Today’s world is beginning to remember that music as medicine has a really long history and proven itself from the beginning of time to be efficacious for healing, inspiration and spiritual transformation.

“One must examine the sounds to understand the tones; one must understand the tones to understand the music; one must understand the music to understand the customs (laws). In this way, the path to order is made perfect. One cannot talk about tones to those who do not understand the sounds. One cannot talk about music to those who do not understand the tones. He who understands music will thus penetrate the secrets of the customs. He who has experienced both customs (laws) and music possesses life. Life is experience”…Da Dai Li Gi from the Ancient Chinese Book of Customs

Figure One: Music Activates the Brain

Throughout the millennia music many forms of music have appeared in each culture. Even these days, the culture of artists can usually be known from their unique expressions and timings. These pieces of music have been written with different music scales, timings, waveforms and other factors and have different effects on listeners. Everyone is familiar with sound tracks in movies that can evoke any emotional feeling.

Figure Two: Chinese Medicine

Therefore, over the years, a new type of medicine has continued its development and has resulted in more and more advocators, proponents, researchers and developers. Even medical doctors, dentists, chiropractors and hypnotherapists are using music as medicine for their clients. There are currently many types of sciences, methods, techniques, and devices that are offered to perform these services. From various forms of music, voice, instrument training, sound baths and sound technologies that improve or enhance music the world is suddenly getting a re-education on the value of sound and music.

To talk in detail about the science behind music as medicine it is important to understand the true structure of music and the devices that create and record it.

The Structure of Music

Music is a complex combinations of the frequency (pitch), phase (timing) and amplitude (volume) mentioned above. Frequency is a term used to define how many vibratory peaks occur in a light or sound wave over a specific amount of time. It is a unit of measurement usually defined as the number of cycles per second of time…in other words the number of vibrations within a second…called Hertz for the person how discovered it. 256 Hz. would therefore be 256 cycles of vibratory peaks per one second of time.

frequency therapy light sound tactile vibration — **Figure Three: Wave Properties of Sound & Music**

However, vibrational waves have other properties…phase – the difference between the timings of the vibrations and…amplitude – the volume of the wave. The ultimate frequency therapies modulate all three aspects. Frequency is the carrier wave, phase is the information and amplitude is carrying the emotion. Both the transmitter and receiver of the signal must be at the same frequency for the transmission and reception to occur, but the phase and amplitude are carrying the information and emotion.

Complex Waves

The complex wave equation that describes what happens when a lot of frequencies are combined together like a music signal, shows how these multiple frequency signals are made up from combinations of real and imaginary, actual and potential components which determine how many sine waves and cosine waves are present with the wave. Music as medicine utilizes these music components to have specific effects on clients.

Figure Four: The Complex Wave Function

Since 1998 InnerSense has been doing advanced research and development into music as medicine in the phase domain and have shown that the shapes of things are due to a unique set of real and imaginary ratios that each form of matter possesses. A complex frequency of many values, like a signal from a stereo to a speaker that contains all of the music, looks similar to this one:

Figure Five: A Complex Wave

You can clearly see the ups and downs, peaks and valleys of the complex wave at the top of this illustration. Many engineers are taught that such complex waves are combinations of smaller sine waves below that combine to form it. However, these simple waves are either sine waves, cosine waves or some combination thereof. If you look at the starting point of the timings of any one of these ways you can see examples of each. They are not the same thing.

The Cosines begin at full strength, drop to zero and then return to full energy with each cycle. The Sine waves, however, begin at zero, rise to their peak and then return to their valleys. Music as medicine is the essence of these real and imaginary components that can lead to its use as a for transformations in health, finances, relationships, careers, life satisfaction and even one’s spiritual evolution. For more information about real and imaginary please visit visit many of the other articles on this website that describe the relationship from different perspectives.

It has also been doing advanced research and development regard the component of phase. The field of sentics play heavily into the role that amplitude creates in a song. Each emotion has a sentic amplitude envelope that describes its vibration. Animals don’t pay attention as much to frequency as they do to amplitude. I can say to my dog “get over here and let me beat you” in a happy voice and he will come right over, but if I say in an angry voice “come over here and I will rub your belly” he will run the other way. For more information about Sentics, please do a search and read about it on the internet.

Sensory Resonance

The ultimate form of music as medicine is sensory resonance, where all of the senses are involved with the music…sight, sound and tactile vibration. Music is made to be seen, heard, smelled, tasted and felt. Any of the sensory mechanisms can respond to it.

Figure Six: Sensory Resonance vs. Dissonance

It is the combined essence of harmonic frequency, phase and amplitude relationship that gives it power. For more information about sensory resonance and music as medicine please visit the article on Sensory Resonance.

The structure of waves was discussed above but what are the intangible effects of music? Music as medicine has thousands of years of history as being useful in therapy and a wide range of other uses. 144 thru 178 and 369-370. A recent review of the literature uncovered the following reported effects of music: (Bibliographical references from the VibraSound Vibrational Science Library).

* Music as Medince is the “Genesis” of all communication 150
* It is the underlying principle of all universe phenomenon 31
* It is the “Healing Power of Nature”…Hippocrates
* Transmits an “Abiding” message even across generations 151
* Increases physical vitality, relieve fatigue and inertia. 149
* Pierces through moods, calm anxiety and tensions, uplift feelings. 145
* Focus thinking, clarify goals, release courage, and follow through. 151
* Deepens relationships, enrich friendships. 146
* Stimulate creativity and sensitivity. 146
* Strengthen character and constructive behavior. 151
* Expand consciousness of God and horizons of spiritual attunement170
* Music as medicine can make one “invulnerable” to stress. 150
* Alters Heartbeat and Nervous System favorably. 150

* Promotes Relaxation and more Constructive Attitudes. 152
* Clears and Purifies the Body and Emotions 151
* Can change one’s perception of Time 172
* It can release healing “endorphins”, stimulate the Immune System and reduce pain. 74-77-154-155-156
* It eases the pain of migraine headaches 74-77
* Increase Lifespan, and improve the quality of life 175
* Generate and change emotional experience 147
* Enhance Visualization and Imagination 146
* Harmonize Both Hemispheres of the Brain 176
* Enhance the Inner Journey of the Spirit 151
* Increases Learning Ability and Memory Retention 187
* Music as Medicine slowed Pulse and lowered Blood Pressure 157-158-175
* Lower levels of stress related hormones 158
* Less pain and need for pain killers in surgery patients 159
* Less pain and need for drugs in expectant mothers 158
* Better weight gain in premature infants 159
* Sooner release of premature infants 159
* Activates the pain killing “enkephalin” system. 160
* Activates the Ascending RAS and produces Endorphins. 161
* It can massage organs and entrain biorhythms. 162
* Music as medicine can create a new memory process. 54
* Bombarding patients with low frequency sound waves in a “Music Bath.”278
* Induced relaxation and sleep in mentally retarded children. 278
* Music as medicine has a direct link to the central Limbic system of the Brain, as well as the autonomic nervous system (and therefore the RAS) 164
* Harmonizes the Body, Mind, and Spirit into one Coherent Entity 174