How music affects our thinking and feeling states (psycho), which then affect our brain cells (neuro), which in turn influence our health. Part 2 of a 4-part article.
by Dr. Arthur Harvey
We now know a lot about the interrelationship between the mind and the body, and in essence, music can have an impact on any and all parts of our bodies.
One of the medical models that provides insight into the immense capability of music to provide healing, both emotionally/psychologically and physically, is the recent development of research in PNI, or psychoneuroimmunology. This provides a perspective that recognizes and researches how our thinking and feeling states (psycho) affect our brain cells (neuro) which in turn influence our health (immunology - the study of the immune system).
As stressors increase at a time of crisis (both real and imagined), an increase in the production of stress hormones causes effects such as poor sleep habits, memory lapses, learning difficulty, lack of attention, susceptibility to illness, anxiety, and high blood pressure.
Many other symptoms are often realized in one of three systems: (1) gastrointestinal, possible upset stomach, irregular bowel habits, and ulcers; (2) skeletal-muscle, resulting in tension and soreness throughout the body, back aches, fatigue, and headaches, and (3) cardio-vascular, resulting in high blood pressure, irregular heart beats, and headaches.
What enables music to be an important therapeutic aid during times of stress is its ability to change both mental and physical stress responses. Music, a symbolic communication language that is able to express, represent and communicate feelings and emotions that are ineffable (incapable of putting into words) offers both a receptive and expressive sound language system that is able to capture a wide repertoire of human feelings and emotions.
As music penetrates into our brain, it produces brain cell changes, both electrical and chemical, that result in changes in body systems and functions. Music has the ability to integrate the thinking and feeling functions of our brains.
Our response to music as it enters our body through the brain (and is carried by the vagus nerve through out the body) is why music can change heart rate, modify brain waves, impact blood pressure, influence breathing rate and depth, impact digestive processes, affect energy level and metabolism, and impact our cognitive functions.
In recent studies, music has been shown to produce changes in brain chemistry: decreasing stress hormones-Acrn (adrenocorticotropic hormone) and adrenalin; increasing pain reduction and mood elevating chemicals, endorphins; increasing mood and emotion moderating chemicals, serotonin; to stimulating the production of chemicals that aid in sleep, melatonin.
Music can also enhance or hinder memory, depending upon what type of music is used. Many writers of books dealing with sound therapy, music therapy and music medicine suggest that specific sounds, pitches, and music may have an effect upon specific organs and cells.
Choosing the "right music" to put IN our brains is critical for a time like this. Because each person responds to music uniquely, based on past association with and experiences of music, music education background, age, personal preferences, emotional state, and perceptual listening styles, there can be no generic prescription for the "right music" that will apply to all individuals.
However, research has shown that the body responds initially to the loudness, tempo, dissonance, and timbre of music chosen. The music that has the appropriate balance among these elements, represented symbolically in sounds that evoke the sense of tension and release, can produce the most healthful and therapeutic responses.
The music of the baroque and classical composers has consistently been shown to produce the most healthful responses in individuals of all ages. Relax with the Classics recordings are representative of many that have been used worldwide for all ages and in a variety of situations to provide a healthful sound environment.
Our music also has the power to help children and adults release, or let our their emotions. Because music is a symbolic language that represents moods, emotions, and feelings through sounds, the active process of making music and responding to music enables individuals to release their feelings in a cathartic way.
Because each person has a unique cognitive and emotional make-up, a variety of several different music-making processes may need to be explored to determine through which musical outlet the most benefit can be derived. These include playing instruments, singing, moving to music, creating music, and listening to music.
Emotions and feelings that are not released can produced psychosomatic illnesses, and may be toxic to the brain. The complexity and sophistication of the music can be adapted to be age-appropriate, technically and textually, if words are included with music. In times of fear, anxiety, stress, and uncertainty there is a tendency to dwell on that which is of concern, sometimes obsessively.
There are a variety of explanations why music and music-making can bring us out of ourselves: music provides a non-threatening socialization experience, as we relate to common experiences with others locally and nationally, cross-culturally, and intergenerationally.
Music listening and music making utilizes our brain cells (neurons) as a stimulus that keeps our those thoughts that may concern us, a process used in medical applications and pain management.
Part 1: The Importance of Music for a Time Like This
Part 3: The Positive Effect of Music
Part 4: Music Can Help Manage Stress Levels
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