September/October 2000 Living Now
Music and Words: A Marriage Made in Heaven
by Nancy Wheeler
In the beginning was the creative sound, a primal tone, that
contained within it every sound, every symphony, harmony and melody,
every pattern and structure ever to be…
Music by itself deals with the highest reaches of the human soul.
To ancient healers and philosophers, music was seen as the bridge
between body, soul and the earth. It touches the most exquisite
dimensions of creative vision, facilitates the release of the symbolic
mythology of the unconscious and is imbued with the essence of human
emotion.
All of the ancient mystery schools taught their students the use
of music and sound as a creative and healing force. It was a predominant
part of the early teachings of the Greeks, Chinese, East Indians,
Tibetans, Egyptians, American Indians, Mayans, and the Aztecs. The
Greek philosopher and mathematician, Pythagoras, conceived of the
universe as a vast musical instrument, reportedly hearing “the
music of the spheres:”
Each celestial body, in fact each and every atom, produces a
particular sound on account of its movement, its rhythm or vibration.
All these sounds and vibrations form a universal harmony in which
each element, while having its own function and character, contributes
to the whole.
His followers came to Pythagoras for mood-music treatments during
which he used tonality to process emotions and regulate daily rhythms.
Research studies from 1914 to today have shown how music can influence
the autonomic nervous system. Relaxing music can lower heart rate,
pulse, breathing, blood pressure, muscle tension, pain perception
and galvanic skin response. It can also reduce the level of stress
hormones that lead to fatigue and illness. In a world where stress
is a national standard, and relaxation hard to acquire, appropriate
music can stimulate alpha brain waves for clear thinking and implementation
of positive suggestion, or the delta waves that signal sleep. Music
can interrupt the negative feedback loop between mind and body,
releasing tension, as well as affecting emotions and feelings. Music
has the unique ability to access both the right and left hemispheres
of the brain. Such harmony of the cerebral hemispheres enhances
the pathway from the birth of new ideas to the ability to symbolize
and implement them - all within a framework of healthy mind/body/spirit.
Music has the added function of eliciting spontaneous mental images.
Imagery is primarily a right brain function and is directly linked
with the unconscious and the physical functions of the nervous system.
Historical records from Babylonia, Assyria and Greece describe rituals
that use imagery to expunge disease. In shamanistic healing, the
Shaman visualized himself going on a journey, finding the sick person’s
soul and returning it to him. Beginning with the Egyptian Hermes,
a spiritual philosophy developed based on the idea that images held
in the mind can affect the physical universe. As a metaphoric language,
imagery can be combined with the verbal left brain, known in therapeutic
terms as guided imagery, for a comprehensive whole brain approach
to healing, creativity and positive change, not only for the individual
but also for mankind.
In the New Testament of the Bible it says, “In the beginning
was the word and the word was with God and the word was God.”
The power of words through prayer and positive therapeutic suggestion
to promote change and healing is documented in modern scientific
research. Pythagoras treated disease by reading poetry. He taught
his students to use the voice in combination with beautiful words
and a pleasing meter to restore balance to the body and soul. Like
music, words and their sounds resonate with different parts of the
body, different chakras, different emotional and mental states and
different states of consciousness. All energy follows thought. When
thoughts are given vocalization in combination with positive emotion
and feeling, that energy is given great impulse toward manifesting.
Local pianist Tom Grant and I have combined forces in an innovative
program at OMSI’s Murdock planetarium. The next presentation
is on September 24th at 7:00pm. We will use the power of music and
word to stimulate your senses and your imagination in “Equinox:
A Journey to Relaxation.” The theme is Light and Dark, Fear
and Love. Learn to relax, journey to your dreams, and create a space
for more love to enter your life. See if you can hear the “music
of the spheres.”
Nancy Wheeler is a certified medical and clinical hypnotherapist,
educator and relaxation specialist. Her practice is in Lake Oswego
and she can be reached at 503-684-4112 or mwheelerhypnosis@aol.co Call Nancy for
“Equinox” info or tickets.