peace of mind | Musik als Medizin 3

Using music as medicine has a long tradition. Since the Stone Age, people have tried to heal illnesses with music and rhythm. "Most shamans and healers of indigenous peoples used drums and singing to cure mental and physical ailments," writes Rüdiger Braun in his book "Our 7 Senses – The Keys to the Psyche." Ancient Egyptian papyrus scrolls praised the healing power of music, as did the Old Testament of the Bible. "In the Middle Ages, every aspiring doctor also had to study music," the book continues. We perceive music and rhythm as beneficial, probably also because we ourselves are rhythm. We breathe rhythmically, walk rhythmically, and our heart beats sometimes faster, sometimes slower. Internal clocks in all body cells ensure daily fluctuations in organ activity, from the immune system to digestion. Our brain also oscillates and thumps in a wave-like rhythm, an up and down of electrical activity, through which nerve impulses are transmitted.