Holistic Health Center

Emotional Release: Page 1 of 3

Contributor: Jill Mattson

Emotional Release

“Catharsis” is the process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions. When one is depressed, joyful music is irritating. Depression needs to be released before one can enjoy upbeat music. Sad music stirs old pain, bringing it to the surface. It enables one to reconnect with feelings long ignored, leading to an emotional catharsis.

I was curious about musical catharsis due to the ancient Greek’s success with this process, so I experimented with it. What I observed is that people who repeatedly listened to sad music discarded negative emotional baggage. This enabled them to open up to positive feelings. The idea of catharsis was anything but flawed.

I gained this important insight as I played violin for elderly people in a supported living home over the course of a year. People in their wheelchairs were a captive audience. My music received their full attention as nothing else competed for their focus. Their complete attention made the music potent.

The residents requested that I play music that was popular (continue)

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Since our earliest years we have been trained to repress negative emotions. Whatever is repressed has power over us. These emotions do not vanish, but show up as an outward negative energy, such as anger or aggression, or an inward force manifesting as depression, insecurity or illness.