"In an instant, music can lift our soul. It awakens within us the spirit of prayer, compassion, and love. It clears our minds and has been known to make us smarter," writes Don Campbell in The Mozart Effect: Tapping the Power of Music to Heal the Body, Strengthen the Mind, and Unlock the Creative Spirit. In this well-written and superbly organized overview of music therapy, the founder of the Institute of Music, Health, and Education presents the healing powers of this transformational medium.
Mozart's elegant music not only has the ability to calm us down but it can warm up the brain. Campbell goes on to discuss how music can be a catalyst to learning, provide a boost to immune function, increase endorphin levels, and mask unpleasant sounds and feelings. The author shows how the Chinese, Indians, and shamans of indigenous cultures merge music and medicine. All the major religions utilize the regenerative power of sound in rituals, prayers, and chanting. Throughout the book Campbell includes more than two dozen exercises to enhance listening ability and to make the most of your own inner sound system. The Mozart Effect concludes with anecdotal evidence of the healing power of music in regard to 50 ailments and conditions ranging from back pain to diabetes.