The Healing Power of Music
Some people are really into movies, others are really into books. I’ve always been really into music and the art of lyricism and rhythms. I always found it fascinating how quickly music could transport me to different places, or resonate with me in a way that made me think the creator must have known me somehow because the lyrics were too spot on. I wondered if the connection had any science behind it or not.
I was listening to a podcast where wellness guru Maryam Hasnaa mentioned that it only takes seconds for a frequency to reset the brain, and that was when I decided that I was finally going to research music and sound therapy. I went down a deep rabbit hole and I’m excited to share my findings with you!
Let’s start with the differences between music therapy sound therapy.
Frequency therapy or sound healing uses specific frequencies and harmonics that are said to heal the body. Music therapy is a combination of frequencies and harmonies that trigger an emotional response. Both can use instruments or the voice to impact a client’s wellbeing; both can engage the client in music making. But the intent of sound healing is to facilitate and direct specific sounds, and their resulting vibrations, to impact well-being, whereas music therapy bases its protocols on what is known about music’s structure and rhythm to actively engage a client in music making for the purpose of addressing a specific health outcome.
One thing that’s important to understand about the effects of sound therapy is that everything is in a state of vibration, including our organs, bones, tissues. If these parts of the body become imbalanced, they can be healed through projecting the proper and correct frequencies back into the body. Sound therapies use music to guide healing, but protocols aren’t based solely on the process of music listening or creation, but rather on finding and producing specific frequencies, which may be unique to the individual, that then can be directed internally to facilitate healing.
There is also something called binaural beats therapy, which is an emerging form of soundwave therapy in which the right and left ears listen to two slightly different frequency tones that are perceived as one. The four categories of frequency patterns are:
- Delta patterns: Binaural beats in the delta pattern are set at a frequency of between 0.1 and 4 Hz, which is associated with dreamless sleep.
- Theta patterns: Binaural beats in the theta pattern are set at a frequency of between 4 and 8 Hz, which is associated with sleep in the rapid eye movement or REM phase, meditation, and creativity.
- Alpha pattern: Binaural beats in the alpha pattern are set at a frequency of between 8 and 13 Hz, which may encourage relaxation.
- Beta pattern: Binaural beats in the beta pattern are set at a frequency of between 14 Hz and 100 Hz, which may help promote concentration and alertness. However, this frequency can also increase anxiety at the higher end of the frequency range.
The potential benefits of binaural beats therapy include reduced stress, reduced anxiety, increased focus, increased confidence, and improved psychomotor performance and mood.
Dr. Vincent Giampapa found that the use of binaural beats therapy in the alpha, theta, and delta patterns had positive effects on the human body to include specific effects on cortisol (the stress hormone) and melatonin (the “restful sleep” hormone).
DIY Sound Healing
Of course, not everyone (myself included) has the time or money to go to work with a sound healing professional one-on-one. According to this article on Byrdie, one of the best ways to DIY sound healing is to sing along to music that you like. Although it sounds silly, our voices are unique to us and they have the perfect harmony to support, shift, open, and release. So something like singing in the shower in the morning is a great way shift your energy.
Another thing that I like to do is listen to frequency therapy tracks. My digital streaming platform of choice is Spotify and there’s a playlist on Spotify called Frequency Therapy: Awakenings. It was almost 30 hours worth of tracks ranging from songs with specific Hz to songs that are supposed to aid in efforts like meditation or deep breathing. Sometimes I listen to this playlist as I fall asleep and sometimes I listen when I just feel like I need a reset. I’m sure that all of the other DSPs have playlists like this, so just search!
According to the American Psychological Association, while music has long been recognized as an effective form of therapy to provide an outlet for emotions, the notion of using song, sound frequencies and rhythm to treat physical ailments is a relatively new domain.
At its core, music is sound, and sound is rooted in vibration, and these vibrations have been proven to have real physiological benefits. Dr. Lee Bartel, a music professor at the University of Toronto, is exploring whether sound vibrations absorbed through the body can help ease the symptoms of Parkinson's disease, fibromyalgia and depression. Known as vibroacoustic therapy, the intervention involves using low frequency sound — similar to a low rumble — to produce vibrations that are applied directly to the body.
Music therapy can also take on a much formal frame, similar to talk therapy and play therapy. According to musictherapy.org, Music Therapy is an established health profession in which music is used within a therapeutic relationship to address physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of individuals. After assessing the strengths and needs of each client, the qualified music therapist provides the indicated treatment including creating, singing, moving to, and/or listening to music. The musical involvement of the therapeutic context can also help clients strengthen their abilities in other areas of their lives. Music therapy also provides avenues for communication that can be helpful to those who find it difficult to express themselves in words.
Research in music therapy supports its effectiveness in many areas such as: overall physical rehabilitation and facilitating movement, increasing people's motivation to become engaged in their treatment, providing emotional support for clients and their families, and providing an outlet for expression of feelings.
Because music can evoke positive emotions and stimulate reward centers in the brain, music therapy is often able to alleviate symptoms of mental health concerns such as depression, mood-related concerns, anxiety, schizophrenia, substance dependency, autism, and personality issues (source). Music therapy can both assess and enhance cognitive, social, emotional, and motor functioning.
DIY Music Therapy
I’m sure you’ve been doing music therapy for a while now without even realizing it. When you listen to a song that evokes certain emotions that you feel like you need help expressing, that’s music therapy. When you listen to a song that you know will lift your spirit, that’s music therapy. When you listen to a song that makes you dance or gets you excited while anticipating the drop of the beat, that’s music therapy.
Now that I’ve given you the full run down, I hope that you find this useful and that you don’t underestimate the power of sound. I’m sure that as I learn more about this, I’ll have more to share.
If you like the audio-posts, be sure to let me know in the comments down below. Happy 2020, and as always, thanks for journeying with me.