Music, mourning, and consolation

J Am Psychoanal Assoc. 2004 Summer;52(3):783-811. doi: 10.1177/00030651040520031801.

Abstract

The attacks of September 11, 2001, prompt a consideration of the role of music in mourning and trauma. The intrapsychic functions of music in the mourning process are explored, as is music as a unique response to trauma and as a special aesthetic expression of a range of affects connected with grief. Also explored is the allied notion of consolation, a topic underdeveloped in the analytic literature.

MeSH terms

  • Adaptation, Psychological*
  • Grief*
  • Humans
  • Music*
  • Psychoanalytic Interpretation*
  • September 11 Terrorist Attacks / psychology*