Dr. Claudia Lang came to Kerala searching for alternative ways of treatment of mental depression and other such psychological disorders. Ayurveda was her prime interest. Ms. Eva Jansen a cultural anthropologist from Munich University introduced Dr. Claudia to me. Ms. Eva was introduced to me by Mr. MK Pramod of the Department of English of University of Calicut.
Dr. Claudia was interested in Music Therapy also. We visited the Kuthiravattom mental hospital in Calicut and talked to many doctors including the director of the institute, psychologists and many patients.
We then met a famous Malayalam Musician and lyricist Sri Kaithapram Damodaran Namboothiri. The music therapy institute he was building up was of real interest to her. We spend a long time with Namboothiri and have listened to the recital of a shubhpanthuvarali number.
Music according to him is a rejuvenating proposition, a revitalising ingestion. Music can cure perturbed minds, bring in a calm most anxiolytics or antidepressants cannot bring in. Music may be addictive, sometimes, but it's a desirable addiction without any side effects. The caressing touch of classical or popular versions of music in the minds of a sane or insane person can be felt and understood easily. We listened spellbound to the recital of Kaithaproms powerfull humming, even that humming was really powerful enough to transport us to a world of tranquillity within no time. It proves to us life is something worth living through.
Even schizophrenics respond to music, the selection of the raga and the patient has to match. The moment must be auspicious. It affects mind directly. It's ingested to the mind directly. The application is intra-intellectual and the dosage once daily. There's wide gap between minimum effective dose and maximum effective dose and there are no lethal dose. Dosage titration is very easy and patient compliance is very high. Cost of therapy is minimal. Drug availability is universal and the patient himself can produce the drug when he is put on the drug for a long time. Addiction is the only side effect so far noticed.
Let the music of comfort be played throughout everyone's life.
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