Although there are several therapies that will be presented in these articles, music is one of my favorites. There have been many times in my life that I felt God’s voice through music, whether it was inspiration to write it or confirmation of his care for me, when just the right song came on the radio. Music is an important part of my life, and God has chosen that medium to communicate with me.
There is also a science to music therapy. Multiple research studies have been conducted to identify the effects that music has on mental health, trauma recovery, health, and life in general. Those studies indicate that music has a physical effect on several areas of the brain. Harvard Medical School reviewed multiple studies and identified the following positive effects of music:
- Reduction of stress during surgery and a reduction in the need for additional sedation
- Reduction in the symptoms of depression
- Pain reduction
- Improved stroke recovery, including the possibility that it improves the plasticity of the brain
- Anxiety reduction
- Improved healing for heart attack patients
- Enhanced function of neural networks
- Reduced level of stress hormones. 1
Several researchers have specifically looked at the value of music (listening and/or singing) with patients with Alzheimer’s disease. When compared with other activities, those who listened to music showed improved recall, increased alertness, and were generally happier than those who didn’t. This occurs because music touches parts of the brain that are still active and triggers emotions that then trigger memories.2
Music has the power to increase endorphins and other hormones in the brain, which has a wide variety of benefit to the listener. Benefits include improved self-confidence, communication, relationships and feelings of connectedness, to name a few.3
I could name several more, but it is clear from just these few examples that music can have a positive benefit on physical, social and mental health. All of these are a critical part of managing mental health issues, recovering from trauma, dealing with crisis, or dealing with day to day stress. It is a part of the overall process to help live an abundant life.
Although many forms of music have these positive results, the articles on this site specifically utilize music from Christian artists. In addition to the positive impact of the music on the brain, Christian music also carries a message that can positively impact your spiritual health.
Music often comes out of personal experiences of the writer, including how they have overcome difficult life circumstances. For example, Christian artist Steven Curtis Chapman lost his 5-year-old daughter when one of her brothers accidently hit her while driving their SUV. Steven worked through his grief by writing songs that resulted in the album “Beauty Will Rise.” Understanding that others have experienced what you are experiencing can help with the healing process.
A final benefit of Christian music is that they can effectively drown out the voice of Satan in your life. Negative self-talk is satanic in origin, and it is designed to keep you stuck and ineffective in overcoming adversity. When negative thoughts continue to sabotage your efforts, it is important to eliminate them, but whenever you eliminate something, you need to replace it with something else. This is where music comes in. Focusing on positive songs redirects the brain to focus on finding the positives, knowing that God understands your situation, and knowing that he is there for you.
Throughout these articles, we will be including songs that relate to the topic at hand. I encourage you to listen to each song and let it speak to your heart. Take note of the songs that speak the most strongly to you, and add them to your regular play list. When your mind begins to focus on the negative, pull these songs out and serve an eviction notice to Satan.
God bless!
Resources:
“How Listening to Music Can Have Psychological Benefits” by Kendra Cherry: https://www.verywellmind.com/surprising-psychological-benefits-of-music-4126866
“How to Use Music for Stress Relief” by Elizabeth Scott, MS: https://www.verywellmind.com/how-to-use-music-for-stress-relief-3144689
“How Music Can Be Therapeutic” by Elizabeth Scott, MS: https://www.verywellmind.com/how-and-why-music-therapy-is-effective-3145190