People say that music is connected to our souls. Apparently, this seems true as people begin to involuntarily shake their heads when they hear a particular song. Some may question: Does this really happen? Yes, of course! I am pretty sure Adolf Hitler enjoyed the Nazi beats and Osama Bin Laden loved songs which said something like, "Oh America, you're going down down daaaoooonnn!"
What makes music such a dynamic form of communication to the soul? Music has got something divine that connects it to the soul, and that divine something is yet to be discovered. My little sister, who can't even speak an authentic word (no one can when they are just five months into the world), begins moving her arms and legs with a consuming light in her eyes upon hearing any form of music.
At the beginning of the 20th century, there was a vast increase in the number of people listening to music with the increasing popularity of the radio. Music then began to be known as the art of exploring new rhythms, styles and sounds.
People also began to see music as a medium for self-enlightenment. In the 1960s, people believed that music combined with very strong psychedelic substances like LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) could be a tool for changing us into what we are supposed to be. Regular users said that it enabled them to see through the invisible mask that everyone had put on themselves. They said that it powered their spiritual side and enabled them to understand life and death.
People also claim that you can judge a person's character by the kind of music he likes and the components of a song - music, lyrics, vocal, tone - that he focuses more on. For instance, if someone likes Bob Dylan, there is a 95 per cent chance that he/she is a quiet, critical, honest and emotional person. I have met a few people who act as if they like Bob Dylan or the Beatles (but they don't actually) making room for the other 5 per cent I mentioned earlier.
Music is a tool that can reduce chronic pain, improve our mood, decrease the blood pressure, help stroke recovery, lower the heart rate, calm down, and enhance our ability to learn and many other countless things. A study report that inspired me to write this article claimed that music could reduce chronic pain from diseases such as osteoarthritis by 21 per cent and depression by 25 per cent. Also those listening to Celtic, classical or Indian (raga) can significantly lower their blood pressure, too.
Music is a powerful tool, an unchanged reality, a fine bright spot in the dark, a curious stare into the unknown. Music gives us wings; it carries us through uncertainties; it gives us ears to listen to our spirit. Most importantly, it is a weapon of truth and is free!
