Imagining Nature during Music Listening: An exploration of the meaning, sharing and therapeutic potential of nature imagery in Guided Imagery and Music

Nature, its delights and horrors, its creatures, its challenges and affordances play an underrated role in receptive music therapy, especially Guided Imagery and Music (GIM). In general, people from Western cultures are challenged in their mostly recreational relationship with nature, while ancient and traditional cultures worship nature as a place of holiness and wholeness. In GIM, a client or a group listens to music in a relaxed state and multi-modal imagery is evoked and supported by the music. The imagery is shared with the guide/therapist. This chapter will focus on ‘nature imagery’ in GIM through a primarily qualitative, exploratory study.