Music Moves Minds

It's hard to exaggerate the effect music can have on the human brain. A mere snippet of song from the past can trigger memories as vivid as if it had happened only yesterday. A tune can induce emotions ranging from unabashed joy to deep sorrow and can drive listeners into states of patriotic fervor or religious frenzy. Music, as defined in Webster's Dictionary, is any sound or group of sounds that is pleasing or stimulating. Throughout this composition I will be exploring several of the effects music can have upon human behavior and our health.

I would like to begin by pointing out that while indeed, music causes many positive effects upon human behavior; it can also have negative effects as well. Being exposed to music that someone finds unpleasant can cause higher blood pressure and stress (19). Music can also cause irritation, and permanent hearing loss (18). Because the human heartbeat tends to synchronize with any ambient pulsation, rap music, or other loud and bass overloaded music, can cause unnatural rhythm changes to the listener's bodies, emotions, and even their subconscious (20). Thankfully, other than permanent hearing loss, no other long-term effects are known of today.

Most people realize that our brain waves are modified by different sounds. These brain waves are measured in hertz, or the SI unit of frequency, equal to one cycle per second. Beta brain waves are those found between 14 and 20 hertz. These are the most common brain waves. We attain relaxed concentration, or lucid awareness when alpha waves, which are between 8 and 13 hertz, are present (18). The Mozart Effect is an inclusive term signifying the immense powers of music in health, education, and well-being. It represents the general use of music to reduce stress, depression, or anxiety; induce relaxation or sleep; activate the body; and improve memory or awareness. Innovative and experimental uses of music and sound can improve listening disorders, dyslexia, attention deficit disorder, autism, and other mental and physical disorders and injuries.

Consider the case of Shawn Cullie, a 27-year-old teacher. Mr. Cullie lay unconscious in a hopsital in Tilbury, Essex as a result of Meningitis. When 15 of his pupils from the school he taught at visited Shawn at the hospital, they began to sing Christmas carols to him. From the time they started singing, Shawn began frantically twitching and kicking. He even tried to remove his endotracheal tube. Soon after this event, Mr. Cullie was removed from life support, and two weeks later was discharged and made a full recovery (3). Another instance where music's power can seem uncanny, involves Gerry McGlinchey, a 66 year old man who suffered a brain hemorrhage from diving into a swimming pool in 1999 in Cyprus. Gerry had spent five weeks in a coma, when he awoke he was only able to respond with a simple "yes" or "no" to any question asked of him. Everything changed suddenly on December 21, when a volunteer choir visited the hospital to sing Christmas carols. When the choir sang "Hark! The Herald Angel Sings," McGlinchey suddenly chimed in as his relatives listened in astonishment. Then, with word-perfect clarity, he sang his heart out with "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," "The First Noel," and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" (3). The ability of music to stimulate these individuals when basically nothing else could have been done is uncanny.

Certain types of music cause different effects on its listeners. Usually, people listen to different types of music when they are in different types of moods. Music that people like to work out to is more upbeat and jumpy, whereas the music people like to relax to tends to be slower and softer. It has been proven that the limbic system of the brain plays a large role in the reaction to music. It has a large number of opoid receptors which are highly sensitive to the presence of endorphins, which blunt the feeling of pain. Many studies have shown that listening to music releases endorphins, which will then cause the emotional respose we feel. Endorphins are released through reactions by the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The ANS has two distinct divisions: the sympathetic and the parasympathetic divisions. The sympathetic division is what energizes the body by raising the heart rate and gives it an adrenaline rush. The parasympathetic division is what calms the body down and works to conserve energy. Different types of music have been shown to effect the two different divisions. Thus, making different types of music more appropriate at different times (19). For instance, many studies show that music can calm patients undergoing surgery. But what about the surgeons operating on them? Psychologists Karen Allen and Jim Blascovich were the first researchers to study this question. Their experiment involved 50 male surgeons volunteers, ranging in age from 31 to 61 years old. All the surgeons said that they listened to music enthusiastically during surgery. Each surgeon was then examined in a sound-proof laboratory under three different conditions: while listening to a selection of music they had chosen, music selected by the experimenters, and while listening to no music at all. During every session different aspects of their behavior and health were measured frequently. The findings indicated that the speed and accuracy of the task performance was significantly better when the surgeons were listening to music that they had selected themselves,