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Sound has been used to heal and calm people for thousands of years. Himalayan singing bowls used in Asia during prayer and meditation positively affect one’s health and well-being. This is just one example of age-old instruments from all over the world being applied as healing instruments.
Sound therapy is based on the premise that we are all made up of energy frequencies, and audio frequencies can interact with our body’s energy to rebalance our systems.
Since music is basically just organized sound, it can be deconstructed to affect our physical and psychological well-being positively.
Our body’s response to noise traces back to when humans began roaming the earth. Think about loud noises such as your alarm clock in the morning, the rattling of a jackhammer, or the din of the open office. These sounds evoke an instinctive fight-or-flight reaction in our brains, causing a release of chemicals that stimulates immediate action. This reaction has been instrumental to our survival for eons and remains so to this day. The loud honk of a car horn immediately stimulates our brain and body to respond quickly and get us out of harm’s way.
The things we see, hear, and experience moment after moment not only change our mood but impact us on a deeper physical level; it alters the way our nervous, endocrine, and immune systems function.
Listening to birdsong is a wonderful way to reconnect with nature and shift your focus away from the clutter and chaos that is often part of our daily lives.
According to Eleanor Ratcliffe from the University of Surrey, in her thesis examining the restorative perceptions and outcomes associated with listening to birds, bird sounds have the ability to transport yours to nature.
So, not only does bird music affect us positively on a fundamental level of sound frequency, but it also has the capability to make you think you’re in a natural environment, which will in and of itself reduce stress, anxiety, and depression.
In today’s fast-paced world, it is vital to make lifestyle choices that will reduce stress and ultimately prolong your life. It has been revealed that listening to slow tempo, low-pitched music with no lyrics can reduce stress and anxiety in people who are to undergo invasive surgery. It also lessens the requirement of subsequent pain medication.
Now, the above are some proven benefits of listening to ordinary music. Just think how powerful it will be to add bird sounds to the mix?
Bird songs and calls are the sorts of natural sounds that most people associate with perceived stress recovery.
During semi-structured interviews conducted with twenty adult participants, Eleanor Ratcliffe determined the following reasons why bird song helps with relaxation and reducing anxiety.
Bird sounds associated with enjoyable or special events help combat stress and anxiety and ease depressive episodes, as it creates positive emotions linked with particular places and times.
Listening to bird music during trying times moves the focus away from the problems and leads to calm.
We get used to the everyday sounds of city life. When we listen to bird music, it provides a break from the emotions associated with our surroundings. This short reprieve will help reduce stress.
Bird music has the ability to effortlessly take you out of your current environment without you having to move a muscle.
As a symbol of nature, a bird song transports you far from the daily hustle and bustle and removes you from day-to-day demands that may be causing anxiety.
Although science hasn’t yet caught up with bird music believers’ confidence in its healing properties, the evidence speaks for itself since most support is anecdotal.
Bird music is by no means a miracle cure and should still be used in conjunction with medicine as prescribed by your general practitioner.
Bird music can clearly have positive effects on a person’s mood, mental health, and physical well-being.
But what real scientific proof is there of music in general’s impact on mental states?
Below you will find some studies that back up what people have been saying for years — music has healing properties.
Using electroencephalographs (EEGs) — a device that measures electrical impulses in the brain — established that music with a strong beat stimulates the brain. In contrast, slow beats encourage the brain to relax by promoting a meditative state. When you listen to faster beats, it can lead to deep concentration.
According to a psychologist who was one of the participating researchers, the human brain is usually locked into a specific functioning level. But by speeding up or slowing down the brainwaves, it is easier for the brain to change its speed in reaction to external and internal stimuli.
Thomas Budzynski, an affiliate professor of psychology at the University of Washington, found that the mind enjoys new stimuli. Whenever the brain experiences new sights or sounds, blood flow increases, equalling a better cognitive response. Some anecdotal evidence indicates that this increase in blood flow may help in repairing damaged brain cells.
In a review titled The Neurochemistry of music, it is mentioned that listening to music lowers the need for pain medication due to the euphoria often experienced when listening to specific music.
Dopamine is responsible for body movements but also plays a role in a person’s emotional response. For this reason, should music raise dopamine, it will be an excellent thing, especially if you’re suffering from mood swings, depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses or associated symptoms.
Using neuroimaging technology, the central dopamine release while listening to enjoyable music was measured, and the results are positive. The right type of music does increase dopamine.
No wonder listening to music is one of life’s most pleasurable and relaxing activities.
We are pioneers and architects of light therapy products. Slowly, we are implementing sounds into our devices. We no longer design for our skin and muscles but also our ears.
