Science has endorsed in recent times that certain musical phrases are capable of providing psychological and physiological benefits. An increased level of wellness and quality of life regardless of one’s health conditions or physical or mental disabilities has been confirmed in several experiments with music. Music does not affect the mind alone. Unconscious body reaction to music adds up the mystery of music, which makes music therapy all the more a complex stud. Rechardt (1988) had observed that in music, there are structures without contents, which actually represent the similar structures of archaic bodily comprehension.
Experiments with music also indicate that music influences the brain, which in turn influences the immune mechanism in the body. In this context, it’s relevant to point out that a fortified immune system may not be able to cure a terminal disease but it helps the patient fight better.
Using special devices, Allred Tomatis, a French physician discovered that burnout, fatigue and the debilitating effect of stress come when the central grey nuclei cells of the brain run low on electrical potential. These cells act like small batteries, they generate electricity for brain waves that can be detected on EEGs. Interestingly, these cells are not recharged by body metabolism. These cells are not recharged by body metabolism. These cells are charged up by something outside the body, namely sound. Before and after brain maps made from EEGs show that the brain is stimulated by high frequency (5000-8000 HZ).
It is curious to note that long before they are born, babies (embryos) can hear their mother’s voice at frequencies of about 8000 Hz. The high frequency sound, with which the embryos are nourished with, are attributed to the distortion that takes place when sound travels through the amniotic fluid. Tomatis through his experiments with Mozart observed that its passages were frequented with high frequency sounds and thereby could virtually take one’s consciousness back to the safe and secure womb of the mother.
THE HEALING SECRET IN MUSIC
It is well known that music is too complex a phenomenon for scientific scrutiny. It is much more mystical if one has to ascertain it’s therapeutic ingredients. However, a team of scientists drawn from various disciplines like immunology, neurology, physiology, psychology, and musicology around the world are making an attempt to uncover the healing secrets of music.
Music we know, cannot be viewed in an objective way, i.e., by disassociating the mind’s involvement. It makes all the more difficult to scientifically appreciate or evaluate the musical inputs in a therapeutic setting. However, a therapist who is good at mindreading can design a suitable musical input beneficial to his patient. It may be borne in mind here that good results cannot be expected even if the best of musical input is selected by the therapist if the receiving patient is critical, doubtful, reluctant or unwilling to undergo the therapy sessions.
THERAPEUTIC RHYTHMS
When a mother pats her crying child to calm down, she unconsciously creates a rhythm, which is comforting.
In music too, rhythms follow a pattern comforting those who have expressible or inexpressive grievances in their life.
Listening to musical rhythms do have an impact on the brain wave rhythms responsible for our state of consciousness: whether we are alert (with the predominance of beta waves) or relaxed or asleep (with the predominance of alpha, theta or delta levels, as the case may be). A musical harmonic order called ‘rhythmic functional order of humans’ could be intensified even when a person is sleepy. It was experimentally observed by the author in a workshop conducted at Delhi that by manipulating the rhythmic structure of a tabla or a manjira one could feel relaxed’ and “happy’ as remarked by participants themselves. It is a well-known fact that long term musical involvement reaps cognitive rewards in terms of linguistic skills, reasoning and creativity enhancing social adjustments. Music exercises the brain and playing the instruments for instance, involves vision, hearing, touch, motor planning, emotion, symbols-interpretation – all of which go to activate different areas of brain-functioning. It was observed that some Alzheimer patients could respond to music well even long after they had forgotten their near and dear ones.
The intimate connections between one’s life-processes and their music can remain despite illness or disability. They are not dependent on one’s musical coaching or mastery. Because of this, learning difficulties, mental and physical ailments, physical abuse, stress, terminal illness etc. encountered by people could be addressed by exposing them to an appropriate dose of music suitable to their constitution and mental needs.
Every one of us responds to music – from the newborn infant to the patients suffering from terminal diseases and from physically or mentally strong to those who are handicapped or disabled. Several psychotherapists have used music to enhance their efficacy in treating those with neurotic disorders. Clients and the therapist improvise: music together, building a creative musical process which enhances communication and helps people live more resourcefully and creatively. Appropriate music helps people in controlling blood pressure, emotions, liver functioning and psycho-somatic disorders. Paul Nordoff commented that once a musician begins to work as a therapist, he will find new depths in the art of music itself. Developing a clinical musical skill would, no doubt, release the world of music from the narrow clutches of entertainment, paving the way towards service to humanity.
This article was published in ‘The Eternal Solutions’ 2005 November – Pages 114, 115
Edited by Geeta Shreedar, April 7, 2021