Prof.Lakshman’s interest in music started from his early school days leading to an appreciation of both Western and Eastern music prompting him later to include various rhythms and baroque music in his seminars on Memory development and relaxation. A noticeable feature of these seminars in Kandy and other retreats was the inclusion of sitar players who used various Eastern ragas for relaxation.
Later research also extended the use of music and ragas as a mode of therapy. Working closely with the Cambridge Centre for Music and Science-CMS, and Maharishi University, Vlodrop, Netherlands, he has tested Raga Shivaranjani- to treat patients with dementia and Alzheimer’s: Raga Dwijavanthi – to Quell paralysis and disorders of the mind: Raga Madhyamavati- to clear paralysis, giddiness, pain in legs/hands, etc; and the use of “Clair de Lune” – Debussy and “Piano Sonata No. 17 in D Minor (“The Tempest”)” – Beethoven to release Dopamine.
’Gandharva Veda music therapy’ has long been an important approach of Maharishi Ayurveda for health and well-being. The fundamental text of Ayurveda, Charaka Samhita, describes the specific effects of Vedic music on the health of humans and their surroundings (Charaka, Siddhisthana, 6/85).
Gandharva Veda music is described as ‘music in accord with the laws of nature’ or ’the eternal melody of nature’.
What does this mean? The seers and sages of the Vedic civilization of ancient India perceived the ’melodies of nature’ in the perfect silence of their own consciousness, and sang or played that music to bring peace, health and harmony to their listeners. These eternal melodies of nature gently bring us into contact with our inner self, our own nature; they integrate body, mind and consciousness.
Maharishi Gandharva Veda uses various instruments: string, wind and percussion. The soft sound of the bamboo flute is often perceived as very pleasant and familiar. The enchanting sounds calm Vata dosha, which, according to Ayurveda, is associated with the nervous system. The sitar, a string instrument well-known in the West, has also a very pleasant effect.
“Life seems to go on without effort when I am filled with music.” – George Eliot
American Music Therapy Association -AMTA
Cambridge Centre for Music and Science
Scientists think that listening to music and spatial reasoning are related because they are processed similarly in the brain. Music activates a variety of areas in our brains but focuses primarily on the temporal, prefrontal cortex, and parietal.
Music therapy for children with special needs
Music therapy for heart problems- Harvard Medical School
AREAS OF THE BRAIN IN MUSIC
Frontal Lobe
Temporal Lobe
Broca’s Area
Wernicke’s Area
Occipital Lobe
Cerebellum
Nucleus Accumbens
Amygdala
Hippocampus
Hypothalamus
Corpus Callosum
Putamen
RAGAS FOR THERAPY
Raga Malhar– Useful in the treatment of asthma and sunstroke.
Raga Shivaranjani– Useful for memory problems. Used for
treating patients with dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Raga Natabhairavi – It cures headaches and psychological
disorders.
Raga Punnagavarali, Sahana – Controls anger and brings down
violence. Useful for Schizophrenia.
Raga Dwijavanthi – Quells paralysis and disorders of the mind.
Raga Sindhubhairavi– For a healthy mind and body; provides
peace, tranquillity and serenity of mind.
Raga Hameer-kalyani – It relaxes tension with its calming
effect and brings down BP to normal.
Raga Brindavana Saranga-It increases the energy level.
Raga Mohana– Useful for the treatment of migraine headaches.
Raga Amrutavarshini-It eases the diseases related to heat
Raga Madhyamavati– Clears paralysis, giddiness, pain in
legs/hands, etc. and nervous complaints.
For dopamine release “Clair de Lune” — Debussy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fvo_iOuSck&t=27s
Music medicine may be offered as an alternative to midazolam administration prior to peripheral regional anaesthesia. However, further studies are warranted to evaluate whether or not the type of music, as well as how it is delivered, offers advantages over midazolam that outweigh the increase in communication barriers.
https://rapm.bmj.com/content/44/8/796
Hearing a groove rhythm (GR), which creates the sensation of wanting to move to the music, can also create feelings of pleasure and arousal in people, and it may enhance cognitive performance, as does exercise, by stimulating the prefrontal cortex. Here, we examined the hypothesis that GR enhances executive function (EF) by acting on the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (l-DLPFC) while also considering individual differences in psychological responses.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-11324-34-3
Music listening may have a beneficial effect on blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, anxiety, and pain in persons with CHD. However, the quality of the evidence is not strong and the clinical significance unclear. Most studies examined the effects of listening to pre-recorded music. More research is needed on the effects of music offered by a trained music therapist.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19370642/
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