There are the 4 songs from Camel that I am referencing as examples. These samples all transcend the listener in some way. There is a sense of longing for something in all these songs; its mode or general ambience gives rise to certain emotional aesthetics. 

I am also very much into dreams, as I have been spiritual all my life. There is dream-like vibe that encompasses music such as these. It transcends space and time, or it is completely timeless.

Songs:

Album Single factor:

Camel - Heroes. Heroes scream the 80s. The beautiful part at 2:26 is where the word "evermore" is echoed, : wistful, and a deep longing. 

Heart\s desire/End piece. This song is ahead of its time, perhaps my favourite. The song caresses the listener with a beauty that words cannot describe. Throughout the song, the listener is transcended through space, submerged into the beautiful chord transitions, a lingering sadness, and that sense of "homecoming". There is this connection with something very deep that you can't quite explain. (Typical of Lydian mode themes.)

Lyrics:  https://lyricss.org/en/song/camel-the-single-factor-album-a-heart-s-desire-english-lyrics/9320" rel="nofollow - Camel A Heart's Desire Lyrics - Lyricss

It is also the lyrics. It is, I believe, about death.

Album: Nude

Reflections. Just a beautiful, slow, and contemplative atmosphere.

Could you guys post music that resemble what I posted? Others would post their versions of "masterpieces" and oftentimes those strike me as skin deep. I won't object to the difficulty of the music, or the lyrics, but the songs just cannot connect completely. It is a frustration I've bottled up, to in the end have music I find only by myself. I wish it were different in that I could completely be gobsmacked by the preferences of others. But I guess then we would not have anything "unique".

I also know that my tastes are merely subjective, and it would be a dishonor to the multitude of listeners on here to discount their music as "trite" and "boring". This is not my intention, but I beckon that you, with the taste kin to mine, hand me more of the "good stuff", so to speak.

I think all these tracks can be categorized as having a ballad-like vibe that could pass as "melodic". Yet other forms of melodic music aren't as moving and does not necessarily engulf this homecoming sense of belonging, wonder, and innocence.

Maybe you get me; maybe you don't. I hope you do and can relate to some music that might resemble the above emotions.

I want music that is personal, one to do with personal struggle and attainment rather than the alure of mutual interconnectedness such as what you get with pop music today. I think that is what makes contemplative or "brooding" music so much different: it is slower, and more serious, yet piercing and full of emotion.

I will later post an addendum to more tracks that inspired me to write this post.

Just had to get it out there.

This kind of thing is very subjective. It's always hard to know whether other people's hearts will be touched in the same way by the same things. Anyway...

Yeah, David Sylvian... first thing that came to mind:

Not sure whether this one fits your bill but for me it well belongs there. Bruford - Palewell Park

Sufjan Stevens - 4th of July

Maybe I come back with more.

...and of course...

William D. Drake - Me Fish Bring

Ok, so here are some more tracks for you as well. 

Fish -- Waverly steps. This one is perhaps the most beautiful Fish song ever composed, a true masterpiece in its own right. About a man who lost everything and ended up homeless in the end.

Threshold -- Legend of the Shrines. The whole darn album is pure delight. 

Debussy Consort -- Flying. I am not sure if Debussy really composed this song, but it sounds too postmodern to be associated with his period. 

Blank Manuscript -- Kites to the sky. Dreamy, youthful, and a longing to be a child again. This is how I feel when I listen to this song. Why can't Blank Manuscript release more such songs? Give me more!

Listen to these and please let me know what you think. I owe it to you guys. Thanks for replying.

Hi,

Hard for me to stick with pop music and specially "songs" when there is so much other stuff out there that stands out within the "spiritual field" that is mostly ignored because it does not fit a popular format, or because it does not sound like something we know ... ie. a melody!

I find Klaus Schulze specially attuned to spiritual work, even if it is "labelled" with a title that has a tendency to throw you off and make you wonder why? By the time you hear "Mirage", you know that there is something special here ... and I feel the same for Tangerine Dream, whose spheres and trips are kinda given a title that also makes you think about something else, even though it's hard to mistake an orgasm in Phaedra, but by the time you hear Stratosfear, it's like you are in outer space and hearing something that is millions of miles away, that you can barely get a feel for, but it sounds far out and neat!

I won't even go into the things that are specially "spiritual" and "directly" so ... Frank Perry's first two albums are VERY SERIOUS meditations that almost none of us can make it through in one sitting, and most popsters will never consider the thought, either. Stephen Micus, similar, although not as well focused as Frank Perry. I like a lot of Deuter, despite his connection to something that Americans didn't like and made sure to destroy and send away! I like some of the material that Ryuichi Sakamoto did for many films, that is very high level spiritual stuff and you know that he knows the difference. I appreciate John McLaughlin's trips even though it seems a bit faster but it's not for me to say what everyone's "speed" level is! 

Pop music is not the place for "spiritual works" beyond the "snippet" or the "idea" that something is spiritual ... heck, one could easily say that Mike Oldfield fits, or even Vangelis Pappathanassiou even though his works seem more attuned to Greek music of the past than it would be towards rock music, and after that into what really is classical music of this day and age! We can not even conceive of that connection!

I would like to add Peter Michael to this list, specially as he has books on this subject, however, I always get the feeling that we end up getting lectured because of the pop music structures that we think are the best of music and continuously pay for it ... commercial music as Vangelis called it! However, PMH's knowledge of music and studies are way out there, and difficult, and I'm not sure that a single person here on PA has actually sat down and read it at all, or even try it ... his (my thoughts) bad comments about pop music are not necessary, but he has a value system that has a lot of academic thought into it.

A lot of Amon Duul 2, specially in the early days (ended with the album "Vive La Trance" right after the ending of "Apocaliptyc Bore" in my book!!!!!) was very much in tune with something inside, and the lyrics, might have suggested that they were psychedelic, and in the end, they aren't ... they are deadly serious and right on the money ... but we find them "weird" and won't bother looking at its context. By the time you hear Lothar Meid state ... shoot, or I will take you for a run, you know that this is not just stoned stuff at all and that they have experienced it and they know what it is about!

Not sure I can stop on this subject ... too many to count.

...the water flowing..

...The endless river...

...forever and ever...