The Healing Power of Sound and Music

An idea once dismissed as new-age relaxation is now being used to treat a variety of conditions–from anxiety to chronic pain.

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Most people already know the experience: a song that lifts your mood on the drive home or the sound of rain helping you drift off to sleep. Sound doesn’t just set a mood. It changes your body. Heart rate slows, stress hormones drop, and pain feels different.

That’s why an idea once dismissed as new-age relaxation is now showing up in treatment for everything from anxiety to chronic pain.

How Sound Affects the Body

The leading explanation involves the nervous system. Sound healing influences brainwave states. As different brainwave frequencies are associated with different levels of relaxation, music or sound can help shift the brain into a calmer state.

Studies using EEG brain scans have found that singing bowls increase both delta and theta brainwave activity. Theta waves (4 to 8 Hz) tend to appear during meditation and light sleep, while the slowest, delta waves (below 4 Hz), are linked to deep sleep and the deepest states of relaxation.

Sound and vibration can also stimulate the vagus nerve, a key player in shifting the body out of “fight-or-flight” mode and into a state of rest.

It’s worth separating two things that often get lumped together: music therapy and sound healing. Sound healing—like singing bowl or sound bath sessions—is generally a more passive, self-directed relaxation practice, without a clinical diagnosis or treatment goal attached. Music therapy, in contrast, goes beyond passive listening. It is a structured, goal-oriented intervention guided by a music therapist and tailored to a specific person’s needs.

Music Therapy: Treating Specific Needs

Music therapy has been associated with reductions in stress, anxiety, and depression. It also shows promise in influencing pain perception.

Music therapy activates brain regions involved in mood regulation and promotes the release of dopamine, endorphins, and oxytocin. Music also gives the mind something else to focus on, interrupting anxious thoughts.

A review of nine high-quality studies found that music therapy reduced pain and also helped improve depression. The optimal duration, they found, is 20 minutes, and it works best when people choose their own music, use musical instruments, or use headphones.

Sessions vary by patient. “I use instruments to stimulate the nervous system and mind as a form of exploration,” Cara Gelderblom, a board-certified music therapist, told The Epoch Times. She sometimes uses live guitar, a patient’s favorite pop song, or music improvised in the moment based on what they need.

For those with complex psychological challenges, Gelderblom suggests seeking a professional music therapist. “I mean, if the patient has some connection to music, whether through singing or playing an instrument, a music therapist might be the right fit.”

Sound Healing: A Tool for Rest

Unlike traditional therapies such as psychotherapy or physical therapy, sound therapy does not require focusing on a specific issue. Instead, it works more indirectly through sensory experience—carefully selected frequencies, vibrations, and instruments such as singing bowls, chimes, drums, and guided vocal tones, Michele Leno, a licensed psychologist and host of “Mind Matters with Dr. Michele,” told The Epoch Times.

“The body and mind respond to sound vibrations, which can promote relaxation,” she said.

The aim is to calm the nervous system and shift the body out of a fight-or-flight state into a more restful mode. Practiced regularly, sound therapy may support sleep, eating patterns, and general resilience to daily stress.

A popular form of sound therapy is sound baths. Danielle Hofman-Snell, a manager of Saxon Spa Sandhurst in Johannesburg, told The Epoch Times that during their sound healing journey, sound is combined with gentle somatic practices that help people reconnect with their bodies, release physical tension, and become more aware of the present moment. “Some people notice greater emotional clarity, improved sleep, or even a renewed sense of calm and focus,” she said.

Another sound therapy approach is vibroacoustic therapy, which uses low-frequency sound vibrations and is being explored as a sensory-based intervention for people with autism. Early research suggests these sound vibrations may influence muscle tone, blood pressure, and even heart rate, while certain frequencies may also help regulate irregular brain activity. Certain sound frequencies can modulate neural responses critical for neuroplasticity and cognitive functions.

Bring Sound Into Daily Life

There are simple ways to bring sound into everyday life, Hofman-Snell said.

• Set aside a few minutes a day for calming soundscapes or guided sound meditation.

• Pair music with mindful breathing exercises.

• Use white noise or a sound machine, especially at bedtime.

• Build small, consistent moments of intentional stillness into a daily routine, rather than relying only on occasional formal sessions.

Sound therapy is a good option to use alongside other treatments, Leno said. For most people, that makes sound one more way to support the nervous system.

“I even find that the sound of a fan improves my sleep and reduces anxiety.”