Some Sound Advice
Whether it’s a happy tune, calming music or angry yelling, the sounds around us have an undeniable ability to impact not only our mood but also our nervous system. Sometimes when we feel a certain way, we play music to match where we’re at. Other times, it’s the sounds in the environment that seem to have the ability to transport us to a different frame of mind. A song can enhance some moments and then trigger vivid memories of those moments when we hear it years later. Musical or not, the sounds in our environment have an impact on us. There’s a reason why spas play calming music at low volumes. It’s not just for kicks, it’s because that style and the tones in those songs can actually have a calming impact on our brain wave activity.
We can trace and record the electrical activity in the brain (aka brain waves) using sensors on the scalp, something called an electroencephalogram (EEG). These waves actually represent the summation of the firing of millions of neurons. When more neurons fire together, the waves are bigger and when they aren’t in sync, the waves are smaller. The frequency of our brain waves changes depending on the type of activity we are doing. For example, the brain waves or even the pattern of waves varies during periods when we’re awake and quiet/relaxed, when we’re stressed, forming memories, concentrating, meditating or sleeping. Some types of brain injuries are also associated with an absence of certain types of waves.
Various external factors can influence our autonomic nervous system (by that I mean influence who is leading the way - the sympathetic or parasympathetic system) and sound is actually one of those factors. Via a process called “entrainment”, our brain waves can be influenced by the sound waves around us. For example, quiet music with rhythmical tones helps to rebalance and relax the nervous system. We can see this reflected in some ancient healing practices where certain sounds are used (for example with crystal bowls, meditation tones like ohm and ma, or musical tones) and in music therapy which is used to help a variety of conditions including anxiety and depression.
The article by Kucikiene & Praninskiene (2018), entitled “The impact of music on the bioelectrical oscillations of the brain” is just one of many that seeks to summarize the recent research (and can be found online), here’s a couple highlights: Long term music therapy has been shown to shift brain wave activity, significantly increasing alpha waves (which are the dominant wave when we are relaxed) and decreasing beta waves (which are dominant when we are stressed or experiencing strong emotions) thus, decreasing feelings of anxiety. Studies are also ongoing to look at how chronic pain and illness could be influenced by music as certain sounds or chords can have a relaxing effect on people and may help them cope.
A quick scan of the research and a quick inventory in your mind of your own past experiences with sound and music reveals that, like most things in healthcare and healing, the results are mixed. Perhaps some people are more influenced by or sensitive to sound than others, perhaps our personal preferences play a role, and certainly our past experiences are also in the mix. In summary, it appears it’s something worth experimenting with. Through the magic of the internet, a huge variety of music and sounds are right at your fingertips. If you’re feeling anxious and trying to relax - or perhaps just dipping your toe into learning to meditate, it might be worth adding in a bit of sound therapy to help set you up for success. And also be sure to match the sounds/ music to what you’re hoping to achieve: Want to be energized? Probably playing slow relaxing monotone sounds won’t assist you too much. Hoping to unwind? Maybe heavy metal music isn’t your best choice. In pain or sick? Try something calming that will help stimulate the parasympathetic system to help you shift into that rest and repair mode. As an added bonus, listening to this music puts more “cars on the communication highway” of the nervous system and can maybe help to block some of those “pain cars” from making it through. So the next time you go to ask Siri or Alexa to put on some tunes for you, maybe do it a bit more mindfully. This way your choice can help you leverage sound as you ry to achieve the state you are wanting for your body in that moment. Happy listening!