THE POWER OF MUSIC ON BODY, MIND AND SPIRIT

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I still believe in things I can't see ... I believe in things I can feel: Music Love and God." Lina Loy

AFFECT ON AGING

Dr. Langer more than three decades ago showed that if you turn back the clock psychologically, this can tempoarily effect aging. A group of men between 70 and 80 years old relived a week in 1959 in a building refurbished to fit the era. The experiment included listening to the music of that time. viewing shows and movies from that decade on black and white T.V. and discussing those current events. After the week it was noted that their memory, physical strength, vision and hearing improved.

DEMENTIA

Recent F.M.R.I. research showed that listening and singing songs that were personalized and relevant to the musical memory of dementia patients had the effect of stimulating brain areas that were relatively undamaged by the disease. The music animated those with dementia and reduced anxiety, agitation and depression. It also enable loved ones to communicate with them more easily. 

Musical memories were preserved because many areas were spared from the amyloid deposits in the brain. Music could take varied, other pathways through the brain. Although music seemed to anchor the patients back into reality there was little affect of this treatment on the general condition of the patients.

The late Glen Campbell developed Altzheimers but was still capable of giving performances with the help of his devoted family. The audience did not seem to care when he sometimes had to be reminded about the lyrics. Musical memories seem to be retained in many patients who otherwise have severe cognitive dysfunction.

Music has also been used to treat traumatic brain injury, Parkinson's disease, P.T.S.D. and other brain disorders. Motzart's piano sonata in D major apparently decreased epileptic seizures. 

INTELLIGENCE IN CHILDREN

Motzart's music may not have beneficial effects on childrens' spatial reasoning abilities (The Mozart effect) but any positive effects rather appeared to be due to "enjoyment arousal" and also possible with other music, and others positive stimuli as well.

Music can make children smarter but the effects are temporary and non-specific and no different to other methods of stimulating their brains.

However, children who become musicians have more neural connections, higher spatial intelligence, a more symmetrical brain with a larger corpus callosum and higher test and I.Q. scores. This may be akin to learning another language. Musicians also have an enhanced auditory system with a greater ability for identifying pitch and recognizing musical pieces.

MUSIC AS MEDITATION

The right kind of music also has the potential to create heart and brain Coherence by facilitating the Parasympathetic nervous system. This can override stress and the negative emotions that arise from a Sympathetic flight of fight response. Coherence (balance, harmony, equanimity) is a positive energy or vibration which spreads beyond its immediate environment. 

Music can also be healthful, enhance immune function and create positive emotional states.

 The wrong kind of music can do the opposite.

With music, hidden and repressed emotions can be released. If one listens to music with a tempo slower that the heart rate, the heart rate slows down.

The Heart Math institute has extended this concept to the idea of Coherence of heart rhythms in relationship to Heart Rate Variability (H.R.V.)  Heart rate Coherence occurs when the Parasympathetic and Sympathetic nervous systems are in balance. 

According to the Ancestors...

The mind controls the heart.

According to the Heart Math Institute the heart sends more signals to the brain than the other way around. Heart Coherence has the potential to create emotional balance in the brain and can occur with any meditative technique, active or passive, mental or physical and with selected music. We know how critical physical exercise is for both heart and brain function.

 

Music can do many things to our inner beings and we have to be careful in how we select it. The Nazis used it to torture Jews, the military to march soldiers to their deaths in war, others to court and woo prospective mates ...

 and all shades of light and dark in-between ...

Chassidic and African wisdom teach that song is also the most powerful way to pray and also to mourn.

"There are three ways of mourning; with tears, with silence and with song. That with song is the most powerful."

"With song one can open the gates of heaven." Chassidic sayings

"We pray by singing and dancing." African proverb

The Safe Sound Protocol was developed by Dr. Porges for children who have suffered severe abuse. This particular sound vibration facilitated their social engagement by means of high frequency auditory stimuli which simulated the frequencies of the human voice. Sadly, because of abuse their ears have been primed to detect low frequency threatening, predatory sounds only and tune out the more healthful, heartful, human ones.