“Music directly represents the passions of the soul. If one listens to the wrong kind of music, he will become the wrong kind of person” – Aristotle

The first article in this series investigated the huge amount of dark esoteric symbols being promoted in the music industry. This article explores how references to darkness in popular music extend well beyond the use of symbols, creating a culture where the forces of evil are celebrated and practically worshipped by proxy throughout the world.

Music makes up a huge part of our lives. We listen in our spare time, to entertain us while we’re going to work, to motivate us – we might even have songs from our favourite artists stuck in our head all day long! Popular musicians undeniably hold a powerful position in our lives, having a big impact over the direction of our thoughts, emotions and actions. For many people they are life’s biggest role models.

There have been numerous scientific studies that show how we as a species are prone to imitating and conforming to the requests of powerful people and how easily we go along with social norms. Recently there has been much concern about the effect celebrities have on the values of adolescents who often mimic adult behaviours they witness in the media without fully understanding their consequences.

Collectively the videos of popular artists have billions of views on YouTube, and vast numbers of fans buy albums and visit concerts every year. That’s a lot of influence to have on the impressionable minds of future generations.

“Celebrity worship now provides an important reference point for growing up. It’s part of the transfer of attachment from parents to peer group. Also, whereas in past times family, friends and teachers were influential role models, celebrities now fulfill that role.” – John Maltby, co-author of a study on the attitudes of youth towards celebrities ^Source

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