Contents
Oliver Sachs is known for his research into the strangeness of the human psyche. In the book Musicophilia, he explores the power of musical influence on patients, musicians and ordinary people. We read it for you and share the most interesting excerpts.
According to one of the book’s reviewers, Sachs teaches us that the most amazing musical instrument is not the piano, not the violin, not the harp, but the human brain.
1. ON THE UNIVERSALITY OF MUSIC
One of the most incredible properties of music is that our brains are innately tuned to perceive it. It is perhaps the most versatile and accessible form of art. Almost anyone can appreciate its beauty.
It’s more than aesthetics. Music heals. It can give us a sense of our own identity and, like nothing else, helps many to express themselves and feel connected to the whole world.
2. On Music, Dementia, and Identity
Oliver Sacks spent most of his life studying the mental disorders of the elderly. He was the director of a clinic for people with severe mental illness, and from their example he became convinced that music can restore the consciousness and personality of those who are barely able to connect words and memories.
3. About the «Mozart effect»
The theory that the music of an Austrian composer contributes to the development of intelligence in children became widespread in the 1990s. Journalists loosely interpreted an excerpt from a psychological study about the short-term impact of Mozart’s music on spatial intelligence, which gave rise to a whole series of pseudoscientific discoveries and successful product lines. Because of this, scientifically based concepts about the real effects of music on the brain have faded into obscurity for many years.
4. On the diversity of musical meanings
Music is an invisible space for our projections. It brings together people from different backgrounds, backgrounds and upbringings. At the same time, even the saddest music can serve as a consolation and heal mental trauma.
5. About the modern audio environment
Sachs is not a fan of iPods. In his opinion, music was intended to bring people together, but leads to even greater isolation: «Now that we can listen to any music on our devices, we have less motivation to go to concerts, reasons to sing together.» Constant listening to music through headphones leads to massive hearing loss in young people and neurological stuck on the same haunting tune.
In addition to reflections on music, «Musicophilia» contains dozens of stories about the psyche. Sachs talks about a man who became a pianist at the age of 42 after being struck by lightning, about people suffering from «amusia»: for them, a symphony sounds like the roar of pots and pans, about a man whose memory can only hold information for seven seconds, but this is not extends to music. About children with a rare syndrome, able to communicate only through singing and musical hallucinations, which Tchaikovsky may have suffered from.