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It is said that nothing shifts your mood and frequency faster than music.

 

We have all felt the emotional shift that occurs when listening to different types of music – we can become both melancholic and overjoyed – and this is because of music’s ability to both raise and lower our frequencies and vibration. But why?

One of the primary and key characteristics of music is rhythm. Rhythm is repetition and for all earth’s inhabitants this principle is fundamental for life – we see this in natural cycles such as seasonal, lunar, solar, and our daily rhythms. Our lives have evolved around these natural rhythms. Our bodies are also governed by their own rhythms – those of breath, heartbeat, and brainstem activity. Rhythms can communicate bio-information that govern bodily functions and influence health and wellbeing.

All of these natural rhythms and oscillations of our planet “make up the symphony of rhythms in which life on Earth exists.”

Humans have been making music for at least the last 40 000 years. The oldest known musical instrument is a flute made from a vulture’s wing bone – discovered in a cave in southern Germany. Although we can’t say for certain when humans began listening to music, we do know why we do. Music gives us pleasure and expression and has the ability to improve our health and wellbeing in many ways, as there is a deep link between music, neurobiology, and our emotions. Did you know music can do the following?

– Modulate several cardiac and neurological functions
– Reduce stress levels
– Boost immune function
– Modulate blood pressure, heart rate, respiration
– Connects us – aids social cohesion, is a communication tool and a way to express our longing for connection with the divine
– Leads to better learning – stimulates brain and mind-body
– Improves memory – slows cognitive decline
– Help treat mental illness – literally changes the brain, releases neurochemicals to feel good, regulate stress, connect to others etc (dopamine / less cortisol / serotonin / oxytocin)
– Lower lower symptoms of anxiety and depression
– Regulate mood
– Help manage pain

It is however important to be selective about choosing the right genres of music to reap the most benefits from your listening and increase your vibration. The tone and pitch of the music influences its vibrational frequency and how your brain responds to these (more on this later!). The tempo or speed of the music also affects its vibrational frequency – faster sounds tend to vibrate higher and stimulate concentration, while slower beats aid in creating a meditative state. As well as tone and tempo, the lyrics of the music, if any, can affect your mood. Positive words vibrate higher than negative ones.

As well as influencing mood and emotions, music can be used as a method of healing. Sound healing or music therapy is a field of therapy used to improve both physical and emotional wellbeing. It can involve activities such as listening or singing along to music, moving and dancing to music, or playing a musical instrument. Sound healing as a type of therapy dates back to ancient Greece, where music was used as a treatment for mental conditions.

Sufi musician, healer and mystic, Hazrat Inayat Khan says:

“A person does not hear sound only through the ears; he hears sound through every pore of his body. It permeates the entire being, and according to its particular influence either slows or quickens the rhythm of the blood circulation; it either wakens or soothes the nervous system. It arouses a person to greater passions or it calms him by bringing him peace. According to the sound and its influence a certain effect is produced. Sound becomes visible in the form of radiance. This shows that the same energy which goes into the form of sound before being visible is absorbed by the physical body. In that way the physical body recuperates and becomes charged with new magnetism.”

As well as using music to raise your frequency by listening to songs that make you feel good, there are various frequencies we can tune in to to reap even greater benefits. Two ways to do this are through listening to Solfeggio frequencies and binaural beats.

Solfeggio frequencies tune in to tones that promote wellbeing in body and mind. They are believed to be the fundamental sounds used in chants by Gregorian Monks and in ancient Sanskrit. Dr. Joseph Puleo rediscovered them in the 1970s using mathematical research to identify six measurable frequencies. Solfeggio frequencies resonate in harmony with the Schumann Resonance of 7.83Hz, which is known as the natural frequency of the Earth.

The six main Solfeggio frequencies can be summarised as follows:

432Hz – calming, encourages peace and general wellbeing
528Hz – energizing, stress reducing, could aid in healing the body
396Hz – decreases feelings of worry and anxiety
639Hz – elevates mood through promoting communication and understanding
741Hz – promote self-expression and intuition
852Hz – supports positive thinking and inner strength

Visit this Youtube channel to listen to some Solfeggio frequencies.

Binaural beats are similar to Solfeggio frequencies in the benefits for wellbeing that they have. ‘Binaural’ means relating to both ears. Binaural beats are produced through an auditory illusion of listening to two different but similar frequencies in each ear. An example of this is having a 400Hz tone in one ear and a 410Hz tone in the other. The brain tries to reconcile the tones – producing a third perceived tone. In this case that would be 10Hz. If you listen to a binaural beat for long enough, activity in the brain starts to match the frequency of the third perceived tone. This is called brainwave entrainment, and is used by people wanting to ‘hack’ their brain to achieve a target mental state.

We previously learned about the range of 5 brain waves that can be accessed through meditation – one is also able to search for the binaural beat of the desired frequency to tap into these brain states. Binaural beats enable you to nudge your brain activity into the desired frequency – if you need to complete a task with focus you might want to try a gamma or beta wave, and if you are struggling to fall asleep a theta or delta frequency might aid your insomnia.

You can find an example of a 40Hz binaural beat, recommended for concentration and memory, here – with many more to discover on YouTube.

The next time you enjoy listening to your favourite music, we hope that you will recall all of the health benefits too, for music is proven to support our bodies in so many ways, from healing, shifting our mood, improving memory, alleviating stress and even connecting us to the divine.

“Music is the great uniter. An incredible force. Something that people who differ on everything and anything else can have in common.” – Sarah Dessen

Read More Here:

Meuhsam, D and Ventura, C. 2014. Life Rhythm as a Symphony of Oscillatory Patterns: Electromagnetic Energy and Sound Vibration Modulates Gene Expression for Biological Signaling and Healing. Available: 10.7453/gahmj.2014.008

Smith, D. 2020. How to Hack Your Brain with Sound. Available: https://elemental.medium.com/how-to-hack-your-brain-with-sound-166371c85a66

Boothby, S. 2017. Does Music Affect Your Mood? Available: https://www.healthline.com/health-news/mental-listening-to-music-lifts-or-reinforces-mood-051713

Heid, M. 2018. You Asked: Is Listening to Music Good For Your Health? Available: https://time.com/5254381/listening-to-music-health-benefits/

Slater, A. No date. Use Music to Raise Your Vibration. Available: https://wakenmysoul.co.uk/use-music-to-raise-your-vibration/

Stanborough, R. 2020. The Benefits of Listening to Music. Available: https://www.healthline.com/health/benefits-of-music

Goldstein, B. 2022. Music and the Brain: The Fascinating Ways That Music Affects Your Mood and Mind. Available: https://www.consciouslifestylemag.com/music-and-the-brain-affects-mood/

BetterSleep. 2016. The Science Behind Solfeggio Frequencies. Available: https://www.bettersleep.com/blog/science-behind-solfeggio-frequencies/

Santos-Longhurst, A. 2020. The Uses and Benefits of Music Therapy. Available: https://www.healthline.com/health/sound-healing