Music therapy

A number of adherents of Music Therapy are growing every year. Music is used to fight stress conditions and to cure stress related disorders (neurosis, psychosomatic disorders). Application of music in such cases is justified by the fact that music has a capability to modify psycho-emotional condition of a man. That is exactly the reason of the very existence of music and that is exactly the purpose it has always been serving. For psycho- and neuro-physiologist the term PSYCHO-EMOTIONAL condition stands for PSYCHO-PHYSIOLOGICAL condition because the psychological function of the brain is directly as well as indirectly based on the processes of the physiological level. Neuro-physiologist tends to interpret the influence of music on psycho-physiological condition as an influence over the central nervous system in a certain way (via the sound analyzer of the brain). It is an influence of organized rhythmic sound signals. The later are transformed into bio-electrical impulses and are communicated by nervous routes to sub-core brain structures (Limbic system), where the emotional centers are located, as well as centers that regulate functioning of vegetative nervous system responsible for functioning of internal organs. The very idea of such a mechanism of an influence of music over psycho-emotional condition is prompted by the fact that rhythmically organized bio-electrical fluctuations, generated by brain neurons (such fluctuations are registered by Electric Encephalograms - EEG) are among the manifestations of physiological activity of the brain. The specter of such fluctuations varies in individuals and changes differently with change in their psycho-physiological condition. This perhaps explains the difference in musical preferences in different people as well as change of these preferences depending on ones emotional condition. In such a way a specter of bio-electrical rhythms of the brain indirectly indicates psycho-physiological condition of a man and an activity of different physiological brain systems. On the other side the contemporary scientific research indicates that influences, directed at modification of bio-electrical rhythms of the brain are accompanied by a change in psycho-physiological condition. So when a person learns to use EEG - Biofeedback methods independently for a directed modification of his EEG-specter, he achieves improvement of his emotional condition whereas a programmed application of this method proves to be highly effective in therapy of several nervous disorders. The traditional Music Therapy is directed mainly at overcoming stress, i. e. it is emotionally pacifying (this is reflected on EEG by an increase of a content of a so-called alpha-rhythm that is characteristic for a calm condition). However, such an influence of music is restricted to a possibility to create only this single mood and it may not be long enough. Besides, an ordinary music therapy does not take into account individual musical tastes ...