Medical Mindful Music

As a person with Anxiety and no desire to medicate using unnatural remedies, it can be hard to see immediate effects when a panic or anxiety attack occur. I practice mindfulness and yoga but the greatest trade secret I’ve found in my years of anxiety, has been music. I’m not one to discriminate any music genre but hands down my favorite is the 60’s with artist like Floyd, Zeppelin, Van Morrison, Stones, & The Doors. Hearing the first note of any of their songs will send an immediate calm throughout my body. The smooth sounds of a time of story-telling through music has me entwined in the musical aura that is the music of the counterculture. I’ve always been fascinated why different genres of music affects different people in different ways. It’s amazing that listening to words and sounds can affect us to make us calm and resolve issues that are divulged inside the brain anatomy. Music is high in value-expressive function of attitudes (Babin/Harris, 2016) as it is a highly personal attitude and influence on the Listener. Their inner values, thoughts, ideals, and beliefs are all shown in the music they enjoy. A free spirit may listen to more oldies and happy-upbeat music but the best part of music and consumerism is that this isn’t always true! We choose our music tastes based on inert beliefs that may not be out outer showings and that is the beauty of music as it is so individualized.

Music therapy can be used to treat depression, anxiety, chronic pain, coronary heart disease, and more. There is no specified music that will create these positive results as it is individualized per the listener. Although, Neuroscientists have found that listening to “Weightless” by Marconi Union will reduce anxiety in the brain by 65%!

Weightless by Marconi Union

 Studies show that when a subject can choose their own music to resolve their anxiety related issues, the results are far more positive than when an experimenter chooses. (Walworth, 2003). This is interesting when you think about how a majority population can agree the song “Weightless” reduces anxiety symptoms but when left up to another person to choose the music, there is no reduction. The most interesting part is that even with the large variety in music genre, a majority will agree that calming music is the best anxiety symptom reducer. This majority creates a slight utilitarian influence on the listener. As a majority community agrees this is the best song to reduce anxiety symptoms, “Weightless” becomes an influence that “occurs when consumers conform to group expectations to receive a reward or avoid punishment” (Babin/Harris, 2016). When the majority agrees, this is the best symptom reducer, they will search out similar music to resolve symptoms as the results are more definite than any other genre.

When you have anxiety, your mind races a million thoughts a minute and it can be difficult to pick one to focus on or stop them all at once. It is common practice to sing, scream, draw, write, etc. to get thoughts out and organized. Listening to music is a common practice as it creates a break for both your mind and body. I listen to my favorite tunes from the counterculture because they tell me stories that keep my mind focused and calm. Songs like Bob Dylan’s “Like a rolling stone”, tell a tale of someone who doesn’t quite fit in with the crowd they believed to be their own. It’s something everyone can relate to and find worth in his words. He speaks;

      "How does it feel, how does it feel?
        To be without a home
        Like a complete unknown, like a rolling stone

        Ahh you've gone to the finest schools, alright Miss Lonely
        But you know you only used to get juiced in it
        Nobody's ever taught you how to live out on the street
        And now you're gonna have to get used to it
        You say you never compromise
        With the mystery tramp, but now you realize
        He's not selling any alibis
        As you…

         Ahh you've gone to the finest schools, alright Miss Lonely
         But you know you only used to get juiced in it
         Nobody's ever taught you how to live out on the street
         And now you're gonna have to get used to it
         You say you never compromise
         With the mystery tramp, but now you realize
         He's not selling any alibis
         As you stare into the vacuum of his eyes
         And say do you want to make a deal?"

Winning a Nobel peace prize for his poetic lyricism makes Dylan a resource in the fight for resolve in anxiety. Keeping listeners focused on the story being told and the odd musical instruments playing softly in the background, creates a calm you can physically and emotionally feel. The kings and queens of this practice are, in my own opinion, Pink Floyd & Fleetwood Mac.

Pink Floyd live in 1967 & Fleetwood Mac live in 1976

Their words are based on their past addictions, family pains, the war, and dreams. Creating a feeling of connectedness that creates a bond between listener and musician, through this bond artists give a piece of their soul to you. When I listen to the visual story being told through Jimmy Page’s guitar, I feel it. I get an instant connection that halts any negative thought I previously had before the song started. I no longer feel alone in my pain and can find my magic like these musicians who spread it through their stories.

Jimmy Page guitar solo

Here are examples of some of my favorite music listed through Spotify:

http://open.spotify.com/user/12122004944/playlist/3pf1aZK4qpyRJkYW6YtoTC

Disclaimer: some music may have triggering speech because of racial and sexual injustice speech and because of the sensitive subject matter some music may contain cursing or vulgar language but will be labeled as "explicit".

References:

Babin, B., & Harris, E. (2016). In CB 7 (7th ed., pp. 27-29). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.

Curtin, M. (2016, October 26). Neuroscience Says Listening to This Song Reduces Anxiety by Up to 65 Percent. Retrieved March 07, 2017, from http://www.inc.com/melanie-curtin/neuroscience-says-listening-to-this-one-song-reduces-anxiety-by-up-to-65-percent.html

Walworth, D. D. (2003). The effect of preferred music genre selection versus preferred song selection on experimentally induced anxiety levels. Journal of Music Therapy, 40(1), 2-14. Retrieved from http://proxy.lib.umich.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com.proxy.lib.umich.edu/docview/1099642?accountid=14667

What is Music Therapy? (2017, January 16). Retrieved March 07, 2017, from http://universityhealthnews.com/daily/depression/what-is-music-therapy-find-natural-anxiety-relief-fight-depression-reduce-blood-pressure-and-more-with-this-alternative-approach/