THE INFLUENCE OF MUSIC ON THE PRODUCTION OF ALTERED STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS AND POSSIBLE USES IN THE CLINICAL MUSIC THERAPY

Abstract

The present paper is a bibliographic research whose main objective is to understand how the use of music can induce altered states of consciousness and bring clinical results in the context of music therapy. As a theoretical basis we use Transpersonal Psychology and, within music therapy, we analyze the Guided Imagery and Music (GIM) method, created by Helen Bonny. In this method, classical music is used as a way of producing altered states of consciousness and accessing important contents of one's life story. This process enables the elaboration of clinical material, with therapeutic results already widely recognized and used within the music therapy community.