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Tired of all kinds of “chemistry”, modern man is increasingly turning to nature for help. Every year the number of people who prefer organic food and the principles of locavorism (eating food produced in the immediate vicinity of the place of residence) is growing. And people are increasingly looking for cures for all kinds of ailments from nature. And it’s not just about phytotherapy (treatment with herbs). Nowadays, interest in stone therapy (treatment with stones), pet or animal therapy (treatment with the help of animals), as well as sound therapy has increased markedly. One of the popular currents of sound therapy is listening to the singing of different types of birds to obtain a healing effect. Specialists called this technique ornithotherapy. True, so far this system raises many questions: starting with what ornithotherapy is and ending with how the singing of different birds affects the human body and whether it can really heal.
What is ornithotherapy
Scientists have long discovered that music has a beneficial effect on a person and even helps to treat various diseases. But let’s remember how it appeared. The beginning of everything was given by birds, whose singing is the first “music” that primitive man heard. These sounds seemed pleasant to our ancestors, and they began to imitate them. Over time, the first musical instruments appeared. At first they were very primitive, but in the future they improved, bringing the art of music closer to the ideal. Today, with the help of created instruments, a person can reproduce the most unusual and beautiful sounds, but the main thing is not to forget how it all began – with the singing of birds. Moreover, the vibrations of their voices have a very beneficial effect on a person.
The behavior and singing of birds is studied by ornithologists. Professionals can only determine by sound not just the variety of birds, but their gender, age, and even information encrypted in trills. The longer a person studied birds, the more convinced that their voices have a healing effect. This is how ornithotherapy appeared – a science that deals with treatment with the help of birds.
How does sound affect a person?
Any sound is just air vibrations, acoustic waves. Before we realize that we have heard something pleasant or not, many processes take place in the body. First, the ear must catch these waves, after which vibrations of various structures of the hearing aid are formed – from the auricle and auditory canal to the tympanic membrane and further through the system of auditory ossicles in the inner ear, namely, the membrane of the oval window. Vibrations of the membrane cause the movement of fluid in the cochlea, and it, in turn, leads to vibrations of the basement membrane and causes excitation in the receptor cells. Ultimately, this excitation is transmitted to the brain through the auditory nerve. Here, through the middle and diencephalon, excitation enters the auditory zone of the cerebral cortex, located in the temporal lobes. And here the final recognition of the nature of the sound, its tone, rhythm, strength, height and its meaning takes place, a certain sound image is created, which in the end likes or dislikes a person. But the process of perception of sound does not end there. Under the influence of sound vibrations, certain reactions are triggered in the body that can affect the well-being of a person.
However, if we talk about sounds that have healing power, then not all of them can be consciously perceived by a person. Take the birds singing. Most of the high tones emitted by birds, the human ear is not able to catch. Also, a person cannot hear the very rapid change in pitch and volume of bird trills. But if we cannot hear something, this does not mean that it is not able to influence our body. In particular, this applies to the singing of birds. Any fluctuations in the air, be it ultrasound or infrasound, have an impact on both the physical body and the subconscious of a person. Moreover, in the case of different types of fluctuations, the effect on the body will also be different. Moreover, experts have found that with the help of correctly selected sounds of nature, it is possible to correct the work of all body systems.
But an even more amazing effect is produced by the singing of birds. Human skin has vibroreceptors that are able to perceive sound waves of certain frequencies. Bird trills also fit into these parameters. In this way, the singing of birds triggers an “anti-pain” reaction in the body.
It is also interesting that ornithotherapy works better on young patients. Specialists explain this phenomenon by the fact that children have more nerve cell receptors than adults that are responsible for the perception of high-frequency sounds, which is why they perceive bird trills better and respond faster to the treatment of a feathered “doctor”.
Birdsong – medicine or placebo
At some point, the researchers drew attention to the fact that among ornithologists and lovers of listening to birds there is a rather high percentage of centenarians. Experts began to study this phenomenon. It turned out that the sounds of birds, affecting the brain, stimulate a person’s sense of joy. And this interaction, as it turned out, is inherent at the genetic level in all representatives of Homo sapiens. Hence the first conclusion: people who regularly listen to birds tend to feel happier than those who live in isolation from these sounds of nature.
It is also known that bird voices evoke peace and tranquility, charge with positive and romantic mood. By the way, even the Russian empresses knew about the beneficial effect of bird trills and actively used this technique. The peak of the prosperity of the bird industry in the Russian Empire fell on the XNUMXth century. Then specially caught birds were delivered to the yard. Canaries were especially revered at the court, whose singing in those days was used to treat headaches.
The first scientist who officially noted that birdsong has an effect on the human body was the American ecologist and ornithologist Peter Brush. He argued that every person is simply obliged to listen to trills every day, since they have a beneficial effect on the soul and mind. Supported the views of the American and the British ornithologist John Keats.
Nowadays, the view of ornithotherapy among specialists is ambiguous. Some argue that bird singing does not affect a person in any way, and if some positive changes do occur, then this is only a placebo effect. But at the same time, ornithotherapy is recognized as an effective method of treatment in many countries of the world. Take at least Holland. In this country, ornithotherapy was tested on the basis of cardiological clinics, and after positive results in patients, it was recognized as official medicine. In Australia, this technique is also actively used. Australian experts are convinced that the singing of birds contributes to a more rapid treatment of diseases of the spine and joints. And the British voices of birds help to get rid of seasonal depression. In addition, British scientists have found that birdsong can not only improve mood, but also contribute to the development of creative skills. And all that is required for this is to listen to birds every day for at least 5 minutes a day. But American experts have found that it is easier and faster to lose weight if you play sports with birds singing.
Russian scientists, who have been studying this topic since 1973, have also contributed to the study of the effectiveness of ornithotherapy. Specialists from the Center for Bioacoustic Rehabilitation, located in the suburbs, in the course of a scientific experiment found that patients who listened to birdsong recovered twice as fast as the rest. Russian scientists have also found that 8-10 sessions of ornithotherapy are enough to treat insomnia, after which a person begins to fall asleep without medication. And experts have found that if a woman listens to birds singing during lactation, her milk arrives in large quantities.
Scientists have also discovered an interesting fact about the effect of bird singing on children. It turns out that children who regularly listen to feathered trills are less likely to get sick, sleep better and suffer less from hyperactivity.
What birds to listen to for various diseases
In principle, trills of most birds have a beneficial effect on the body. Moreover, to obtain a therapeutic effect, it is not necessary to listen to the birds “live”, recordings will do. But what is important – the phonogram must be recorded directly in nature. Only under such conditions, the healing sound in the recording will not differ from the real one. This makes ornithotherapy sessions very convenient: a high-quality recording (of which, by the way, there are a lot on the Internet) allows you to listen to singing at a convenient time. In addition, the recordings allow you to listen to the singing of certain birds. This is important because, scientists say, trills of different bird species have different therapeutic properties. By the way, specialists in bioacoustics can compose holistic compositions from recordings of the voices of different birds for the needs of a particular person or for the treatment of a particular disease. Let’s say more, under the influence of bird “arias” a new trend in modern music was born – ecological jazz (eco-jazz). In works of this style, composers mix birdsong with other sounds of nature: the voices of animals, the sounds of rain, wind, waterfall or ocean. And I must say, eco-jazz was successfully accepted by music critics around the world.
Nightingale
To hear the singing of this bird in the wild, you have to get up early in the morning, because the nightingale sings at dawn. His trills are a combination of sharp sounds and soft drops. His songs are quite complex, with beautiful overflows. No wonder this bird and its wonderful songs were often mentioned in Russian folklore. Modern ornitotherapists advise listening to the singing of the nightingale for chronic fatigue, weakness, headaches, as well as for the treatment of depression. Even after a short listening to nightingale trills, a person can feel a surge of strength, increased efficiency, and become more energetic.
Canary
As already mentioned, listening to canary songs relieves headaches, but this is not all the talents of this feathered “doctor”. Scientists have found that you can get rid of arrhythmias and normalize your heart rate if you regularly listen to her singing. By the way, the singing of finches and buntings creates a similar effect. In addition, it is useful to listen to canary songs for people prone to neuroses. And the singing of this bright bird helps to cope with stress, prevent diseases that can occur due to nerves, and also increases stress resistance.
Skylark
Specialists always characterize the singing of a lark as continuous and pouring. You can hear the sounds of this bird in the forests and fields, as there is a forest and field lark. It opens the singing season in wildlife in April. Listening to the sounds of a lark is useful for people with bronchitis, tracheitis, as well as for people with blood pressure disorders. By the way, you can also treat a bad mood with the singing of this bird. Ornithologists say that listening to her songs for a few minutes is enough to completely forget about the problems and start enjoying life again.
Goldfinch
The singing of goldfinches, as well as siskins, according to ornitotherapists, can be useful for the treatment of neuroses. The songs of these birds help to get rid of irritability. It is also useful to listen to them at the end of the day to relieve fatigue and relax.
Cricket
The voice of a cricket, a small gray-brown agile bird, is easily confused with the sounds that a grasshopper makes. To hear its soft chirping in wildlife, you need to walk along the river bank, overgrown with thick bushes. It is in such places that the cricket likes to settle. The rhythmic sounds made by this bird are especially useful for people with cardiovascular and nervous disorders. The voice of the cricket calms when overexcited, normalizes the heart rate during tachycardia, and also improves the functioning of the heart in general.
Thrush
The singing of thrushes in nature is a little easier to hear. First, this bird is quite common. Secondly, it always settles near houses. Ornithologists know several species of thrushes. One of them is black. It is his ornitotherapists who advise people with heart disease, hypertension or tachycardia to listen. It is also known that the sound vibrations of blackbirds can affect the “pain” centers of the brain. Therefore, the singing of this bird can be an excellent “medicine” during a migraine attack. It is also interesting that listening to the singing of thrushes after a surgical operation accelerates wound healing and even relieves pain 2 times faster than medicines.
Glory
The song of the warbler is always fervent and energetic. Her singing is so appreciated that sometimes this bird is put in a cage to enjoy her trills all the time. In ornithotherapy, warbler trills are considered a natural means to increase tone. The singing of this bird helps to treat headaches, and also improves the functioning of internal organs.
Robin
Other names for this bird are the robin or dawn, as it usually sings at dawn: early in the morning and before sunset. The robin is a migratory bird, but one of the first among all spring birds arrives in our area. You can hear the singing of the robin in forests, parks and even in gardens. The main condition is that there is a reservoir nearby, as this bird prefers to live near water. The robin is interesting because it belongs to the few bird species in which both sexes sing. Ornithologists recognize the song of the robin without difficulty: it sounds optimistic and always begins with a characteristic squeak.
Ornitotherapists advise listening to the voice of the robin for people suffering from insomnia, heart and liver diseases. In addition, it is known that the sound vibrations emanating from these birds help to relieve pain in the joints and head, and eliminate stomach cramps. It is useful to listen to robin singing during PMS: sound vibrations facilitate the manifestation of the syndrome.
Parrots
Of course, speaking of the influence of birds on humans, one cannot help but recall parrots, although their influence on humans is still somewhat different from what was discussed above. The benefits of parrots are slightly different. Doctors advise to start these birds in families where there are children with speech problems. Birds for children are always interesting. But in the case of a parrot, while the child will teach the feathered comrade to speak, and he himself will learn to pronounce the words correctly, he will get rid of stuttering or other shortcomings of speech.
In addition, parrots have another amazing ability. It is believed that these birds are born masseurs. Parrots are able to find massage points on the human body and massage them with their beak, which also has a beneficial effect on well-being.
Ornitotherapy is one of the most pleasant methods of treatment. In order to improve your well-being and mood, you just need to take a comfortable position, relax, close your eyes and enjoy the sounds of nature. But of course, one should not forget about traditional medicine and not try to get rid of serious diseases solely by ornithotherapy. There are ailments that cannot be delayed with treatment. But at the same time, no one forbids listening to birds singing in parallel with traditional therapy and, perhaps, thereby accelerating your recovery.