| "If music be the food of love, play on; | | | | performed in the temples and the courts from the |
| Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting, | | | | ancient to the medieval times was connected to its |
| The appetite may sicken, and so die. | | | | spiritual roots and also why even contemporary |
| That strain again! It had a dying fall: | | | | researches still try to delve deep into its magical |
| O, it came o'er my ear like the sweet sound | | | | prowess on the human body and soul. |
| That breathes upon a bank of violets, | | | | On the other hand, researchers have found out that in |
| Stealing and giving odor!......" | | | | ancient Greece, the legendary mathematician |
| Thus starts the Act 1, Scene 1 of Shakespeare's | | | | Pythagoras theorized that music had the power to |
| romantic comedy "Twelfth Night", with the love-struck | | | | diminish and even eradicate negative energies and |
| Duke Orsino ordering his musicians at his palace to | | | | emotions from the human mind. Other ancient Greek |
| feed him with music all the night, as he desires to have | | | | philosophers had full faith in the ethical powers of |
| the sweet strains feed his appetite for romance. The | | | | music, including philosophers from around the fifth |
| bard makes him describe the music played as an | | | | century B.C. to around third century A.D. Most of them |
| energizing "food of love", and in the following lines | | | | recognized the immense impact of music on the |
| makes him pour forth sweet words of passion, all of | | | | development of one's personality. The stupendous |
| which originate from the tranquilizing effects of the | | | | power of music over the ethos of an individual, and on |
| music being played. | | | | the overall human disposition has been time and again |
| Centuries before, while this play had been staged, and | | | | emphasized by philosophers like Plato and also by |
| even epochs later, the cultivation of music and the arts | | | | Chinese authors of various documents. |
| used to be perceived merely as aesthetic pursuits, | | | | The healing benefits of music established by modern |
| entertaining and relaxing the mind and the soul and also | | | | science: |
| connecting the performers with people at large. Today, | | | | Apart from the immense spiritual, emotional and ethical |
| while numerous groundbreaking researches have | | | | impact of music in the human mind, today modern |
| proved that music, as an entity, has a profound effect | | | | scientific studies are constantly emphasizing on the |
| on the body and the psyche of all living organisms, that | | | | astonishing benefits that music has in terms of healing |
| which was perceived only as an aesthetic pursuit is | | | | human ailments. Adequate amount of modern scientific |
| today regarded as an established therapy to address | | | | researches in recent times have explicitly shown that |
| physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of | | | | specific sounds and music have resulted in measurable |
| individuals of all ages. In fact, quite some time back | | | | and multiple healing benefits. Even in case of critical |
| researches had shown music used as a therapy to | | | | human ailments, the ever-growing field of health care |
| not only bring about qualitative changes in humans, but | | | | popularly known as "Music Therapy" is utilizing music |
| also in animals and plants. | | | | and its various forms to heal cancer patients, children |
| While today's youth are completely in love with music | | | | with ADD, and so on. It is amazing to find out today |
| having beats and rhythms, it is a fact revealed by | | | | how hospitals and health care services are treating |
| scientists that these beats have a definite impact on | | | | music therapy as a distinct research area in order to |
| the stimulation of the body of an individual. Let us for | | | | help with pain management, to help ward off |
| once think about the immensely mentally invigorating | | | | depression, to promote movement, to calm patients, to |
| music like the symphonies of Bach, Beethoven and | | | | ease muscle tension, and for many other benefits. |
| Mozart! Can anybody ever deny the level of creativity, | | | | Numerous researches starting from 1950 till today |
| positive energy, powerful melodies and harmonies they | | | | have proved that music has a strong impact on the |
| produce that compel the mind and the soul to embark | | | | human brain. The beats and rhythm of music, which |
| on a journey of powerful emotions and impulses? Any | | | | can stimulate brainwaves to resonate in sync with the |
| classical form of music, for that matter, has been said | | | | beat, has the ability to transport the human mind to a |
| to have profound effects on both the body and the | | | | crescendo of concentration, and even promote a |
| psyche of individuals, playing an instrumental role in the | | | | tranquil, meditative state of the mind. Similarly, as the |
| healing and harmonizing of the mind, body and spirit. | | | | beats and rhythm of music have the ability to impact |
| Long accepted as both soother and stimulant, any | | | | the brainwaves and other resulting physiological |
| form of "positive music", including classical music has | | | | functions, researches have revealed that activities |
| been proved to profoundly impact the cognitive abilities, | | | | related to the autonomous nervous system, like |
| creativity, optimism levels and the overall 'state of the | | | | breathing and heart rate are greatly impacted by the |
| mind' of an individual. By the term "positive music", | | | | "magic wand of music". Keeping this in mind, exponents |
| researchers have actually referred to the kind of | | | | of music therapy today are constantly using the |
| music which is usually emotionally and spiritually uplifting, | | | | super-power of music to counteract or prevent the |
| and that which is gifted with beneficial qualities, healing | | | | damaging effects of chronic stress, resulting in |
| the mind and the body in the process. Apart from the | | | | relaxation, health and wellness. It is even been claimed |
| pure classical variety of music, pop songs that are | | | | by researchers that the pleasant, soothing effects of |
| romantic in content, country tunes, and some amount | | | | "positive music" can reduce the risk of stroke and |
| of rhythm and blues (earlier referred to as 'race music') | | | | other health problems over time, boost immunity, ease |
| with evocative lyrics and tune are considered to be | | | | muscle tension, working as an ultimate "stress-buster" |
| parts of "positive music". Today's world music, a vast | | | | of all times! |
| arena of music dedicated to the great non-western | | | | It is a fact that most of the findings of the current |
| traditions of music, including Indian, Chinese, Persian | | | | researches regarding the effects of music emerged in |
| (Iranian) and Sufi forms-comfortably fall into the | | | | the wake of the realization that all our bodily functions, |
| category of "positive music" as defined by scholars | | | | starting from breathing and pulse to heart rate and the |
| and exponents of music. | | | | pumping of blood in the heart-work in a cohesive, |
| What the ancient cultures, including the Vedanta | | | | cyclical and rhythmical pattern, just like music does. |
| philosophy, the ancient Greek philosophy had to say | | | | While the basics of music are based on the rhythmical |
| about the effects of music on an individual: | | | | and cyclical movements of sound patterns, it is the |
| If we look back into the history of ancient, age-old | | | | synchronization of the various sound patterns and |
| philosophies and cultures, the extent of philosophical, | | | | rhythms that influence all our physiological actions. All |
| spiritual impact that music was said to have on the | | | | music therapy interventions, designed by experts to |
| human soul would become obvious to us. Ancient | | | | promote wellness, manage stress, alleviate pain, and |
| historians have come up with the fact that for | | | | promote physical rehabilitation emphasize on this |
| thousands of years, the Vedic culture had used the | | | | synchronization of various sound patterns and rhythms |
| profound sound effects of music not only for the | | | | as the fundamentals of music therapy. |
| tranquility of the mind, but also for the proper balance | | | | Very recently, a new type of music therapy has |
| and equilibrium between the body and the soul, for | | | | reportedly been offered to individuals with severe |
| encouraging a heightened state of awareness in | | | | intellectual disabilities, with some remarkable results. As |
| humans, and even for health enhancement and | | | | reported by The World Today, music, very much like |
| promotion of healing. It had been believed by the unique | | | | mediation and yoga, two of nature's own tranquilizers, |
| Vedanta philosophers that ancient oriental music, in its | | | | is giving a voice to profoundly affected people, thereby |
| true nature, was an enriched exercise of the human | | | | providing new insights into their inner, emotional lives. |
| mind in its path of exploration into the mysteries of | | | | The World Today reported as many as a half a |
| Nature and of Ultimate Truth (the "Brahman"). It was | | | | dozen case studies of individuals with severe |
| ages and thousands of centuries ago that in the | | | | disabilities responding to music as an absolute direct |
| ancient Vedanta philosophy, music had been | | | | channel of communication, which is definitely an |
| considered as a subtle divine thread capable of linking | | | | instance in itself. |
| the "Jeevatma" (individual soul) with the "Parmatma" | | | | Keeping in mind these profound effects of music |
| (Supreme Soul). And why not, when the Vedanta | | | | which many have discovered in their lives personally, I |
| philosophers had identified "shabda" (sound) as | | | | guess now when somebody would say that a certain |
| "brahma" (absolute reality), the primeval source of | | | | kind of music "lifted" him in spirit, mind and body, every |
| creation of the universe? This ancient concept of the | | | | word of that should be taken, literally. The ultimate |
| "shabda-brahma" had been embraced in its entirety by | | | | sense of intense well being that one is capable of |
| ancient Vedic philosophers to understand the beauty, | | | | reaching through music, is truly euphoric in its essence, |
| depth and elevating powers of ancient Indian music. On | | | | and quite amazingly, sustains even moments after |
| the other hand, the myriad effects that the various | | | | listening! So, from now on, take some time everyday |
| "raagas" of classical Indian music that inspire the | | | | to move out of the chaos of the world, pick up Mozart, |
| human mind and rejuvenate the senses are quite | | | | Beethoven or some other classical music CD, create a |
| undisputed till today. Saying this, it is imperative why the | | | | simple playlist for yourself to ensure tranquility, |
| ancient spiritual music form (termed as the "Dhrupad") | | | | productivity and calm living for an entire lifetime! |