The ancient Egyptians (1500 years BC) believed that melodies, especially those that accompanied the voice of the god Thot, had a positive influence on female fertility. Whether or not this was true, from earliest times, mankind has recognized the therapeutic value of music for his health and well being.
These properties are used in music therapy, a treatment that produces positive psychological and psychomotor benefits as well as improving physical well being and energy levels.
Even though this is a therapy that has come into fashion in recent decades thanks to the increase in popularity of natural medicine, it was in use long before this. It dates as far back as prehistoric times when music became part of magical, religious and healing rites that the earliest humans engaged in. In 1889 the archeologist Petrie came across the first Egyptian papyri, in the city of Kahum, indicating how thousands of years before Christ, music was recognized as a factor capable of healing the body, calming the mind and purifying the soul.
The Hebrew people also turned to music to solve physical and mental problems, while the Greeks went as far as to look for scientific reasons to explain the way music influenced the human body. Such well known names as Pythagoras, Plato and Aristotle are associated with the concept of music as the result of a perfect mathematical formula that, when disturbed, created a harmonic confusion in the soul. So it is up to the music itself to re-establish this lost harmony, which will lead to healing for the body and spirit.
It was not until the 18th Century that scientific studies began into the therapeutic properties of music. Such recognized medical figures as Héctor Chomet dedicated themselves to this subject and to analyzing how it could be used to prevent and treat certain illnesses by removing disease from their patients.
How can music achieve all this? To answer this question first of all we have to understand how different musical elements affect the human being:
- Tempo: slow tempos create feelings of dignity, calm, serenity, tenderness and even sadness. Fast tempos on the other hand, awaken feelings of happiness, excitement and energy.
- Rhythm: slow rhythms induce peace and serenity. Fast rhythms on the other hand lead to activity and the need to express feelings.
- Harmony: when a tune is in harmony it generates feelings of equilibrium, rest and happiness. Music that lacks harmony brings about unease, concern and agitation.
- Tonality: major keys tend to be happy and lively and make the listener more outgoing. Minor keys evoke intimacy, melancholy and lead to introversion.
- Pitch: High notes act on the nervous system, sharpening the reflexes, leaving to a sense of alertness and lack of tiredness. Low notes lead to heightened calmness.
These elements in combination produce patterns of electronic activity in the brain that influence the way it functions as a regulator of the body’s vegetative functions. Music therapy takes advantage of the electromagnetic frequencies of sound to influence brain activity, in order to restore harmony.
In other words, music therapy sends sensations to the brain, which bring about relaxation and cancel out the influences that cause illness. Results achieved so far are pretty persuasive:
- In people with sleep difficulties, music therapy produces tiredness through the use of stringed instruments and smooth rhythms.
- Sad tunes that little by little transition into a more dynamic tone have been effective in treating depression.
- Classical compositions such as Handel’s Harp Concerto and Vivaldi’s Oboe Concerto have proved beneficial in people suffering with stomach complaints.
- For patients with high blood pressure, specialists recommend listening to Vivaldi’s Four Seasons or Mozart’s 13th Serenade in G Major.
- Both Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and the Concierto de Aranjuez by Rodrigo, have proved capable of reducing anxiety.
These are melodies you can listen to in the peace and quiet of your own home and that will help you to deal with minor problems. If you are suffering from a more serious illness, you should ideally put yourself in the hands of one of the specialist therapists, most of which are doctors who have found this type of treatment to be a viable alternative for improving the health and wellbeing of their patients. |
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