The effect of music

Have you ever wondered what effect music has on human health and how it can be used for therapeutic purposes? There is evidence of clinical use of certain music frequencies or forms to improve heart rate, reduce anxiety, and improve brain function, thereby enhancing the ability to learn.

Many do not even know that there is this type of therapy and how different frequencies and binaural bits can relax you or increase your readiness for work. Music aids in physical rehabilitation, improving movement by increasing human motivation, and offers emotional support that makes it easier to express feelings.

This is an established medical practice in some countries, where clients are even encouraged to sing, listen and follow their own voice, thus regaining their self-confidence, which in turn increases their personal capacity for self-healing. You do not have to be a musician to be treated with this type of therapy. All you need to do is take the time to learn more about the different types of frequencies and apply them in your daily life. Even if it is difficult for you, it is good to find music that you will find to have a beneficial effect on your psychophysical balance.

Music helps those clients who find it difficult to express themselves in words, by activating special places in the brain. It can help people who already have an illness or are simply tired and in need of rest. That way there is relaxation, and then there are creative solutions. The world of music is abstract and is no less important than the concrete reality, which can not always give logical answers. Even Pythagoras, Plato, and Aristotle wrote about how music affects health and behaviour, and in modern times, it has been used regularly since the 1950s, especially for brain injuries or dementia-related diseases because it activates so many sectors in the brain and makes new connections between nerves. Everyone has their own rhythm, which helps them move, breathe and live in a unique way.

How does this type of therapy work?

Music therapy works in many ways and it has been proven that different types of rhythms affect the work of the heart, and by consolidating its speed, it improves breathing, which naturally leads to the production of endorphins, which are natural analgesics. Then the type of music itself can have a calming effect and reduce muscle tension, which leads to natural relaxation. With music we can release the negative patterns of thinking and get rid of the repressed pain of an unresolved issue and thus correct our behaviour.

Can you treat yourself with music?

Of course you can do that! You probably sing yourself while working or dancing to the rhythm of a song heard on the radio, but it would be good if you consciously choose a specific type of music that has a certain frequency, with which you can fall asleep, wake up easier and work and then relax. Binaural beats and this kind of music activate both hemispheres of the brain equally, acting first on the conscious side and then on the unconscious. It has the effect of meditation and five types of frequencies are used, which are understood by the brain. They are:

Gamma waves> 40 Hz

Gamma waves are associated with higher mental activity, including higher perception, problem solving, and higher awareness.

Beta waves 13–39 Hz

Beta waves are responsible for active thinking, work, active processing and concentration, excitement and cognition, but can lead to anxiety if they are at a higher frequency.

Alpha Waves 7–13 Hz

Alpha waves are known to have a calming effect, to relax, but also to keep you awake i.e, aware.

Theta waves 4–7 Hz

This type of wave is used to achieve deep meditation, relaxation and REM sleep, when there is rapid eye movement when dreaming, and thus increases creativity.

Delta waves <4 Hz

These waves are responsible for achieving deep sleep, as well as for the loss of consciousness of the body, associated with sleep without sleep.

Of course, you do not have to know this if you want to play an instrument or learn how to play some other. Playing some types of instruments helps with creative expression and reduces stress, while listening to music leads to relaxation. That way you bring back the motivation in life as well as the courage. Music successfully treats anxiety and depression, increases the cognitive capacities of children, and it helps with Alzheimer’s disease, as well as dementia, but also in reducing the pain of terminal diseases or postoperative shocks and traumas.

If you want to try this type of therapy, ask your family doctor or the nearest medical centre or ambulance, where you will get information on where to go next or how to practice it yourself. Music is an art that helps healthy people and can be used to treat the entire population.

@Irena Tancheva