recently Lipson () has discussed both music's use for transitional purposes as well as to represent expression of, and defense against, conflicts from later phases of development. As Winnicott noted, not only music, but speech itself, can serve a transitional function, which occasionally is important clinically.…”

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This article examines the role of music and musical speech as transitional phenomena, as facilitators of early dyadic and later relationships, as aids to the development of memory, and as assisting in the self-definition of individuals and groups. It draws on literature from psychoanalysis, developmental psychology, and neuroscience, and presents illustrations from individual development as well as cultural phenomena.Articles and books concerning music and psychoanalysis have recently appeared with increasing frequency in the psychoanalytic literature, enlarging our understanding of music (Nagel, 2013), musical associations and technique (Lipson, 2006), mourning (Stein, 2004), and aesthetics (Rose, 2004). I have been surprised at the relative infrequency of direct musical associations (apart from song lyrics) in the psychoanalyses and psychotherapies I have conducted, despite having an open ear to them.

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Psychoanalytic Perspectives on Music: an Intersection on the Oral and Aural Road

“…Music served to loosen her defenses and became a stimulus to further analytic work. Lipson (2006) concludes that "thinking in music" can be "used for expressive, defensive, and adaptive purposes" (p. 877). Ms. O's associations suggest that she entered her session while thinking (unconsciously) in music, and that finding a verbal outlet via secondary process to share her experience orally was moving for her.…”

“…While music other than the two compositions just mentioned has affected me deeply and differently at various times in my life, and while I believe that all music can be a potential element in compromise formations for some people, I became curious about what was inherent in Verdi's music that resonated in me when words had limited value. Lipson (2006) notes that music can serve as a companion and comfort at the time of loss. McDonald (1970) has written about transitional tunes as the nonverbal, internalized musical teddy bears or blankies that serve as aural comforters, connectors, and protectors against separation, particularly from parental loss.…”

Music, humanity, and psychoanalysis: three books on human development, music psychology, and psychoanalysis

“…The study of music in relation to psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic psychotherapy, while less extensive, has also developed over this period (Ashton and Bloch, 2010;Lipson, 2006;Lombardi, 2008;Rose, 2004;Sapen, 2012), as has the study of musical aspects of early infantparent interactions, or 'communicative musicality' (Malloch & Trevarthen, 2010).…”