Thursday,
4 May, 2000
Patterns Of Thought
The human brain is the most
complicated thing on the Earth, possibly the Universe and set
us apart from every other living creature on the planet. In
our new radio series, The Brain, Dee Palmer examines the old
grey matter. This week she speaks to Dr Paul Robertson on the
effects of music on the mind.
For
the last few thousand years people have been trying to make
sense of the human mind. The hardest part of all has been relating
our subjective feelings and experiences to physical processes
at work in our bodies. The focus today is on the brain, perhaps
the most complex structure we know in the universe.
History 
Two thousand five hundred years ago the brain was not thought
particularly important. For example, Aristotle suggested that
the feeling of anger might be caused by blood boiling in the
heart. At first, exploration of the brain was limited to its
physical structures. In 18th century Europe, phrenology, the
study of the lumps and bumps on the skull, was popular.
Then
research moved inside the head and anatomists began to try
to link function with the different structures of the brain.
One effective, if rather crude way of doing so, was to see
what happened when different bits of the brain were damaged
by accidents or diseases.
As
neuroscience became more advanced, brain surgeons began to
operate on patients to treat epilepsy and psychosis. Electrodes
could stimulate different parts of the brains of such people,
sometimes producing quite unexpected sensations and emotions.
Mind-altering drugs produced even stranger sensations. Today
there are some powerful new tools available in the form of
brain scanners which not only reveal the inner structures
of our brains but can actually see them functioning as we
think.
Models
Of The Brain
As our knowledge of the brain has grown, so we have used different
models to describe it; models that reflect their age. In the
Age of Reason they were mechanical models, like clockwork. With
electricity came the idea of the brain as a series of wires
and connections. Chemistry brought a pharmacological model,
with little chemical signals passing between the brain cells,
easily upset by drugs or illnesses. With computers came the
idea of our brains as processors programmed to run the software
of our genes and the memory banks of our experience. Now a new
model is emerging, a more ecological one that takes into account
our subjective experiences and our relationships with others
and with society.
 Music
And The Brain
Unlike
language, music is affective and effective cross culturally.
Something in our brains not only allows us to create music,
but also to respond to music. Somehow music has the ability
to affect our thoughts and feelings. Dr Paul Robertson,
Visiting Professor of Music Psychology at Kingston University
attempts to explain how:
'Science
would assume that pre-birth, the auditory system is
our first fully functioning system of response and it
is capable of some of the most exquisite and sophisticated
musical understandings. Even in the womb we are responding
to and being entrained by musical sound patterns.'
This
may explain our response, but which elements of music
does the human brain respond to? Robertson continues,
'Rhythm
and pitch. In terms of rhythm it's clear that we are responding
to and inhabiting a deeply rhythmic and personal world.
All our pulses, the rhythmic cycles of our breathing our
heart beat - in all music we will find hidden in the texture
these very clear rhythmic messages with which we associate,
train, respond and by which we can be changed in terms
of our level of arousal.'
Music And Pain
Music
provides a subtle physiological way of understanding our
world. In this way it can also be adapted to help with
fearful or painful situations. Robertson gives specific
examples of how a learned response to music can help to
determine levels of pain,
'Research has shown that an anesthetist can use music,
and musical sound patterns, to lower the levels of arousal
to the extent that it is now possible to perform operations
without sedative drugs and with minimal, if any, anesthetic.'
| 'In
terms of rhythm it's clear that we are responding
to and inhabiting a deeply rhythmic and personal
world.'
|
Good And Bad Sounds
Without
doubt humans respond to different levels of sound - it
is no coincidence that fire alarms are pitched at such
a high level and are akin to animal distress calls or
that church bells can be so soothing. But what is it that
makes some music soothing and others make us jump? Robertson
explains,
'Discordant sounds are far more involved with the
left side of our brain they need to be understood and
appreciated logically. It is a learned response and
one that at a physiological level causes us distress…on
the other side we know that concordant sounds are preferentially
being processed in the right side of our brain, the
emotional, non verbal side.'
The
Power Of Sound
We
live to the beat of her hearts and pulses. We have trained
and learned responses to the sounds of danger and pleasure,
but is music really important to the human make-up? On
this point Robertson is clear,
'I have no doubt that the single most powerful evocation
of emotion is through sound. When we wrap up this sound
and organise this into music then it carries immensely
important social and personal narratives.'
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| Weight
Of Thought |
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| It
is estimated that the average adult human brain
weighs between 1,300g and 1,400g (approximately
3lbs) |
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Listen
to the whole interview
