The mind is to the spirit what notes are in relation to music. In the same way as music is not just simply a sequence of tones, the spirit exists in another dimension and the mind provides the building blocks for the former. This higher ground is what we strive for. Perhaps this analogy can help explain John Coltrane's strong connection between music and spirituality. For some people it is easy to open the gate to this higher dimension (in music and/or in spirit), for others it may always be locked. In my sense of the word, however, the 'spirit' does not necessarily have to be a religious or supernatural entity; it can plainly be a 'higher meaning'.