Indian music is essentially vertical in nature, meaning that it is internal and reflective of a drawing inward. Like the Eastern culture and religion, it is introverted. Eastern religions emphasize the importance of introspection and self-discovery, encouraging individuals to explore the inner reality and mystery of their being. Eastern music facilitates this process.

The power and beauty of this vertical music lie in melody, which is the relationship of successive notes. Melody is a means of connecting the human with the Divine. It operates through the psychic levels of an intermediate world that is difficult to define, as it transcends the boundaries of everyday existence and consciousness. It is a world of the unconscious, of dreams and deep moods, images and sounds, of the inner senses—those mystical dimensions of the human psyche that are either overdeveloped or underdeveloped in most of us.  

Indian music, and all contemplative music, strives to balance these dimensions as it u...