Music for the Mind uses the rich and intricate music of Ostad Elahi, a Persian musician. The four CD set has world music, psychoacoustic techniques, and nature sounds. The program is available to the general public and can be ordered directly from an authorized provider.

Ostad Elahi was a master musician and virtuoso of the tanbour for whom music was above all a means of inner reflection and contemplation. A class of lutes called Tanbour is defined by their necks being longer than their bodies. Since the 15th century, it has only been used for devotional purposes.

We were immediately interested in the potential therapeutic applications of the music of Ostad. The project was conceived by Brainquiry, after one of their members attended a TLP training course.

Brainquiry realized that ABT was looking at different kinds of music to see if they had therapeutic qualities. Trainers Richard Lawrence and Alex Doman were knowledgeable about the effects of music. It was interesting to them that they had a deep understanding of intention in music.

Brainquiry found that Ostad’s music had an affect that was different than listening to most music. They proposed to Alex that Ostad’s music would appeal to a broad audience who enjoyed listening to music from other cultures.

Ostad’s music offers a unique and powerful opportunity for promoting active listening. The brain can be attentive in a dramatic way due to the unusual structures of the music.

With repeated listening the language of the music starts to reveal itself, yet we constantly encounter slight twists and turns that prevent the mind from placing the music into a known format. Ostad’s music was well suited for our purpose of encouraging active listening since it was created to move us from a place where we were stuck.

The qualities of the tanbour are dramatic. The dense range of high frequencies in the music was more intense than in any other instrument we had analyzed. The density can be attributed to the fact that Ostad played multiple notes per second. Audio bursting to the unaccustomed western ear is created by the percussive nature of the sound.

It would be pleasing to both the Eastern and Western ears if the music was broken into sections that were easier to digest. We used small phrases from Ostad to introduce certain sections of the music. Nature sounds are used to open the section so that the brain stays alert and doesn’t habituate and tune out sounds.

We added spatial dynamics, a method of moving nature’s sounds between the left and right ears. This helps the listening person identify the location of sounds. The odd numbered tracks are designed for morning listening and use authentic morning or daytime nature sounds, while the even numbered tracks are designed for evening listening and have either authentic nighttime nature sounds or none at all.

As Ostad’s music was recorded in a small room with almost no resonance, we softened the sound of the music by adding resonance to the original recordings, creating the effect that the music is being heard in a medium-sized concert hall. This effect is diminished as the recordings progress to provide a more intimate sound that better conveys the power of Ostad’s music.

The listener can focus on the mid and upper range frequencies if the lower frequencies are removed. The first CD has some filters for the lower frequencies. The first CD has 100 percent of the resonance of a medium-sized hall added with a high pass filter. The first CD has music and nature sounds.

85% of the resonance of a medium-sized hall has been added to the second CD, which has a high pass filter. Nature sounds make up 45% of the CD, while music only makes up 45%.

The third CD has a high pass filter. Nature sounds are added to 30% of the music.

The recommended listening time is four weeks, during which time the filtration is gradually increased on the CDs until it reaches a level of 325Hz on the fourth CD. The brain is affected by the high frequencies of the music. The high frequencies invite more precise listening. We only needed to use very mild filters because of the richness. Nature sounds are added to 20% of the music, but the resonance on the fourth CD has been reduced to 50%.

Audio bursting is already present in a natural way because of the sound of the tanbour. No additional audio bursting was necessary because Ostad’s music is so rich in randomly intense sounds.

The Handbook and Listening Logs are part of Music for the Mind. The handbook gives a brief overview of Ostad Elahi, the special energy in improvised music, and the importance of optimal acoustic environments.

There are four CDs in the set. You will finish all six tracks on CD 1 in three days if you listen to the tracks in pairs. Each CD needs to be listened to twice daily for 6 days with one day off per week. For 6 days a week for one month, the recommended listening time is 10 minutes each morning and evening. Equipment and activities are the same as for The Listening Program®.

The Music for the Mind program was tested by Brainquiry. The feedback confirms that listening is bringing improvements.

Why did ABT become involved in this project? Alex Doman told us that the CDs can help break the habituation to most people’s normal sound environment and train the ear to adapt to something new and unfamiliar. The vibrant and energetic music can help those who close out sound or become stuck in behaviors.

You can try this music for yourself. The acoustic patterns of the music are rich and interesting. The auditory system gets a great workout when there is a lot of information to process. Music for the Mind is something you will recommend to friends and clients.

It is possible to listen to music from many parts of the world. Ostad’s music is good for our ears and our intelligence. Music for the Mind will take you to another place and another time.