Stasis is a ubiquitous term in discussions of Gyorgy Ligeti's music of the early sixties. Virtually every analysis of Atmospheres describes it as embodying a radical gesture of negation, to the extent that it effaces most of the elements that define the traditional musical work, such as melody, harmonic progression, and distinct rhythmic patterning. But even though stasis is often ascribed to the work, it is difficult to see how such a concept can accurately apply to any musical work, even one as unconventional as Atmospheres. Inasmuch as music is essentially temporal, the use of the term 'stasis' must be understood as metaphoric: it is an interpretation that analysts make, rather than a description. This paper will examine how the musical motion that does subsist in this work is manipulated so as to make it appear insubstantial, justifying the ascription of stasis. To this end, I adopt the theories of Leonard Meyer to demonstrate how the treatment of musical parameters in Atmospheres creates the semblance of stasis, by calling into question tacit assumptions concerning the ostensibly dynamic nature of music.