Music has been viewed as a natural anti-depressant for thousands of years. The Bible says in the book of 1 Samuel that young David was brought to King Saul's court to play the lyre for him when "an evil spirit tormented him." When David played, the evil spirit left and Saul felt better.
Although the styles have changed in the many years since King Saul, music still has power to improve an individual's mood. William Congreve, in his play Almeria, wrote "Music hath charms to soothe a savage breast."
Music Therapy
Music therapy is the use of music to achieve measurable goals regarding mood improvement, anger management, or other skills. According to The Tao of Music by John Ortiz, a conscious, systematic way to use music therapy for depression is to make an entrainment list. It is called "entrainment" because repeated listening to the playlist trains the mind to go from depression to neutral or slightly happy in response to a sequence of songs.
Making the Entrainment List for Depression
For successful music therapy, the entrainment list for depression should be made based on an individual's musical tastes. Classical and pop music tend to be the easiest styles to use when producing a progression from depression to neutral/happy. Sometimes country or rock will work as well, but heavy metal music is not usually a good choice.
The following factors are important to consider when trying music as an anti-depressant:
- The most important factor is the meaning of each song to the person listening.
- Ten to 14 songs make up the ideal list.
- The first three songs are increasingly depressing and the fourth is the most depressing.
- The fifth song is slightly brighter – hope has been introduced.
- Subsequent songs become happier until a neutral or slightly happy mood is reached by the tenth song.
- If desired, a few more songs may be added to reinforce the desired mood (relaxed, happy, carefree, inspired, etc.).
Using the Entrainment List During a Depressed Mood
The person experiencing the depressed mood should find a comfortable position either sitting or lying down. Then he or she should listen to the playlist from start to finish.
During the depressing songs, it is important to thoroughly feel and experience the sadness or hopelessness, rather than attempting to fight it off. Continuing with the rest of the list should naturally improve the mood; it is unlikely that the person will get "stuck" in a very depressed state (unless the entrainment list is not completed). The natural anti-depressant effect of the music will bring the person out of the undesired mood and into a neutral or happy state.
A Sample Entrainment List for Depression
The songs in this list represent a variety of pop and rock styles spanning the '60s to the '90s. Remember, this list is for illustrative purposes only.
- "Crush" by Dave Mathews Band
- "Losing My Religion" by R.E.M.
- "Ordinary World" by Duran Duran
- "My Immortal" by Evanscence
- "One Headlight" by the Wallflowers
- "I Let the Music Speak" by ABBA
- "Eyes Without a Face" by Billy Idol
- "Baker Street" by Gerry Rafferty
- "Turn! Turn! Turn!" by The Byrds
- "I Made it Through the Rain" by Barry Manilow
- "Waterloo" by ABBA
- "When Smokey Sings" by ABC
- "Walk of Life" by Dire Straits
- "You Get What You Give" by New Radicals
In The Tao of Music, Ortiz reports on a woman with depression that had not responded to medications. He asked her to create an entrainment list according to the principles listed above. Before she even listened to the the list, the act of creating it improved her mood because she was taking charge of her own recovery and accepting her own thoughts and feelings rather than fighting them. This is just one way that an individual can benefit from using music as an anti-depressant measure.
This article is for general information only. It is not meant to be a substitute for medical or mental health care. Individuals with troubling symptoms should seek the advice of a health care or mental health professional.
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