Bilateral Music & Faith
Sometimes, after a particularly stressful day, I will put on my headphones at night before I sleep, turn on soothing bilateral music, close my eyes, and simply be still.
As I listen, I can calm my overwhelming thoughts and de-stress. It helps to still my mind and focus on what is important, allowing me to take control of the chaos that accumulates in my mind during the day.
It helps me sleep and lessens the chance I will have a night terror or nightmare.
Bilateral stimulation music features calming instrumentals or sounds that alternate between your left and right ears, causing both brain hemispheres to work together. This promotes transitioning your brain from a fight-or-flight mode to a calmer, relaxed state. As a result of listening to the music, your brain may calm the hyperactive thoughts, reduce stress, and quiet the hyperstimulation caused by the trigger of traumatic memories.
It’s a tool.
Does it work for everyone? No. Like any other tool, you must try it to see if it is right for you.
How does this connect with our faith? It’s a tool that uses the way God designed our brains and the music he created. Our bodies and minds are far more intricately designed than we realize, and there are physical and emotional aspects of our bodies that we may not even be aware of that are designed to help us survive.
Psalm 139:14 reminds us of this when it says that we are fearfully and wonderfully created!
David knew the power of music. In 1 Samuel 16, King Saul called for David to come out of the field and play the lyre for him because it soothed and calmed his spirit. We are only now uncovering the powerful connection between music and our neurological system, and in that, God-design is the power to help heal trauma.
Psalm 46:10 calls for us to “Be still and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” The word “still” in Hebrew is “harpu”. This means to actively or cause yourself to let go or release it to God – your anxiety, stress, overwhelming thoughts, and memories. Be active in giving the anxiety and chaos of the world, that has been instilled in our minds during the day, over to God.
Take these moments of quiet to still your mind, calm your thoughts, and allow your brain to concentrate on God’s truth and let Him remind you that He is still sovereign and you are still His.
Try it and see if it works for you. Here are a few resources that may give you a place to start:
If you are nerdy and want a research-based article from the National Library of Medicine on this topic.
If you want one that is easier to understand from ementalhealth.ca
Bilateral music with Scripture
