Mute Man
© YouTube
We know music cannot strictly cure, but in the video below an unresponsive, mostly mute old man seems revitalized and full of life and emotion simply by hearing some of his favorite music.

The video is powerful and moving, and the science behind it is a fascinating mix of neurology and primal instinct.

According to Dr. Michael DeGeorgia, Director of the Neurocritical Care Center at University Hospitals' Case Medical Center in Cleveland, "Music stimulates certain neurochemicals and hormones in the brain and body that promote feelings of pleasure, joy, serenity or excitement."

However, he adds, "Nobody really knows where music comes from or why it is so important to humans."

In the video, music brings an elderly man out of his torpor and he experiences a "quickening" as Dr. Oliver Sacks says in the video, quoting the philosopher Kant who once described music as "the quickening art."

DeGeorgia points out another philosopher, Plato, once said that music "gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything."

"We know that music is very primal," DeGeorgia said after watching the video. He points out that in studies, even rats appear to be able to differentiate music from non-music such as white noise.

"In this video, Henry is experiencing pleasure from listening to his favorite kind of music," explains DeGeorgia. "Specifically, what is happening is that the music is activating the meso-limbic system, one of the oldest and most primitive pathways deep in the brain. This system is important for emotion and reinforcement of things that are good."

All in all, we may not know the exact reasons for Henry's amazing reaction and "quickening," but we can at least agree that music is a healing and deeply emotional media -- and it's wonderful it can help Henry.


The video is a clip from Alive Inside a documentary to be released April 18, 2012 from XMotionMedia.

To donate an iPod to help this cause visit MusicandMemory.org