The Medicinal Value of Gregorian Chants

by John Baiamonte, PhD

Grace Memorial Vestry Member and Christian Education Leader

I knew for years that Gregorian chants had a great spiritual effect on me, but I always suspected that some of that effect was also physiological and psychological.  So, I decided to conduct some research on the subject.

The basic conclusion of my research is that Gregorian chants can lower your blood pressure, reduce your heart rate and ease anxiety.  Research by neuroscientists  from the Imperial College of London concluded that the slow structured breathing  during chanting lowers your blood pressure and heart rate to daily minimums during performance.

The prolonged exhalations and uniform melodic lines stimulate the vagus nerve and activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps decrease your stress hormone levels like cortisol.
The repetitive auditory frequencies and latin vowel resonance encourage synchronization between the left and right hemispheres of the brain, fostering improved neural communication and cognitive clarity.

Chanting can relieve your stress and anxiety.  The steady unaccompanied monophonic structure acts as a stabilizing  auditory anchor that calms racing thoughts and relieves symptoms of mild depression.

Complimentary medicine practitioners have noted that rhythmic sacred music helps patients settle into deeper states of relaxation, which aids in easing chronic tension and mental exhaustion.
One hospital in Minnesota found that chanting eased the chronic pain of its patients.  In a related matter, I am a great fan of Aaron Neville whose music is popular in nursing homes and music therapy programs to calm and comfort patients, especially those dealing with dementia or Alzheimer's disease.  His music is popular because it is embedded in the long term memory of the residents, especially his famous “Tell It Like it Is.”  Neville himself views his singing as “survival” and “medicine” meant to heal the afflicted.

I have another related topic—“The Mozart effect" that I used to manage juvenile delinquents, but I am going to save it for next week.