An investigation into the phenomena and practices of spiritual ...

visual and auditory areas which act as a modulatory system across levels of the brain.Important effects of serotonin are the integration of emotional and motivationalprocesses and the synthesis of information across the functional levels of the brain. Theoverall effect of ASC is to integrate information from the whole organism. Thisspecifically involves transmitting information from the emotional and behaviouralpreverbal brain structures into the personal and cultural systems mediated by languageand the frontal cortex. Theologians (Rottschaefer 1999, Rayburn and Richmond 2002)looking at the physiology of ASCs have suggested these biological conditions provide abasis for experiences of enlightenment, a sense of connection and oneness, and personalintegration9.5 Music as TherapyMusic as a therapy is described by Priestly (1975) and Harrison (2004) as includingthree factors: the client, the music and the therapist. Where there are only two, theclient and the music, the experience may be therapeutic but not therapy as in the senseof someone administering therapy (taking care of another person or persons).Consequently, the human relationship is important in any aspect of therapy as thatrelationship is the therapy. There may be other contributory factors such as prayer, oils,or touch which can be viewed as tools, aids or adjuncts to the therapy. The success orfailure of the therapy is dependent on the success of the human and spiritualrelationships that are applied. In using music to assist the therapy and the therapist inspiritual healing, the experience for both therapist and client can be enriching ordestructive. The therapists who use music to assist in their work need to use music thatis soothing and within the comfort zone of the client. As it is the therapist who usually294