Abstract

This autoethnography explores how I, during a period of huge personal loss, experienced personal transformation through the method of Music and Imagery (MI) therapy. In this presentation I will share my journey by explaining the MI method first and then using music listening and artwork. I will demonstrate how, through transcendental experiences in the music, I reconnected to my Higher Power, leading to healing and post-traumatic growth. 

Guided Imagery and Music (GIM) originated from Helen Bonny’s spiritual experience of her own violin playing, and during training, the MI practitioner’s personal experience and self-exploration of musical depth are crucial and essential. MI is on the one end of a continuum model, while GIM is on the other end. For the purpose of this presentation, I will focus on MI only, and more specifically, PMI (Personal Music and Imagery). MI involves drawing while listening to a piece of music that has been chosen for a specific purpose. The music is repeated until the drawing is completed. 

The presentation will focus on the importance of personal work through PMI and how it contributes to both personal and spiritual growth. The paper will consist of three sections. I will start off by giving a short background and introduction to MI training. Then, I will focus on PMI, concluding with my experiences of post-traumatic and spiritual growth. 

 About the speaker

Petra Jerling (PhD; M.Mus. Music Therapy; MA Positive Psychology) is a registered music psychotherapist in private practice in South Africa. Her practice is registered as Music and Well-being as she is passionate about people’s well-being, and she believes this is attainable through music as part of one’s self-care routine. She works with young children with physical and mental disabilities as well as geriatric patients in need of care. However, another passion of hers is the well-being of drug and alcohol addicts who want to make a positive change in their lives. She is on the steering committee of the international Music, Spirituality and Well-being network, as well as the European Association for Music and Imagery.  She has presented at several national and international conferences and symposia, including OPTENTIA, SA-ACAPAP, SAMTA and PASMEA, as well as the second and third international CMGIM symposia and at the second and third international EAMI GIM conferences. Petra has published in various high impact scientific journals and is also part of the editorial team of two volumes containing autobiographical work, planned for 2025.

The video recording of the event will be available on our YouTube channel Spirituality and the Arts Special Interest Group 

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For more details, see https://spiritualitystudiesnetwork.org/Spirituality-and-the-Arts-SIG

The SIG Chairs: the Rev. Prof. June Boyce-Tillman, Dr Lila Moore, Annalisa Burello.