Music Theory
Among the many other things that music is, it is also a means of transmitting spiritual virii from a composer to a listener.
Consider Sufjan Stevens's "Romulus." I had a pretty peaceful childhood, and certainly nothing like the nightmare that he describes of an absentee, uncaring mother. But this song doesn't just make me understand how it must have felt. It makes me feel the feeling.
There was a time when I was cynical about this power of music - thinking that I needed to guard against it lest it lead my spirit into false places, or shall I say, lest my soul be won too cheaply.
My first chorus concert, in 6th or 7th grade, I was so scared that I couldn't stop yawning. The yawning made my eyes water, and people asked me later why I had cried through the concert. I was quite defensive and told them about the yawning. But nowadays my church choir frequently does pieces that leave me quite emotional. I have to steel myself to keep from crying at their beauty and truth.
If we ever do "Romulus," though, I might just keep my seat.