music. The word sadhana ̄ —devoted practice of a discipline for the purpose
of spiritual self-healing and enlightenment—can apply to sacred music.
How Is Sacred Music Therapeutic?
Clearly music can be religious—in its content, and its power to induce
reverent and even meditative states. Music also symbolizes (participates
in and points to) sacred forces. But how is sacred music therapeutic? A
non-dualistic concept of the person, conceived not as a compound of the
two substances ‘mind’ and body’—but described by terms ‘mind’ and
‘body’ to designate two main dimensions of human experience—entails a
theory of etiology or causation of disease wherein mental and physical
states are understood as mutually influential. A fundamental manifesta-
tion of this phenomenon is the fact that emotional distress activates
neurochemicals that can compromise vitality and immunity. Conversely,
mental calm has a healthful effect on the body. Sacred music serves many
functions, and one of them is to calm the mind/body so that well-being
can prevail. Physician Harold G. Koenig comments on numerous medical
studies concerning neurochemical health factors:
Persons who are depressed have increased secretion of cortisol, from the
adrenal glands. This natural substance interferes with the immune
system, which is the body’s major defense against cancer, infections, and
other outside invaders. In fact, this is the substance that doctors give pa-
tients who receive heart, kidney, or liver transplants to suppress their
immune systems so that their bodies will not reject the transplanted
organ. Psychological distress also causes the adrenal glands to secrete
epinephrine and nor-epinephrine, substances that cause constriction of
blood vessels, which may contribute to high blood pressure, diseases of
the arteries that feed the heart (coronary arteries), and possibly irregu-
larities in hearth rhythm (arrhythmia). Finally, psychological stress in-
creases activity in a part of the nervous system called the autonomic ner-
vous system, which may cause or worsen heart and blood vessel
problems, as well as induce stomach ulcers, and many lower bowel or
colon problems. Consequently, persons with emotional problems such
as depression, anxiety, or those who are under chronic stress may be
under greater risk of dying from a number of stress-related diseases.^75In addition to the physiologically therapeutic benefits of religious experi-
ence, including participation in sacred music, a deeper appreciation of sa-
cred music as a religious therapeutic is possible on the interpretation that
religious liberation is itself healing. Music’s healing effects in the psycho-
physical dimension contribute to religious realization equivalent to fun-
damental healing of our human condition.
one line longtantra and aesthetic therapeutics 159