Epilepsy Talk
How Music Soothes Your Seizures… | September 18, 2025
Music is food for the soul, the mind and the body.
Great music, when carefully selected, can change our moods, energize us, calm us, improve our mental focus, lift us up spiritually, and help us become more healthy.
Not surprisingly, music has also been found to have a profoundly positive effect on people with epilepsy.
In fact, one research study even found that when patients are treated with music therapy as well as conventional anti-seizure meds, as many as eighty percent of seizures were reduced by seventy-five percent!
It may be because the brain doesn’t have any single center for processing music.
Instead, the areas of the brain that process music are widely scattered.
So, when the brain is subjected to music that is highly structured, such as Mozart’s Sonata for Two Piano’s, the brain process is actually aided.
In fact, research has suggested that Mozart’s K448 piano concerto can actually reduce the number of seizures!
And amazingly enough, music played at a moderate or moderately fast tempo, without too many abrupt changes in dynamics (loud and soft) can aid in normalizing EEGs.
That’s because it helps us to relax and ease tension, equalizing the brain waves. (Look for Concertos, Sonatas and Symphonies.)
Music can also change behavior.
The right kind can turn depression into joy, anger to calmness, hate to love, and fear to courage.
Beautiful music has an effect on all people and it can soothe and take away feelings of frustration and anger.
What Kind of Music?
What ultimately works in choosing music for healing is to select what you like and what helps achieve the mood or balance that you want.
Relaxing music such as Mozart, Baroque and Classical music, can help to steady your conscious awareness and increase your mental organization.
Music such as New Age, Romantic, Jazz and even “chill-out” music can stimulate Alpha and Theta brain wave states, leading to reduction of mental imbalance and stress.
When you want to relax or slow down your pace, start with music at a moderate or faster tempo to match your metabolism, and then gradually switch to slower and slower music.
When you want to wake up or have more energy, start with slow, quiet music and then gradually switch over to louder pieces with a faster tempo.
For best results, do not listen to music for more than three hours at one time.
If you find that you’ve had music playing for more than three hours, turn it off and take a break.
The brain responds to variety and too much of any one stimulus produces a kind of fatigue and even irritation.
Ultimately, you are unique.
Experiment with different types of music, and be aware of the effects each style of music has upon your mental, emotional and physical well-being.
Listen to yourself. You are the ultimate guide and healer.
To subscribe to Epilepsy Talk, simply go to the bottom box of the right column, enter your email address and click on “Follow.”
Resources:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/1251839.stm
https://www.epsyhealth.com/seizure-epilepsy-blog/the-link-between-music-and-epilepsy
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26196169/
Tags: epilepsy - music's effects, Jazz, Mozart, New Age, Romantic, seizures - music therapy
3 Comments »
Leave a comment
About the author
Epilepsy Talk 
Dear Phylis, Thank you so much for all of your pertinent information and always sharing your heart and your story.
You have at times published lists of Best neurologists and neurological hospitals, I believe. I just lost my good neurologist here in Prescott, Arizona, Dr John O’Connor. I have an epilepsy/seizure disorder due to a case of encephalitis many years ago. My aunt also had epilepsy, and my grandmother, Maziebelle Markham did a tremendous amount to help create the Epilepsy foundation of America and was the past president of the epilepsy foundation for Southern California for many, many years. Even at the ripe old age of 69 I feel tremendously blessed to have had her as my grandmother. And my Grandpa Fred Markham lent his philanthropy as well.
So I thought I would reach out to you and see if you had any suggestions for the Phoenix area for a neurologist who specializes in epilepsy. I can call Barrow Neurological Institute, of course, which is an extraordinary asset here. But I just thought I would check and see if you had any lists with anybody particular.
Thank you so much for your time and consideration Marilyn Petrich
LikeLiked by 1 person
Comment by Marilyn Petrich — September 19, 2025 @ 1:39 PM
Marilyn, It’s wonderful that you had such great support and so many people were able to benefit from your grandmother’s work for the Epilepsy Foundation.
And yes, I do have a list of “Best Docs” for Arizona.
Bear in mind that this is a compilation by website forum members who have had positive personal experiences with docs over the years.
The list is based on recommendations and, of course, is purely subjective.
ARIZONA
Dr. Louann Carnahan at Tucson Center for Neuroscience, Tucson, AZ
Dr. Joseph Drazkowski, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, AZ
Dr. Matthew Hoerth, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, AZ — Epileptologist
Dr. David Labiner, University of Arizona, AZ
Dr. Laura Lehnhoff MD, Barrow neurological institute, Phoenix AZ — Epitologist
Dr. Katherine H. Noe, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, AZ — Neuropsychologist
Dr. Joseph Sirven, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, AZ
Dr. “Kris Smith”, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph’s Hospital, Phoenix, AZ
Dr. Vladamir Schwartz, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph’s Hospital, Phoenix, AZ
(You’ll see that both Mayo and Barrow are well represented. Not surprising!)
Good luck Marilyn. Let us know how you do.
LikeLike
Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — September 19, 2025 @ 1:59 PM
Dearest Phylis, Thank you so much! My brother is a doctor and I’ll ask his help with the list. I’ll let you know how it goes. Take care and thanks again. Sincerely, Marilyn Petrich
LikeLike
Comment by Marilyn Petrich — September 20, 2025 @ 11:54 AM