"Music can also be a sensual pleasure, like eating food or sex. But its highest vibration for me is that point of taking us to a real understanding of something in our nature which we can very rarely get at. It is a spiritual state of oneness"

In this extensive quote, Terry Riley, a prominent author associated with the minimalist movement, discuss the complex effect of music on the human experience. Riley draws a parallel between music and other fundamental sensory satisfaction, like consuming or taking part in sex. By doing so, he acknowledges that music, like these other activities, can offer instant, visceral satisfaction. It triggers our sensory professors, engaging our acoustic senses in a manner that is equivalent to the gustatory or tactile pleasures connected with food and sex. This visceral connection highlights the fundamental human requirement for sensory stimulation and the method music fulfills an inherent desire for pleasure.

Nevertheless, Riley dives much deeper, suggesting that the true power of music transcends these corporeal experiences. He indicates a "highest vibration", a metaphorical frequency at which music operates that enables it to elevate our consciousness. Unlike the physical enjoyments of food and sex, music, at its most profound level, functions as a conduit to a heightened understanding of our inner selves and our place in the universe. This is a sort of enlightenment or insight into human nature that is elusive in daily life, an element of our presence that is revealed only through music's unique medium.

Riley's reference to a "spiritual state of oneness" highlights music's function in facilitating a connection with something higher than ourselves. It echoes spiritual traditions that view music as a medium for transcending ordinary truth, permitting people to experience unity with others, with nature, or with the divine. This oneness is a state in which individuals may feel a profound connection to their own inner realities, or to broader axioms, hence vouching for music's transformative power. In this way, Riley posits that music is not merely an art kind, however a transcendent experience that offers insights into the nature of presence, providing a much deeper understanding of ourselves and our world.