A fascinating study on the effects of sound on human development
Campbell's book is a fascinating study on the effects of sound in general and music in particular on human development, intellect, psyche, creativity, and mood. His findings are based on the research of Dr. Alfred A. Tomatis (1991) of France who contends that listening to Mozart promotes the development of the brain, learning, and health. According to Tomatis, the fetus is capable of hearing at the four and a half month stage and the mother's voice acts as "a sonic umbilical cord for her developing baby and a primary source of nurturing." Thinking that many childhood disorders could be the result of a breakdown in the "auditory environment," Tomatis devised a process that he called the "Sonic Birth" to recreate what an infant hears during birth. These sounds go from those of "the watery environment in the womb to those in the outside world of air." To facilitate the rebirthing process (or the birthing process, for that matter), Tomatis recommends Mozart: "Mozart is a very good mother. Throughout fifty years of clinical and experimental process, I have voluntarily chosen one composer and one only. I continue to test new forms of music and willingly use forms of chanting, folk music, classical, but the powers of Mozart, especially the violin concertos, create the greatest healing effect on the human body."
In the middle chapters of The Mozart Effect, Campbell takes up toning and chanting. Campbell defines toning as making a "sound with an elongated vowel for an extended period." Although the "Om" ("aum") of Tibetan Buddhism is probably the most well-known variety of this, Campbell introduces four others; "hum," "ahhhh," "ee," and "oh." According to Campbell, producing any of these sounds for five minutes a day will release stress and energize the body and the mind.
Chanting is the repetition of a word or phrase with a rhythmic pattern that is usually associated with prayer. It often takes the form of a psalm or song and has tremendous power to uplift the spirit and to heal. Campbell writes at length about the wonders of Gregorian chant and claims that its popularity is one of "the greatest unanticipated event[s] of our time." He recommends a recording by the Benedictine monks of Santo Domingo de Silos in Spain and believes that its worldwide sales of more than four million copies is evidence "that the modern psyche is ready for recharging through the regenerative power of sound."
Skeptics have countered with studies of their own that challenge the scientific validity of the Mozart effect. Their studies prove that any gains in intellect are ephemeral and just as easily attributable to other factors than what someone was listening to at the time they performed a certain task. The same goes for creativity. Most do agree, however, that music enhances mood.
In the end, there is much in The Mozart Effect that cannot be scientifically proven and Campbell readily admits this. To bolster his case that the "soft data" of testimonials be included in the debate, Campbell cites from Dr. Andrew Weil's Spontaneous Healing, "Testimonials are important pieces of evidence. They are not necessarily testimony to the power or value of particular healers and products. Rather, they are testimony to the human capacity for healing." Like most things outside the box, this one is best field-tested on your own. If it works for you, there's no reason to doubt the efficacy of it.