Abstract

Music consists of norms, structures, and laws as well as of creative elements that allow for freedom of expression and aesthetic beauty. Music may affect one’s temporary moods and behaviors, influencing one’s conscious and unconscious states of being. Music is a form of art where the three orders of the Real, the Imaginary, and the Symbolic are interconnected. These three orders of music are also qualities of the healthy functioning human being’s inner structure of the psyche Music therapy may lead the person to feelings of transcendence, to a meaningful life. In a music therapy setting, the psyche’s inner structure may be affected deeply. In the psyche’s structure of children and adults in the autistic spectrum or in psychosis the symbolic order is excluded. Therefore, the entry into language is not possible and there is an aphonic Voice that may be the autistic voice. It’s a voice that starts with a cry that is not addressing the other; it is an aphonic cry. The trained music therapist can be aware of and respond to the “aphonic” cry of a client in autistic or psychotic states to help the client move to the healthy state of FA-fonie (FA-voice). In this article a case study follows one autistic adolescent’s journey in individual music therapy sessions for three years and, later, in Community music therapy performances for one year. The results of this case study show that through music therapy the person with a psychotic structure of the psyche who lives mainly in the Imaginary order and in the Real can enter the Symbolic order, which was excluded. When connecting with the big Other (A), meaning that the aphonic voice can become phonic and address the Other as well as meaningfully interact with the Other, an individual with a developmental or psychological disorder can experience healthy moments in life. This article calls this functioning, healthier state of being the state of “FA-fonie.” Ancient Greek mythology, psychoanalysis, music therapy theory, and a case study illustrate the analogies between the structures of music and the human psyche.

Keywords:Music; Therapy; Psyche; Structure of the psyche; FA-fonie (voice); Autism