Letter XII - Music
My Dear Rottmouth, as we continue our efforts to guide your patients away from the Enemy, we must consider the powerful influence of music. Music is a creation of the Enemy, designed to draw humans closer to Him and to elevate their spirits. However, as with all things, we can pervert it to serve our purposes. By subtly manipulating music, we can implant messages that lead your patients astray. Even more insidiously, we can ensure that their life is filled with constant noise, leaving no room for the Enemy’s still, small voice.
Begin by encouraging your patients to immerse themselves in music that carries subtle, yet destructive, messages. These messages need not be overtly malevolent; they can be as simple as promoting self-indulgence, materialism, or a nihilistic worldview. The key is to choose music that, while seemingly benign, subtly undermines the Enemy’s teachings. For example, songs that glorify fleeting pleasures, depict love in shallow or distorted ways, or promote a sense of hopelessness can be highly effective.
The power of repetition cannot be overstated. The more your patients listen to these messages, the more they will internalize them. Over time, their values and perceptions will be shaped by the lyrics and themes they constantly consume. Encourage them to form emotional attachments to these songs, making them a core part of their identity and daily routine. This emotional connection makes the messages more potent and harder to dislodge.
While the content of the music is important, the incessant presence of music is even more so. Humans have a natural inclination to seek silence and reflection, moments when the Enemy can communicate most clearly. Our task is to fill these moments with sound, ensuring that your patients never experience true quiet. Encourage them to have music playing at all times—in their homes, cars, workplaces, and even through headphones when they are out and about.
Promote the use of streaming services and playlists that offer continuous, uninterrupted music. The goal is to make silence uncomfortable and alien to them, so they constantly seek to fill it with noise. This constant barrage of sound will prevent them from having the quiet moments needed for introspection, prayer, or hearing the Enemy’s voice.
Moreover, encourage your patients to embrace genres of music that are particularly immersive and consuming. Complex, layered music that demands their full attention can be particularly effective in crowding out any chance of reflective thought. The more they are drawn into the music, the less aware of the messages that are being subtly fed into their minds and the less they will be of the Enemy’s presence and the inner workings of their own soul.
Utilize music as a means of social bonding and identity formation. Encourage your patients to associate with groups and subcultures that are defined by their musical tastes. This will create a strong sense of belonging and identity tied to the music, making it even more challenging for them to detach from the messages it conveys. The social aspect will also reinforce the idea that their musical choices are a central part of who they are, further embedding the subtle messages we wish to promote.
Additionally, be aware of the emotional power of music. Music has the unique ability to evoke and amplify emotions, making it an excellent tool for manipulating your patient’s mood and state of mind. Encourage them to use music as a means of escapism, to drown out their problems and avoid confronting difficult truths. This will keep them in a state of emotional dependency on the music, further preventing them from seeking solace or guidance from the Enemy.
In summary, the goal is twofold: first, to fill your patient’s life with music that subtly undermines the Enemy’s teachings, and second, to ensure that they are never exposed to silence. By doing so, we can keep them distracted, emotionally dependent, and disconnected from the moments of quiet reflection where the Enemy’s influence is strongest.
In our next correspondence, we will revisit in greater detail some of the ideas we have discussed briefly in previous letters. These tactics are of great use in confusing our patients from the Enemy’s path.
Your affectionate uncle,
Screwtape
