Music enters the body through the ear, and the bones of the body act like a tuning fork. The neurological fields of the body are then stimulated by music. Music is a means by which all people can feel these healing vibrations. Even people with profound handicaps can benefit from music healing effects. Research in physiological responses to music supports the hypothesis that listening to music influences a person’s autonomic responses.
Science has proven that music focused in the higher register increases tension. Conversely, music played in the lower register reduces tension. Music that is played at a tempo of 80-90 beats per minute increases tension, while music played at 40-60 beats per minute decreases tension.
According to Dr Arthur Harvey, there are four distinct ways in which our brain responds to music: cognitive, affective, physical, and transpersonal. When music is used as medicine, it is used in a way that directly affects, the health of the patient.
An example is the use of music in “audio-analgesia”. Music is used in this way to alleviate or lessen pain, and can be used, at times, in lieu of pain medications. When music is used in this way, it is a necessary component in affecting the outcome of the treatment.
Vibrational therapy sessions can be used to affect physiological changes such as lowering of blood pressure, heart rate, and muscle tension. Studies have shown that music used as medicine can increase the immune function and decrease ACTH (stress) hormones. Music and sound has also been shown to kill cancer cells.
Another benefit of “healing” music is to stir our emotions and feelings, to help us deal with grief, sadness, anger or other feelings. By allowing ourselves to really experience the feelings, the intensity will eventually lessen and even dissipate, resulting in healing.
When we avoid our feelings (consciously or subconsciously) they nonetheless tend to build up inside. They don’t just go away. Music and sound are wonderful tools for helping us deal with feelings within us, whether we’re aware of them or not.
Types of Healing Music
After all that has been said, we may ask ourselves what type of music is healing? Music that energises our body, stimulates our brain, awakens our feelings, ignites our soul, relaxes our body, calms our mind, unwinds our emotions, motivates our actions, helps us unwind, helps us sleep, wakes us up, expands our thinking, and helps us not to think, all of these can be healing.
Music used in the appropriate way can be healing. The key is to use wisdom and listen to what our inner healer tells us about how music makes us feel. There is no one type of music that is healing music. Listen to a wide variety of music and pay attention to how you respond with your whole being (mind, body, and spirit). Large listings of music are available all over the world for various illnesses, situations of the mind and other purposes.
By no means are these the only pieces of music that are healing, and the lists may change dramatically over time as more and more people become involved in this exciting field of health and healing. Music, of course, cannot replace sound medical advice. Music can uphold the emotion, the spirit and the soul and can benefit anybody, whatever the situation. But it is erroneous to believe that it is a panacea.