Sounding away Pain

The voice can be used as a masking device for severe pain.!

Let’s look at an exercise Don Campbell wrote in The Mozart Effect

Sit or stand in a comfortable position, or if you are bedridden, position yourself so that your throat and neck are relaxed. Now close your eyes and locate the source of your physical discomfort. Make an ah or an ou sound (the most soothing) and visualize the pain in your body being released through your voice. The ou sound is pronounced like the ou in the word soup.
If the pain is acute you may want to make a high ee sound. The ee and ay sounds release sharp pains and can help you let go of inner anger and torment. (Be sure to let anyone nearby know you are experimenting with sound and not to be alarmed.)
It takes a few minutes of toning before the pain begins to change its shape. Never strain the voice, and rest between each minute or two of sounding. Often sounds can trigger an endorphin release that will mask the pain for a short time. Pain that has emotional origins may also be released, which will enable the body to heal more effectively.
Remember, there is no one sound that works for everybody or produces exactly the same effects. Experiment, and find the unique tone or tones that work for you.

Books and tapes by Don Campbell

Books

Music and Miracles
100 ways to Improve Teaching Using your Voice & Music
Music: Physician for Times to Come
Rhythms of Learning (with Chris Brewer)
The Roar of Silence
Master Teacher, Nadia Boulanger
Introduction to the Musical Brain

Spoken Tapes

Music Tapes and Compact Discs

Audio Books