The Therapeutic Power Of Music: How Music Promotes Peace Of Mind
It is a proven fact that even day-old infants react to rhythmic patterns or music. This is probably why mothers throughout time and across cultures have been relying on rhythmic rocking or lullabies to calm crying babies or make them sleep. If we look at it from an evolutionary perspective, music may even precede language. Even as a grownup, try walking down the street while humming your favourite song in your head, you might notice yourself walking to the beat. Music as a matter of fact has a profound impact on our emotions, mind as well as holistic selfthroughout one’s life cycle.
We all would have experiences to share where listening to some specific music made us smile, become nostalgic or feel sad. As it taps seamlessly into our emotional system, it can very well be used in a therapeutic manner. In fact, music therapists have been using this specific ability of music to help people overcome situations such as anxiety, stress, depression, fatigue etc. It has even been corroborated by researchers at Stanford University that music can have an impact on brain functioning that is similar to the effect of meditation. For example, while music with a faster tempo can make one more alert and help in concentrating better, a slower tempo can relax our minds as well as muscles, thereby leading to reduced stress.
There is a popular phrase in the world of music, the Mozart Effect, coined a couple of decades ago. A study about the Mozart effect affirms that classical music can act as a major catalyst for improving one's wellbeing, health as well as mental peace. It, however, corresponds primarily to instrumental compositions, as it's based on the premise that words in the music may be a source of distraction. Similar is the effect of Indian classical music. The myriad ragas are known for their therapeutic power and positive impact on body and mind. In fact, Ayurveda lists the healing abilities of Indian classical music under raga chikitsa where it establishes the connect that ragas have on our energy centres also known as chakras.
The different sounds of nature, for instance crashing of waves, rattling of leaves, ripples in a lake, have displayed their mettle in enhancing concentration as well as cognitive functioning. Similar has been the impact of cinematic music, which comes with its own sense of grandiose, and plays an instrumental role in brightening moods and lifting spirits.
When we look at it more holistically, people come together via music, and it helps them feel that they are more than the sum of their parts. People can be empowered and inspired by music to work together to achieve goals and realise visions that would be impossible achieve on their own. In other words, we use music to improve our lives, whether it’s for social, cognitive, physical, emotional, or developmental reasons. Music as a therapeutic tool definitely promotes utmost peace of mind.
