Hypnosis and 'heavy metal': musical modalities for treating trauma

Journal of Heart Centered Therapies, Autumn, 2005 by Megan Elizabeth Cassano

Abstract: Music is a fundamental element in the lives of people today. Music is played for babies while still in the womb in attempts to soothe them. Music represents special occasions that might occur during a person's life, such as religious rites of passage, weddings, graduations, funerals and more. Music can be heard during most forms of entertainment, in department stores, while on hold during a phone conversation and even while riding in an elevator. Music is everywhere, and everyone experiences it in different ways. Just as a certain smell has the ability to resurrect a memory, a song can remind a person of something that he or she has endured. Music provides a means for rejoicing, in addition to providing comfort during the solitude of heartbreak. Music allows for a unity of voices to come together in harmony. Music has the strength to deeply touch the soul and to embrace even the darkest of secrets held within the crevices of the subconscious mind. The author proposes that when certain types of music are introduced at precise times during hypnotherapy sessions, people are given enhanced sensations of power, more fitting senses of self and a greater understanding of their traumas, while increasing the ability to address their demons in efforts to successfully move forward. This theory is supported by the results of the author's research study, "Affective Music," which includes the opinions of 100 people regarding music and mood. These results provide a glimpse into the inherent relationship between music and the subconscious mind while in a hypnotic trance.

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Since the beginning of time, music has been a uniting force of community. The creation of sound was innately accomplished by using any available materials, i.e., rocks, sticks, taut animal skin, and voices to conduct spiritual ceremonies, warn of danger, and to indicate personal feelings. Since then, those sounds have developed into the myriad of musical choices that the world has today. Music is regarded by many cultures as a symbolic means for communication, celebration and emotional expression.

The author proposes that the relevant use of various kinds of music during a hypnotherapy session greatly enhances its effectiveness. According to the results of "Affective Music," 100% of the participants confirmed that music either sometimes or always intensifies their moods. Ste (2004) stated

   On the emotional and mental bodies, music is very effective. In
   particular, music affects the limbic system, that aspect of the
   brain, which governs emotional response. Through using specific
   music (specific for the individual), we can help elicit certain
   emotional responses that may be very therapeutic and transformative
   in their nature (p. 1).

The world today would be indisputably bland without music. Without conscious awareness, music can either shape or augment the way that people come to understand their life experiences. According to "Affective Music," 90% of the participants agreed that their favorite television shows and movies would not arouse the same feelings without music. When feelings enter conscious awareness, the subconscious mind creates a memory based on what is happening. For example, many movies use music as a means of increasing the impact of the story line. When a particularly sad scene is accompanied by a certain song, it is probable that feelings of sadness will come up for the person upon hearing that same song, even years later, with potentially no conscious recall of the movie.

Music has the capacity of evoking various emotions based on lyrics or sound. When listening to music, people have a tendency to apply the lyrics that they hear to their own lives. Social Psychology indicates that people are inclined to become friends with those who they perceive as being on their same physical, emotional, psychological and intellectual levels. In the same way, people also resonate with songs that they feel are representations of their lives. This addresses the very interesting question of "why people like the music that they do." When an individual hears a song with lyrics that are applicable to his or her life, the subconscious mind records the feelings that are summoned by the song. This happens without any conscious awareness on the person's part.

When using music during a hypnotherapy session, there are many things that the practitioner must be aware of and sensitive to. For example, if the client's first language is Spanish, it might not provide optimal results to use songs that are predominantly recorded in English. There is a certain degree of forethought that accompanies the proper selection of songs. A practitioner should have a wide variety of music and must be prepared to shift songs around based on what is occurring in the session. In addition to language, the practitioner also has to be sensitive to age. A fifteen-year-old client might not respond well to music from fifty years ago. The music used has to be an appropriate fit, relating to the client's situation, culture, language, gender, ethnicity, race, age and anything else that seems important to him or her.