Page 14 - Glasba zdravi: vloga glasbe v pediatričnem okolju

Music as a Means of Healing – A Historical
Aspect
The understanding of music as a means of healing is profoundly
shaped by historical, cultural, and scientific developments that have
culminated in recognising modern music therapy as a legitimate
healthcare discipline. The therapeutic effects of music were already
acknowledged in the earliest civilisations. More than 4,000 years ago,
the ancient Egyptians used music to treat patients, while in antiqui-
14 ty, music was attributed with magical powers of purification, soothing
the mind, and healing physical ailments. Among numerous Indige-
nous cultures worldwide, songs, rhythms, and sounds have been inte-
gral to magical and healing practices, underscoring the universality
of music as a tool for enhancing health and community cohesion. In
Tina Bohak Adam chological distress and pain. Over the centuries, various approaches
the Middle Ages, monks employed liturgical chants to alleviate psy-
to the therapeutic use of music evolved, ranging from ritualistic and
religious practices to modern music therapy, which began to develop
as a scientific discipline at the end of the nineteenth century. In the
twentieth century, music therapy played a significant role in the re-
habilitation of war veterans, and today, it remains a vital component
of contemporary clinical practice. It is grounded in interdisciplinary
collaboration and is applied across diverse medical fields. This chap-
ter examines the historical dimension of music’s healing power from
ancient times to the present, focusing on key historical milestones, cul-
tural differences, scientific foundations, and current trends and chal-
lenges in clinical practice.
Keywords: music, health, music therapy, treatment, well-being, historical
aspect

Uvod
Človeštvo zvok in še posebej glasbo v zdravilne namene uporablja že ti-
sočletja. Začetki zdravljenja z zvokom in glasbo segajo v prazgodovino
ter še dlje, v območje mita, religij in kolektivnega spomina (Dewhur-
st-Maddock, 1999). Glasba kot sredstvo zdravljenja ima globoke kore-
nine v človeški zgodovini in kulturi. Že v najstarejših civilizacijah, kot
so Mezopotamija, Egipt in antična Grčija, so glasbi pripisovali izjemne
zdravilne lastnosti ter jo uporabljali za lajšanje telesnih in duševnih te-
žav (Thaut, 2015). Grški zdravniki so, denimo, uporabljali flavte, lire in
cimbale za zdravljenje svojih pacientov, Aristotel pa je svojem delu De
Anima poudarjal moč glasbe pri vzbujanju čustev in očiščevanju duše
(Meymandi, 2009). V starodavnih kulturah so glasbo pogosto povezo-
vali z magičnimi in mističnimi pojmovanji bolezni, a so se skozi stoletja